[Raghu M]

While I think the design and the overall look might appeal to a lot, the price range being a little closer to the Tiago is a deal breaker. I guess, most of the customers will start noticing it and choose the Tiago to the Comet. Think it is expensive for what it's offering (my opinion). You don't even get 4 doors which is going to be a huge deterrent for potential buyers. I also see Chinese/Japanese instructions on the engine cover and puncture kit. MG, at least understand the market you are trying to operate in!

[Kochikaran]

With Tesla making turning indicators as a touch screen, imagine the havoc if your car decides to do a software update during driving or worse, just shuts the display while driving.

[shyampsunder]

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Indeed most are going ahead claiming 8 years warranty. 8 Years is a very long time. Current battery (Li-Ion) technology for sure doesn't have the capability to retain similar charge capacity for 8 long years. Now a days, warranty is a rather lame thing in my opinion. There are too many escape hatches for the OEM in warranty terms and conditions.

Plenty to unpack here, let's start with some basics:

Li-ion is a very loose umbrella term for all sorts of batteries ranging from mobile phones all the way up to EVs. What it abstracts away are the following:

1. Battery Chemistry: The mainstream EVs sold in India mostly use LFP batteries which are very resistant to degradation.

2. Battery Management System: There is hardware and software on EVs to take care of the batteries. This means that active cooling and heating when required to ensure they are in their optimum temperature range.

For LFPs, we have research spanning back a decade till recently. The absolute worst case for losing 20% of their range is around 2000 full charge cycles with most modern LFPs expected to last 3000 to 4000 cycles. Assuming 2000 cycles with even 300 KMs of range that is 6L KMs. Of course that doesn't mean you can use the battery for 100 years because there is a time component to the degradation as well but it is pretty much beyond the life of a car for all intents and purposes.

These research outputs have extremely high credibility because the industry is backing these numbers with actual money in the form of warranties. Apart from the standard 8 years, 1.6L KM warranties, manufacturers such as BYD are offering 5L KMs warranties that support commercial usage and DC fast charging.

Now you can say I don't trust warranties but it's silly to dismiss such assurances because the same manufacturers don't dare offer more than 7 years of warranty on their engines and transmissions no matter how much you are willing to pay for them. This is because they have the data on the reliability of ICE and EV components. These warranties are global including in jurisdictions where enforcement of such warranty terms are stringent.

In our own community, we have had multiple Tata owners have their batteries replaced without a fuss when we have seen so many VW owners pay a bomb for their DSG transmission failures. It's like saying term insurances are pointless because the insurer will get around to not paying the claim when the time comes. Such big statements need big evidence.

We have many EV owners who have crossed 1L KMs both in India and abroad with barely any degradation. This number will only continue to rise.

Blanket statements like current batteries for sure don't have the capacity to hold their capacity is silly.



Research on LFP batteries

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by shyampsunder

Plenty to unpack here, let's start with some basics:

Now you can say I don't trust warranties but it's silly to dismiss such assurances because the same manufacturers don't dare offer more than 7 years of warranty on their engines and transmissions no matter how much you are willing to pay for them. This is because they have the data on the reliability of ICE and EV components. These warranties are global including in jurisdictions where enforcement of such warranty terms are stringent.

Thanks for the very detailed information. Definitely learned valuable things from it & got more confidence about EV batteries. Although, my original point was different. I know Tesla offers a battery warranty of ~8 Years, which ALSO guarantees at least 70% charge capacity for the entire duration of the warranty.

Does MG/Tata/Mahindra/Whoever else offer that? If yes - excellent and my apprehension about EV battery life is extinguished forever. If not - the warranty means little when it comes to range anxiety. If they don't - well anyone can guess why.

Any information about it? For now, we are working with tight-budget EVs, sourcing Li-Ion battery packs and motors from China (as Vocal for Local they may boast to be on the rear windshield). Will that be the same standard as some of the premium brands in the west (who also source from China, but are much costlier)? My point was far simpler - if the warranty fine-print does NOT guarantee a minimum charge capacity for the life of the warranty - the warranty is of not much value for me. Its a personal opinion, formed with experience, nothing silly about it.

The studies done and results - are with a certain set of product specifications. Who's to say the same specification goes into a budget car in India? Its a big unknown. Isn't it? Sample data of real world EV usage of current available cars in India is extremely small right now, and call me mr. glass is half empty, but for now I feel its too early.

As for the analogy of term insurance, you see, I'd always pick a term insurance that also provides cover for permanent disability, not just death. Thats what Tesla offers with their battery warranty. Anyway - like I said in the previous post, I'm going off topic, so this will be my last post on this topic, peace!

[Formula1]

Originally Posted by shyampsunder

Plenty to unpack here, let's start with some basics:



Now you can say I don't trust warranties but it's silly to dismiss such assurances because the same manufacturers don't dare offer more than 7 years of warranty on their engines and transmissions no matter how much you are willing to pay for them. This is because they have the data on the reliability of ICE and EV components. These warranties are global including in jurisdictions where enforcement of such warranty terms are stringent.

