[Auto_guy_101]

Dear BHPians,

I'm looking at adding a second car to my garage, and an EV at that. I couldn't find a more apt thread to seek advice on the EVs as most of the threads I noticed were for specific models of EVs.

Firstly, I currently own a Kushaq DSG that is sitting at 18k Kms in just 14 months of ownership. Most of my miles are highway miles though. While the thought of a second vehicle, suited for city duties has been on my mind for a while and I had initially considered the Jimny, I can't bring myself to call that a financially good deal. The EV bug hit me when I saw the specs on the BE 6 and I was sold on that car. I'm going to structure my needs into my usage pattern, followed by the cars I've shortlisted and the reason for thinking of buying one now.

Usage Pattern:
I make a 500 km one way trip almost every month and this is all highway. On top of that, I try to add a shorter joyride to the outskirts of Bangalore every 2 months or so. While I don't have a daily commute, when in Bangalore, I do 7-15 km one way everyday and I make a 25 km oneway trip almost every weekend I'm in my hometown. I'm mostly going to remain the primary if not sole driver.

Vehicles I have in mind: (all prices otr Kochi)

1. BE 6e (400+ km, 21-28L)
This is the car that started it. I felt like it would be an Indian Tesla and I didn't mind the design. However, couple of things hold me back. One is the rear seat (I hated the curvv for the same reason) which will be a pain for my aging grandma and the second is the pricing. I will be shelling out 21L on pack one, then some 1-2 L for the charging and additional electrical work needed at home. Mahindra has made sure I'll also be waiting a fair bit and that wait could also include price hikes and tax changes. The pack 2, with a 79 KWh battery would have been ideal, but prices are yet to come. The cherry (or rather rotten cherry) on top is the high insurance cost of EVs. Apart from all this, the vehicles size will make it slightly cumbersome to park at home and use in the city.

2. Comet (180 km, 8-10 L)
I have mixed reactions to this car. While I'm taking a TD this week, my showroom visit left me impressed on the touch and feel of the puny car. My only concerns are the driving position and the rear passenger comfort (grandma may not be able to climb out easily). All said and done, for 8-10L, I feel this is a worthy car. My only gripe being the size, range and dynamics will leave it as a purely city car and the odo might not run up so much.

3. Punch.ev (200-270km, 11-16.5L)
This car ticks most of my boxes. Despite the size, it was very comfortable to sit in. I was even able to get into the rear in a not so knees up position with the driving seat set to my position (I prefer it being a little relaxed). I even get a fairly usable boot here. My only downside is the pricing. The mid range with power windows is 12.5 and the LR starts at 14.5, which seems a bit steep for the car.

4. Nexon.ev (270-350 km, 15.5L+)
Sales person said the Nexon now starts with the creative 45 KWh at 15.5L. While I have test driven the previous gen and liked it, the added advantage here is the usable range making it capable of long distances is the highlight. I could take this car on alternate months to Bangalore as the charging infra is decent. I could run up 15000 kms a year on this easily, though it would result in my Kushaq sitting idle. Only downsides are whether I will actually drive it enough and the higher insurance costs.

5. Atto3 - the surprise entrant (380-450km, 27L+)
Other than the pricing, I loved everything about this car. Even if I had an option to get this at 27L before buying my Kushaq, I'd have bought it, but they cut the prices after my purchase. Should a rate cut bring this to say 22L (BE 6 prices), this is the car I'd get. Yes, size is a small issue, but for this car, its a worthy compromise.

Why Now?
I feel the tax cuts might be taken off the EVs. The Creta (I personally find this car pretty boring) and e-vitara will just make the space more interesting as I don't see any potential of them pricing it reasonably. I'm anyway waiting upto mar 2025 to take a call on whether to buy and which one to. Should any of the above cars be discounted, I'll swoop in.

Please help me decide. Thanks in advance!

