[ferrarirules]

Hyundai Achieves Up To 92% Localization – Creta EV Battery Pack Locally Assembled

Excerpt from the article:

Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has reinforced its dedication to India’s ‘Make-in-India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives by achieving significant milestones in localization. With an indigenization roadmap in place, HMIL has localized over 1,200 key components and commenced the local assembly of EV battery-packs at a state-of-the-art facility in Chennai. These efforts have resulted in up to 92% localization in manufacturing and forex savings of over US $672 million (Rs 5,678 crore) since 2019.

In collaboration with Mobis India Limited, Hyundai has inaugurated a battery-pack assembly plant within its Chennai facility. In its first phase, the plant boasts an annual capacity of 75,000 battery-packs, capable of assembling NMC (Lithium-Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt Oxide) and LFP (Lithium-Iron-Phosphate) battery types. Hyundai Creta Electric will be the first model equipped with locally assembled battery-packs, marking a key milestone in Hyundai’s EV journey in India. This facility is a game-changer for Hyundai’s EV roadmap, enabling optimized battery costs and streamlined availability for locally produced EVs.

Source - Rushlane

After reading this, I am more surprised at the pricing. If only the cells are being imported and rest everything is localized. The pricing could have been on par with their ICE model.

This what I get when I do the maths on Creta Petrol (Automatic) vs Creta Electric pricing



Rs 8.7 lakh mark up just because it is an electric car. Hyundai is grossly misusing the 5% GST benefit provided for EVs.

[dextor]

Originally Posted by ferrarirules

Rs 8.7 lakh mark up just because it is an electric car. Hyundai is grossly misusing the 5% GST benefit provided for EVs.

Actually we should consider pricing of IVT SX(O) instead of DCT as DCT itself is expensive tech.
Taxation on ICE is GST-28% + CESS-17%

Considering these values, pricing for Creta EV is pretty steep.

Probably we should consider 6-8L for battery cost (+ battery warranty) but we need to remove cost of ICE parts which are excluded in EV.

[kgt.v8]

Creta Electric is available for display at Kun Hyundai Gachibowli branch in Hyderabad. The display car is the top end Excellence in new glossy Ocean Blue dual tone shade.

The showroom was almost empty and there were 1-2 other people checking out Creta Electric. The number of people are still very less as compared to the ones going for Mahindra BEV test drives.

The car cannot be started inside the showroom. The showroom has placed some packing material under brake and accelerator pedals. I was told this is to make sure someone does not accidentally start the car and result in accident inside the showroom.

The driver and passenger side powered seats could be moved.
Most of the interior and especially rear is similar to ICE Creta.
Rear seat leg room is good and I did not end up with too much knees up position. For reference I am 5 feet 6 inch high.
The armrest on center console is again fixed and cannot be moved. The armrest may not be lot of use for people with shorter height.

Attaching some snaps of the Creta Electric. I will post my observations and other images sometime later in the week as I got about decent time to spend with the display car due to less crowd.

[SidTheChamp]

I am not that optimistic about Creta electric sales. The SUV buyer in India looks for a car with macho presence on the road. Creta is impressive that's why they are ready to pay premium price for ICE version.
But are the same customers willing to buy EV which means regular charging. Sure they will save on petrol or diesel but majority of such customers won't mind shelling out the cash for fuel.

In case a hybrid Creta is launched, that would have sold like hot cake.

Also reminds me of Tata Punch EV which was extensively marketed in a IPL. Didn't sell much.

I may be wrong but let's see.

[JoseTheScorpion]

I was invited to the launch of the Creta EV in a Hyundai Showroom near my house. I surely enjoyed and took loads of pics and also covered it in my Youtube vlog.

https://youtu.be/JMfJwuc2-BY?si=bNShEs1S_4CPdfgv

My first impressions

The GOOD

• Quality is top notch. No wonder Creta has been at the top of the sales charts since so many years.
• I liked the DT colour combination and the roof looks more like piano black than metallic black
• loved the interiors and the placement of all the buttons and stuff
• The Steering wheel is different and looks a class above
• Alloys are aero, but look classy
• centre console looks Konaish, and adds life to the cabin
• Easily the best in class digital instrument/infotainment from Hyundai/Kia. The sharp "tachometer and speedometer" look luxury car levels.