Not getting into the argument, but I believe this is because of the consumer factor. A well made ICE could last a hundred years if maintained correctly, which most people won't. Whereas battery pack maintenance is now mostly a factory coded thing, with not much option given to the user even in charging etiquette. And so the life is much more predictable than ICE.

Doesn't really invalidate your point.

The only thing it changes for me from ICE is that I'd never buy an EV a few years old.

[Motorhead007]

Rather than having the rear seats, why not experiment with just 2 seats and loads of bootspace ? I agree the idea may be slightly revolutionary, but if the vehicle is aimed at single or dual travellers, why bother with 4 seats even

[Djay]

Got a chance to test out the Comet EV today. Following are my observations -

Exteriors:

Firstly to address the elephant in the room, I like it's looks. In person it actually looks quite cute. Definitely grabs a lot of attention and multiple people were asking about it very positively during the test drive. I loved the Green and Black dual tone, which sadly only comes with the top end Plush variant. As per the dealership SA, base Pace variant only comes with the single tone white color.

Interiors:

1. The fit and finish looks good. Doors feel hefty. Everything is good to touch and looks premium. But not sure about how it will hold up or how the safety aspect is for this car. The single touch lever to recline and move the front seats felt a little difficult to operate and the front seat was creaking on bad road surfaces. But might just be due to a lot of (ab)use for the test drive car. I would say regularly getting into the back seat might affect the overall durability of the lever.

2. The car is super compact on the outside, but surprisingly feels roomy on the inside. The ample glass area gives a very open and airy feel to the cabin (the white and light gray interiors on the higher trims help). The front seats are slightly narrow but the width and under thigh support should be fine for people with average build for city rides. The driver seat height is not adjustable, but it's high enough to give a good view. Taller 6 feet plus people might find it a bit high. The front bonnet edges are easily visible and the small bonnet makes judging the cars dimensions super easy.

3. Getting in and out of the back seats is a bit tricky for senior citizens and best used by youngsters and kids for short rides. The seat itself is comfortable for two. Under thigh support is lesser but legroom is good and should be fine for city travel.

4. Reverse camera cannot be retrofitted or installed as an official accessory in the lower two variants which is bummer. They have reverse sensors which give only audio feedback and there is no feedback on the display.

Driving the Comet EV

1. Being electric the car is super silent and the motor being at the back helps further as there is hardly any noise while driving or at standstill. The overall NVH levels in city traffic felt quite satisfactory. The car does not have a creep function, so the car does not move without accelerator input.

2. The car is a bit sluggish on Eco mode, but Normal mode is quite peppy for city speeds and city overtakes. The speed buildup is linear and predictable. It's no scorcher in Sports mode, but it's decent fun and does not feel underpowered at all in Normal or Sports mode. I did not test this on the highway, but I don't think this should be used frequently on the highway anyways. Overall with the compact dimensions and the peppy electric motor, it surprisingly fun to drive in the city.

3. On steep inclines the car does not roll back immediately. It stays for 5-6 seconds before rolling back. Super easy for learners! No handbrake needed.

4. The suspension and ride quality felt quite absorbing. I tested on multiple speed breakers and even a few bad / unpaved road patches and the car felt quite compliant at city speeds. The ride will get harsher over bad roads at high speeds, but again it's not meant for that. Its very comfortable for broken city roads. I was a bit concerned about the low ground clearance and the motor getting hit earlier, but it managed speed breakers and undulations effortlessly. I guess the short wheelbase helps tremendously.

5. The braking was predictable and gradual and good for city drives. Did not test panic braking or sudden braking. But it should do it's job fine.

Other finer points:

1. There is no official accessory protective cover for the motor as of yet. I really hope MG introduces this soon as the motor is placed pretty low.

2. The dealership doesn't have any details of warranty and maintenance packages till now. The detailed terms for the 60% buyback plan are also not available with them currently.

3. The warranty on the car and motor is 3 years (except battery being 8 years). As of now there are no options to extend this further. I hope MG atleast gives 5 years as a paid option.

4. The car comes with a standard charger with a adaptor and can be plugged into any 16A socket. They will also install a charging box with lock and surge protection free. However customer needs to manage the connection from the parking spot to the electric meter. Rain protection for the box is available as a paid accessory.

5. For the first 5000 bookings MG has price protection and 1 month delivery timeline.

Overall the car is a excellent city only vehicle, but definitely not a VFM buy at these prices. As per the dealership they have got a good response and many bookings already (70% being for the base model). Hopefully we will get more such super compact electric cars at affordable prices in the future (Tata I am looking at you!).

[Bonemechanic]

Originally Posted by shyampsunder

For LFPs, we have research spanning back a decade till recently. The absolute worst case for losing 20% of their range is around 2000 full charge cycles with most modern LFPs expected to last 3000 to 4000 cycles. Assuming 2000 cycles with even 300 KMs of range that is 6L KMs.

That was a wonderful info. Thank you very much.
Now a very basic question. I am still confused about charging cycles. Please help.