[bijims]

Firstly, get a thorough test drive of all these cars (especially the BE 6) before making a decision, secondly, is a second car a necessity? I don't understand the reasoning and why the Kushaq, which is smaller than 2 out of the 5 cars on your list can't handle city duties, sure mileage may be an issue, but besides that is there any particular reason you need a second car, or are you unhappy with your purchase, if that's the case and an EV is a necessity, then for short trips, the Comet is a good buy considering the size (I have personal experience with the car and you can take it on the smallest of roads and park it anywhere), the 150 to 180 km of range is more than enough for city duties. The next option would be the Nexon EV which we also have in our family, a good car but considering the newer launches in this space, the BE 6 seems to provide much better value and is the option I would recommend over anything else, the Pack 3 with 79 kWh battery costs 30 lakhs OTR and should be good for both the city and the highway, the pack 2 would get the 59 kWh battery only and the Pack 3 will also get a 59 kWh model after March.

The Atto 3 Dynamic (49.92 kWh) at 27.65 lakhs OTR is a great option and worth considering too but a bit pricey considering the other options.

[mgoel]

Today anyone looking for a EV car can't ignore Windsor EV which is a very well rounded package.

[electric_eel]

Originally Posted by Auto_guy_101

Dear BHPians,

I'm looking at adding a second car to my garage, and an EV at that. I couldn't find a more apt thread to seek advice on the EVs as most of the threads I noticed were for specific models of EVs.

If you are going to use it only as a second car, why not go for one of the smaller ones instead the giants like BE6e. It will save you money and would be much more convenient to use in the narrow roads of kerala.

It is another matter that people who have bought EVs thinking that it is a toy often switch over completely. Suddenly their Highway stars become expensive garage queens.

[neethi_raj]

I personally feel that once you get an EV you will anyway want to drive it more and eventually it will become your daily drive. Thus, you may want to consider that the size of the car is similar to Kushaq (Your Current car) and it has atleast 300 Km range (Lesser range then you may have to depend more on your ICE Vehicle)

This will rule out the smaller cars - comet and punch. Atto3 is brilliant car but a bit overpriced. Same case with BE6 pack 3, which i feel is over priced. You may not get pack 1 delivery anytime soon, if people buy pack 3 in large numbers.

This leaves you with the Nexon, which is a good car.

May I suggest that you have a look into Windsor EV and Curvv 55 as well?

Long story short, If budget is not a constraint, then go for BE6 Pack 3 or Atto 3. Which ever your heart falls in love with.

If budget is a constraint, then go with Nexon (Curvv too) or Windsor.

Hope I have not added to the confusion.

We look forward to welcoming you to the EV family soon.

[thomahawk]

I don't think you need a second car for the usage you have mentioned; you can use the money for fueling your Kushaq. Wait out a bit and see how the market is in 1-2 years time. EV's are only getting better and when it is time to replace the Kushaq, you'll have much better options and newer tech.

For pure city usage, you'll get bored with the Comet pretty soon unless you have a genuine use case for a tiny city car (limited parking space for a second car, regular school drops etc.). I see EVM wheels (rental) have a Comet for around ~1.2k/day. Just try it out for a week and see if you like it. Punch is a well packaged car but the mid variants lack the appeal of the LR (the infotainment and cluster are too basic on an EV).



If Mahindra is successful with BE6 (a niggle free performance EV at that price) - I'm sure competition will take notice and bring in similar offerings. You are better off waiting out a bit with a tech loaded Mahindra/Tata. How about waiting a bit (There are going to be couple of launches in that space - Sierra EV, Syros EV, ZS EV facelift etc.).

[Auto_guy_101]

Originally Posted by bijims

is a second car a necessity? I don't understand the reasoning and why the Kushaq, which is smaller than 2 out of the 5 cars on your list can't handle city duties, sure mileage may be an issue, but besides that is there any particular reason you need a second car, or are you unhappy with your purchase, if that's the case and an EV is a necessity, then for short trips, the Comet is a good buy considering the size

I've test driven the Comet and previous gen Nexon. To put it short, I liked the cars.