Not so GOOD

• With every thing going for the Creta, I feel they could have taken a chance with the design, similar to the Tatas, their ICE and EV models look very different.
• Creta EV is not even close to the elegance and majestic looks of the MG Windsor.
• headlamps should have been projector LEDs
• The placement of V2L plug is very difficult to reach. I was not even able to take a clear camera angle.

Deliveries
As per the confirmation from the sales manager, the bookings are open and top models will be delivered by Feb 2025 last week, lower models will be delivered only after March 2025.

Test drives?
May be next week onwards, the showroom team will let me know.

Real life range
400kms from the 51KW battery is commendable. I am impressed!

Lets roll through the pics

[ferrarirules]

Originally Posted by dextor

Actually we should consider pricing of IVT SX(O) instead of DCT as DCT itself is expensive tech.
Taxation on ICE is GST-28% + CESS-17%

Considering these values, pricing for Creta EV is pretty steep.

Probably we should consider 6-8L for battery cost (+ battery warranty) but we need to remove cost of ICE parts which are excluded in EV.

Yes you are correct. My mistake - I picked the wrong cess. The difference widens to almost 9 lakhs

[jetpack470]

Originally Posted by SidTheChamp

I am not that optimistic about Creta electric sales. The SUV buyer in India looks for a car with macho presence on the road. Creta is impressive that's why they are ready to pay premium price for ICE version.
But are the same customers willing to buy EV which means regular charging. Sure they will save on petrol or diesel but majority of such customers won't mind shelling out the cash for fuel.

I may be wrong but let's see.

Why do you think Creta buyers don't mind shelling out cash for fuel? If they were built out of cash and wanted a macho presence car, they wouldn't have bought a Creta in the first place. If one is getting a Creta, by definition they are going for the economical choice. We in our family have an Audi, a jeep, and an Elantra. Each car more expensive than a Creta. Still, petrol is burning a major hole in our pockets. That's why we are replacing the jeep with an electric car, thinking of doing so at least.

[manojrajakrishn]

Given Hyundai's supremacy in the Indian auto industry and the new powertrain derived from a successful vehicle, the Creta EV is an extremely intriguing proposition.

However, the worldwide EV automobile sector will be impacted by the abrupt reversal of the EV policy by the incoming US administration.

If I were a customer today, I would be cautious when buying an EV car—or any EV for that matter—because the price of cars has gone up a lot and I usually plan to keep the new car for at least ten years.

[niv26]

I think I started liking Creta somehow. I usually like to maintain low profile, and no show off with cars (or flashy like other new EV cars).
I want an EV car like charge and forget it.

I still remember hero honda ad, fill it, shut it and forget it. I just want that peace of mind with new EV.
I think only MG and Hyundai can provide it for now.

[Nithesh_M]

I appreciate the honesty when Hyundai used the word assembly instead of manufacturing for the battery pack. Not shying away from admitting they are importing the cells for assembly here unlike some other manufacturers who interchange the word assembly with manufacturing and openly lie about the source of battery, motors and other ancillary equipments.

[navinmra]

Originally Posted by Vikram9193

Many of you will know Bjørn Nyland as a popular old timer in the range test game. His huge spreadsheet shows us that not that many boxy cars manage to pull less than 150 wh/km ie 6.66 km/kwh when driven at a steady 90 kmph (cruise control) in Norway summer weather, with only him in the car and AC on.

The ZS EV as I recall is a little over the 150 wh/km mark. In case the Creta can do an exceptional 140 wh/km (Hyundai magic? Possible) it should breach the 350 km mark in the right conditions.

The Indian YouTube range tests are usually not helpful unless you are driving on a highway with a lot of traffic or an 80 kmph speed limit.

I regularly touch 100 to 120 wattHr per km on the highways at 80 kmph in my Nexon EV Max. Just that wind resistance plays a very big role in the efficiency. If you have headwinds at even 20 kmph then you can kiss those numbers goodbye. On the other hand if you have tailwinds, you can easily to 100 wattHr per km.