Is it charging from 0% to 100% one time?
Or is it starting from 20% to 100%?

Or is it charging from say from 20%(or any other %) to 100% and then again charging from 20%(same %)?

Suppose there is a power failure during charging before the battery reaches 100%. When the power comes back, the battery will resumes charging. Will it still be considered as one cycle?"
Thanks

[shyampsunder]

Originally Posted by Bonemechanic

Now a very basic question. I am still confused about charging cycles. Please help.

Is it charging from 0% to 100% one time?
Or is it starting from 20% to 100%?

Or is it charging from say from 20%(or any other %) to 100% and then again charging from 20%(same %)?

Suppose there is a power failure during charging before the battery reaches 100%. When the power comes back, the battery will resumes charging. Will it still be considered as one cycle?"
Thanks

Battery cycles is an approximation used by us to understand the usage of a battery. The battery fundamentally doesn't understand cycles.

So a full cycle of battery charging can be 0-100 or 0-50 followed by 50-100 and so on in any combination.

So don't worry about all this, charge as per your convenience, if you have an option use AC slow charging but don't restrict your options for doing this.

For most of us the time component of degradation is what will kick in after a decade or so and not the charge cycles. So relax and use the car normally.

[randeepsr]

Was very excited about this launch given the size and city usability nature of this car. I was also looking to replace My 8.5-year-old Mahindra E2O and this looked to be a good replacement option.

Did a test drive of Comet EV last weekend and returned home very disappointed.

There are features and the car drives ok compared to Mahindra E2O but key disappointments were
* There is too much driving noise. Like a mixie turning on every time you push the accelerator. (I am assuming no sound insulation is planned to cause this problem)
* You would be afraid the press the horn. It sounds as if it is being played inside than outside the car!
* The people who sit at the back. (My wife and son usually use them in E2O) will feel totally closed out. The seat closes out the front view and the side window is really small!
* The back seat is not usable. ( Think of yourself sitting almost at the floor level).

I guess after almost 9 years there is still no good alternative to Mahindra E2O. I am seriously considering Citroen eC3 now! Fingers crossed :-)

[autohead]

Comet is not meant for people who are looking for longer range and larger space.

It's the largest selling EV in China and probably for a reason and it too should appeal to people in india having specific use.

Even MG is asking a set of questions before booking to see if it will really suit the purpose of those booking it. Probably they want people to have realistic expectations, so that they will not bad mouth the product later.

I have driven it and found it to be good for the intended purpose, nothing more, nothing less !

It's compact footprint has a huge advantage in congested urban scenario for those who appreciate it.

We still have two Nano AMT's in family and we are not letting go of them soon even though we have multiple cars.

I had driven the Tiago EV as well but don't really need that extra 50km range it offers. Moreover, it's showing its age since it's based on the modified 1990's Indica platform.

Only bummer for me is that it's not compatible for use with 7.2 KW chargers. (Yet to get an official confirmation from MG yet)

Realistically, no one will drive more than 50-75 km per day, every day in the city, so actual range of 150 or 200 won't matter.

And for those who really travel 150km + everyday with full load of passengers and luggage if at all they do, this car is simply not meant for them, they are better off with a tiago or nexon.

It's like those who need a seven seater checking out a newly launched hatchback and writing it off since it doesn't have seven seats

I think with so much of choice available people still don't know what their priorities are when buying a car.

This is not an aspirational vehicle nor meant to be a sole vehicle in the family. It's a small city runabout for running errands and eveyday school runs.

[utkarshgoel]

Ditto my thought on Comet. I am yet to TD the vehicle however my use case is my parents who pickup my kids from school and like to visit congested old markets for household items. If Comet is able to deliver this I will book one.

[FNM]

I would buy this car for sure. It suits my requirements for a secondary car. But looking a the pictures of the exposed mechanicals on the underside, I am not confident it will navigate partially flooded roads in the Mumbai monsoons. I mean 4-5” of standing water which is common on most Mumbai roads during the monsoons. If this car can do that, I would readily buy it. The monsoons are around the corner so I guess we will soon know from the early adopters.

[FNM]

Originally Posted by FNM

I would buy this car for sure. It suits my requirements for a secondary car. But looking a the pictures of the exposed mechanicals on the underside, I am not confident it will navigate partially flooded roads in the Mumbai monsoons. I mean 4-5” of standing water which is common on most Mumbai roads during the monsoons. If this car can do that, I would readily buy it. The monsoons are around the corner so I guess we will soon know from the early adopters.

Is there any information on whether this car can be safely driven thru few inches of standing water?

[montsa007]

Originally Posted by FNM

Is there any information on whether this car can be safely driven thru few inches of standing water?

Managed to find a tweet by MG claiming it can drive through waters (Tweet link below), but honestly this is not the kind of waterlogging we have in India, Mumbai specially. (The video shown by MG in their tweet, looks like less than 2 inches). Maybe we'll have some real life reviews post monsoon?

Source : https://twitter.com/MGMotorIn/status...13296596783112