I'm very happy with my Kushaq and love driving it everytime. Before buying the Kushaq, I had anticipated much lesser running. With the car sitting at 19K kms today (15 months), I think I underestimated myself.

I'm thinking of an EV for the city because at present I don't do a lot of city drives primarily due to the cost. A 50 km round trip in the city with a/c in Kochi traffic gets me about 8 kmpl and a ~ Rs. 700 fuel bill. There are a lot of times the DTE going down rapidly in traffic makes me plan the next trip by metro (but Kochi weather makes the walks from and to metro too tiring). Effectively, having an EV will only end up increasing my local travel by car.

Originally Posted by electric_eel

If you are going to use it only as a second car, why not go for one of the smaller ones instead the giants like BE6e.

My rough number crunching says I'll need to do about 75k kms in the comet to completely break even. This is where the thought of a higher range EV hit me. I'm not thinking in terms of cost, I'm rather thinking in terms of the added convenience a city car brings (and the savings are cherry on top). I would hardly push a comet to 10k kms a year or 15k max (as my cousins might use it too). However, I can use a Nexon LR for even longer trips with just a little planning and have much higher running.

Originally Posted by electric_eel

Suddenly their Highway stars become expensive garage queens.

This is why the BE 6 felt like a kick to my Kushaq. I would've bought the base variant eyes closed as it costs the same as my Kushaq's top variant

Originally Posted by thomahawk

I don't think you need a second car for the usage you have mentioned; you can use the money for fueling your Kushaq.

For pure city usage, you'll get bored with the Comet pretty soon unless you have a genuine use case for a tiny city car (limited parking space for a second car, regular school drops etc.).

How about waiting a bit (There are going to be couple of launches in that space - Sierra EV, Syros EV, ZS EV facelift etc.).

My usage is pretty variable, but yes, as of today, I don't need a city car immediately. I'm thinking more from a future perspective. I've driven the Comet and liked it as a package (although not the best value one can get today).

I do have a limited parking for second car issue. I also have my uncle next door who will use the car a fair bit for regular runs (we are new to joint ownership, and I'm buying as I'm more of a believer in EVs than him). But these are secondary to the earlier point of need you called out.

Honestly, I'm excited for the e-vitara. I feel the current crop of EVs towards the higher end are overpriced and this too I fear might follow suit.

Originally Posted by neethi_raj

This leaves you with the Nexon, which is a good car.

May I suggest that you have a look into Windsor EV and Curvv 55 as well?

Long story short, If budget is not a constraint, then go for BE6 Pack 3 or Atto 3. Which ever your heart falls in love with.

Yes, I liked the Nexon quite a bit. It was a good mix of everything (except Tata after sales). Coming to the Windsor, it is a large car with about 300 km range. Yes, MG has their electronics more sorted out that Tata, but I also have a small parking issue. That 300 km range also puts the Windsor in a funny position - not great for highway trips but a bit large in size for the city.

Budget is a partial constraint. I loved the Atto3 base variant, but given those are not yet assembled in India, I'd rather not jump the gun as prices could go down. I had a serious issue with the curvv's rear seat and from the videos, BE 6 appears to be no better. I'm only looking at the BE 6 pack 1 if at all and that too because the car has a fun part to it, with the power on tap.


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[mohanphadnis]

I would say a Creta 51 would be the far more reliable package than all the cars listed here. Coming from a kona/ioniq owner nothing beats Hyundai EVs when it comes to sheer ease of ownership and the top end version for 23.5 something ex showroom is quite good value.

But you want a second car and not first car. So stick to comet or tiago. Anything bigger, and you won't feel like driving Kushaq.

[mathewanil]

From an owner of a Kushaq and a Citroen EV this is my take:

You have to decide if you really need the two cars?

If yes; the Kushaq which can give a mileage between 15 to 19 km/ l on the highway, will be your go-to car for long drives. It is reliable , niggle free , fantastic to drive and will save you time on your 500 km trip.

Any EV from Comet to Punch will take care of your everyday city drives.