This is also why EVs return more efficiency in crowded ring roads and maybe tree lined state roads as opposed to open highways - it’s the wind resistance. So, as an illustration, you will get better efficiency if you drive right now from Nelamangala to Hassan than the other way around! See the wind map below:

[shankar.balan]

My Dad and I went to see this Creta EV at the Hyundai Showroom near my house - the same one from where I bought my Kona EV a year ago.
No test drives yet as the vehicle is unregistered. Maybe in a couple of days they will start offering drives.

Some minimal first impressions from my limited and casual interaction with the display car. The Top Spec 51KW version.

Great Headroom front and rear. Great under thigh support front and rear. The sitting position in all the seats is extremely comfy and the big panoramic sunroof gives one a very airy and light feel. Really lovely to have electric seats for both driver and front passenger with height adjustment and 8 way adjustment and memory etc. Nice supportive seats.

As a tall person of 6.2 ft- the Big door lip at rear can catch the shoes. And the tray at the back of the front seat can catch the knee. Nice Fat EV specific Goodyear Assurance 215/60/17 sized tyres.

I like the elegant longitudinal screen. And the stalks feel premium and tactile like the Ioniq5 does. On account of the positioning, there is no chance of mixing up the Indicators and the Drive Stalk control.

The Creta EV seems a typically brilliant Hyundai Package at Rs 26.5 ish lacs on Road Bangalore for the Top Spec with 51 KW battery with 473kms range etc. One can drive to Ooty from Bangalore at one shot. (With family, luggage and golf kit!)Thats great as far as I am concerned!

Someone had remarked that one is getting all the goodies of the Alcazar in the Creta EV and best of all, across all the variants. It is a very nice vehicle. Feels very European. Nice and comfortably sized. Big boot. Little frunk. A great family car for touring in my opinion, backed by Hyundai’s huge and responsive service network. In car payments feature will become useful more and more as we move to a digital first economy.

Whatever one may say, the Korean cars have far greater finesse than our Indian ones. This fact is absolutely tangible and true. We are yet to reach that level although we are getting close-ish. We must focus hard on delivering consistently predictable and delightful consumer experiences - thats a glaring faultline with our Indian manufacturers.

Good one Hyundai… but all things considered I love my Kona for its size, fit, finish and finesse so Im not switching any time soon.

[07CR]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

The Creta EV seems a typically brilliant Hyundai Package at Rs 26.5 ish lacs on Road Bangalore for the Top Spec with 51 KW battery with 473kms range etc. One can drive to Ooty from Bangalore at one shot. (With family, luggage and golf kit!)Thats great as far as I am concerned!

Good one Hyundai… but all things considered I love my Kona for its size, fit, finish and finesse so Im not switching any time soon.

The 473 Kms range is ARAI I guess. The real world should be around 370-390 Kms. Considering that, one way Bengaluru-Ooty trip would be around 350 Kms in theory, but would involve some steep inclines which won't make the 370~ odd kms sufficient without a charging stop.

If I am not wrong, won't the Creta EV be inferior to your Kona WRT range? Please share your range estimate from the Kona on a full charge with no steep inclines. Also, can you also share the Battery degradation information you have faced till date? Thanks!

[navinmra]

My Nexon EV Max ARAI range is 457 km and I manage to eke out no less than 390 on highway runs with hypermiling. That said, as a rule, I charge every 250 km and it works well. By that token, I think the Creta will also do well for those who will do sedate driving and buy it for refinement and low NVH.

[m8002?]

Originally Posted by 07CR

The 473 Kms range is ARAI I guess. The real world should be around 370-390 Kms. Considering that, one way Bengaluru-Ooty trip would be around 350 Kms in theory, but would involve some steep inclines which won't make the 370~ odd kms sufficient without a charging stop.
!

Bangalore to Ooty is around 260-280 kms. So I guess the Creta can make it to the top. On return, it should regenerate quite well till hitting the plains at Bandipur.

Originally Posted by navinmra

By that token, I think the Creta will also do well for those who will do sedate driving and buy it for refinement and low NVH.

Is NVH really a factor in EVs?