Electric Vehicles new launches and concept of cars highlights from Auto Expo 2023
Electric Vehicles highlights from the auto Expo, New Launches and Concept cars of 2023
In 2023, all of the highlights from the auto show, including new launches and concept cars, will centre on electric vehicles. At the Auto Expo 2023, which got underway on Wednesday, electric vehicles dominated the conversation. Due to COVID-19, the Auto Show is being held for the first time in 16 years.
A number of the world’s largest automakers, including Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Kia, MG Motors, and others, displayed their cutting-edge models while pledging to fund sustainable mobility. Ashok Leyland, a maker of commercial vehicles, has announced various CNG, LHG, battery, and hydrogen-powered cars.
The eVX concept car from Maruti Suzuki, which should be available in India by 2025, was on display. The company promises to invest 2,000 crores in EV-related research and development in India. Kia Motors displayed its prototype UV EV9 and KA4 vehicles.
Tata Motors displayed more than 20 items from its commercial and passenger vehicles lineup, continuing the trend of EVs and sustainable mobility. The electric SUV Sierra and the EV version of the SUV Harrier acted as the company’s showcase’s major attractions.
We believe that India’s switch to electric transportation will occur much more quickly than we are expecting, Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said during the unveiling. Additionally, he continued, Tata Motors has several things in the works to meet the changing needs of its customers.
Jan. 11, Greater Noida (PTI) The first day of India’s premier automotive event, Auto Expo 2023, was dominated by electric vehicles, with manufacturers including Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Kia, Tata Motors, and MG Motor showing their cutting-edge creations and pledging to support in sustainable transportation.
The COVID-19 pandemic struck the exhibition three years ago. It returned this year with the global debut of Suzuki Motor Corporation’s electric SUV concept, the eVX, which is expected to be released in 2025.
The company’s Indian subsidiary, Maruti Suzuki India, is one of the major automakers present at the expo, other big automakers like Mahindra & Mahindra, Skoda, Volkswagen, Nissan, and luxury automakers like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi are not.
Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), a Japanese automaker, designed and created Concept X, a mid-size electric SUV concept. A 60 kWh battery pack will provide up to 550 km of operating range for it on a single charge.
“We plan to launch it by 2025. Global warming is a priority for the Suzuki Group, according to SMC Representative Director and President Toshihiro Suzuki, who said the product was being unveiled.
On the other hand, in the presence of Bollywood icon Shahrukh Khan, Hyundai Motor India unveiled its all-electric model Ioniq 5 at an introductory price of Rs 44.95 lakh (ex-showroom) for the first 500 clients. The company’s E-GMP battery electric vehicle platform acts as the foundation for the product.
Hyundai Motor India MD and CEO Unsoo Kim remarked, “Ioniq 5 embodies our shift toward coming mobility with tenets that embody intelligent technology, innovation, and sustainability.” Hyundai already shows the Kona Electric as an EV model for sale in the country.
Another automaker, Kia India, introduced the Concept Kia Concept EV9, an all-electric SUV, and announced ambitions to expand its footprint in the electric vehicle market by investing Rs 2,000 crore over the following four years.
According to Kia India Vice-President and Head of Sales and Marketing Hardeep Singh Brar, the company’s manufacturing structure in Andhra Pradesh is set to start producing EVs.
The 2,000 crore rupees that are being discussed will be used for R&D, manufacturing, and infrastructure development, he told PTI outside the expo. Over 20 products from Tata Motors’ lineup of passenger and commercial vehicles were on display, keeping up with the trend of electrified and sustainable mobility.
The electric SUV Sierra, which is expected to join the market in 2025, and the electric version of the company’s mid-sized SUV Harrier, which is expected to hit the market next year, are the highlights of the company’s exhibition.
In India, the switch to electric mobility, according to Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran, “we feel will happen much faster than what we are imagining.”
He continued by saying that Tata Motors has a variety of goods in the works to meet the changing needs of its customers To speed the switch to electric mobility and provide consumers with products of the highest calibre, Chandra continued, “I commit to you that our investments in this area will be enormous.
Along with introducing the revised Hector SUV with pricing ranging from Rs 14.72 to Rs 22.42 lakh, MG Motor India displayed its two electric vehicles, the MG4 hatchback and the MG EHS plug-in hybrid SUV (ex-showroom).
Rajeev Chaba, president and managing director of MG Motor India, stated that the things in our EV and NEV line on exhibit today show MG’s dedication to and efforts in promoting quicker adoption of green and sustainable transportation in India.
The luxury sedan “BYD Seal” from the Chinese electric vehicle factory BYD was introduced. It would have a single-charge capacity of up to 700 kilometres. By the end of 2023’s fourth quarter, the business hopes to introduce the model in India.
With two trim levels—the RX350h Luxury Hybrid and the RX500h F sport Performance—luxury automaker Lexus, a division of the Toyota group, introduced its fifth generation RX sports utility vehicle.
A variety of electric vehicles were introduced by VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV) in the retail vehicle category, including an intercity electric bus that can travel up to 500 kilometres with a combination of depot and 30- to 40-minute option charging while on the road. The 13.5 m long Eicher Pro 2049 electric 4.9 T GVW truck was launched by VECV, a joint venture between Volvo Group and Eicher Motors.