If there is no necessity for two cars, you can then consider disposing the Kushaq and pick up an EV with a 70 KW battery if it’s within your budget and if you have an easy access to a power supply for AC “ fast” charging (7.2 to 11 KW). The magic number 7 is what you multiply with battery capacity to get the actual range of the car. ( Here 70 Kw x 7 = 490 Km of range)

In terms of pure cost of ownership, owning an EV a is yet to make sense since the depreciation of the cost of the car is significant and cannot be offset by its lower running costs.

[Auto_guy_101]

Originally Posted by mathewanil

If there is no necessity for two cars, you can then consider disposing the Kushaq and pick up an EV with a 70 KW battery if it’s within your budget and if you have an easy access to a power supply for AC “ fast” charging

I love the dsg on my Kushaq. I plan to keep it 5-6 years as of now and my only plan is to make my EV transition more smoother in future.

A larger EV is going to cause problems for me in terms of parking and city usage. I will be thinking twice or thrice for anything larger than a Nexon LR EV

[sinharishi]

Originally Posted by mohanphadnis

I would say a Creta 51 would be the far more reliable package than all the cars listed here. Coming from a kona/ioniq owner nothing beats Hyundai EVs when it comes to sheer ease of ownership and the top end version for 23.5 something ex showroom is quite good value.

Sorry but what does Creta EV have in common with other Hyundai EVs? The battery on the Creta EV will be made by Exide energy.

[UD17]

Originally Posted by Auto_guy_101

Dear BHPians,

Firstly, I currently own a Kushaq DSG that is sitting at 18k Kms in just 14 months of ownership.

What is the issue with Kushaq? I find it difficult to understand that you need a second car when you already have a suitable car which is good for highways and city both.

You are willing to spend 20Lakhs+ on an EV for what - Saving? (ruled out as you will spend fortune to own new car) or Fun? (then it make sense, except the normal charging stress could be a fun-killer)

[mohanphadnis]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

Sorry but what does Creta EV have in common with other Hyundai EVs? The battery on the Creta EV will be made by Exide energy.

The battery pack of Creta EV is 42kWh and 51kWh, these are same battery pack sizes as the old kona (42kWh) and new kona (51kWh). These actual batteries are coming from Indonesia, most probably LGES.

Companies carry over parts (especially the trouble free ones) between their various models, and Hyundai EVs are generally trouble free.

[sinharishi]

Originally Posted by mohanphadnis

The battery pack of Creta EV is 42kWh and 51kWh, these are same battery pack sizes as the old kona (42kWh) and new kona (51kWh). These actual batteries are coming from Indonesia, most probably LGES.

No, the battery on the Creta will be manufactured locally by Exide Energy.

https://www.hyundai.com/worldwide/en...dia-0000000741

https://www.autocarindia.com/industr...y-packs-431200

[anb]

Originally Posted by Auto_guy_101

I've test driven the Comet and previous gen Nexon. To put it short, I liked the cars.


I'm thinking of an EV for the city because at present I don't do a lot of city drives primarily due to the cost. A 50 km round trip in the city with a/c in Kochi traffic gets me about 8 kmpl and a ~ Rs. 700 fuel bill. There are a lot of times the DTE going down rapidly in traffic makes me plan the next trip by metro (but Kochi weather makes the walks from and to metro too tiring). Effectively, having an EV will only end up increasing my local travel by car.



My rough number crunching says I'll need to do about 75k kms in the comet to completely break even. This is where the thought of a higher range EV hit me. I'm not thinking in terms of cost, I'm rather thinking in terms of the added convenience a city car brings (and the savings are cherry on top). I would hardly push a comet to 10k kms a year or 15k max (as my cousins might use it too). However, I can use a Nexon LR for even longer trips with just a little planning and have much higher running.


This is why the BE 6 felt like a kick to my Kushaq. I would've bought the base variant eyes closed as it costs the same as my Kushaq's top variant

[/b]

I think buying comet will make financial sense. It will break even in 5-6 years. For Nexon you need to drive around 1.5 lakhs km to break even. Then the other car will be unused.