At the Auto Expo, Ashok Leyland, another manufacturer of commercial vehicles, displayed seven cutting-edge mobility options, including a battery electric vehicle, fuel cell electric vehicle, hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle, melted natural gas vehicle, and intercity CNG bus.
Dheeraj Hinduja, executive chairman of Ashok Leyland, said that the variety of new clean-energy products we are offering, which travel both the truck and bus segments, “underscores our capability and readiness to lead the transition in the road transportation sector.”
Comparatively, Hinduja group company Switch Mobility announced its brand-new IeV series — an intelligent electric vehicle segment catering to last-mile and mid-mile mobility applications. The need for sustainable mobility solutions in the last-mile and middle-mile transportation sectors is growing…
To meet the expanding needs of our customers, we will keep working on a vibrant array of sustainable goods, services, and solutions, said Mahesh Babu, CEO of Switch Mobility.
Along with presenting its new line of e-buses, including a city bus, staff bus, and school bus, JBM Auto unveiled its electric luxury coach, the “Galaxy.” In the two-wheeler market, Tork Motors, a manufacturer of electric bikes, unveiled its KRATOS X and KRATOS R electric motorbikes, and another startup, Matter, unveiled two concept bikes that will be introduced in the following 12 to 18 months.
Three versions of the freight vehicle Mammoth, as well as an EV city bus called Bubble and a passenger carrier version, were introduced by the EV startup Hexall Motors.
SUVs and electric Vehicles
Maruti Suzuki
The presentation included the Maruti Suzuki eVX electric SUV concept, which has a 550km driving range. The SUV will be released in India by 2025 and comes with a 60kWh battery pack.
With a strong design and a 4×4 all-terrain module, Maruti displayed the Jimny off-road SUV. With a starting price of 10 lakh, we expect Maruti Suzuki will introduce Jimny in India by April of this year (ex-showroom). The Mahindra Thar and Force Gurkha will square off against the SUV. Based on the company’s well-liked hatchback Baleno, Maruti Suzuki announced the Fronx SUV.
JBM Auto
The JBM Group’s leading brand, JBM Auto, debuted its opulent electric bus, the JBM Galaxy, during the current Auto Expo 2023. The business displayed three new items that would target the city, workforce, and educational markets, thereby extending the range of its electric buses.
The company already has more than 1,000 electric buses on the road in over 12 states. The new buses are powered by lithium-ion batteries with “advanced chemistry,” and the manufacturer claims they have a range of more than 1,000 kilometres per charge.
Vice Chairman of the JBM Group, Nishant Arya, stated: “We are entering the long-distance electric luxury coaches category, thus this is a big event for us. With this introduction, we have completed our product line for the commercial passenger market, which will help the nation’s public transportation systems become more effective and environmentally friendly.
Hyundai
The Ioniq 5 EV from Hyundai has a starting price of 44.95 lakh rupees. The all-electric SUV has a stated range of 631 kilometres and fast charging technology that allows it to charge from empty to 80 per cent in 18 minutes using a 350 kW DC charger. The Ioniq 5 EV was made public in India last month and was available for reservation for a token of one lakh rupees.
The Nexo fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) was introduced by Hyundai at the ongoing Auto Expo 2023. The Nexo is a crossover with a futuristic appearance. It had a wheelbase of 2,790 mm, dimensions of 4,670 mm in length, 1,860 mm in width, and 1,630 mm in height.
The 5-door SUV has a 40 kW battery pack, a 95 kW hydrogen fuel cell, and five doors. A 161 BHP and 395 Nm electric motor powers the SUV. Hyundai claims that the Nexo can accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in 9.2 seconds and can reach a top speed of 179 kilometres per hour. The car’s alleged range is 666 kilometres (WLTP).
The Nexo has a 7.9-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system. A powered tailgate, a sunroof, and a Krell sound system are more features added to the SUV.
Kia Motors
The EV9 concept was on display by Kia Motors at the Auto Expo 2023. In the second half of 2023, the vehicle is expected to enter production. Solar panels will be included, and the vehicle will have a 482km range. The carmaker displayed its emergency services vehicles in addition to the Kia EV9.
At the Auto Expo, Kia Motors India announced important ambitions to switch to electric vehicles within the next several years, joining other major automakers in doing so. The Indian division of the Korean brand has revealed that some of the 14 new electric vehicles it plans to introduce globally by 2027 will be considered for opening in the Indian market.
For EV research and development, as well as related infrastructure, the Indian business is investing 2,000 crores at its Anantapur facility. At the Auto Expo, the company showcased its all-electric SUV prototype, the Kia Concept EV9. The KA4, a contemporary, luxury RV with new digital safety features, innovative connectivity, and new driving dynamics technology, was on display by Kia, which again delivered a futuristic message for its fossil fuel-driven portfolio. In other areas, the new 2023 Carnival is the KA4, which is set as a standalone new model in the Indian market.
BYD
With the release of further models, including a battery-powered premium saloon, BYD, China’s top-selling EV manufacturer, hopes to overtake Tata Motors as India’s largest EV firm this year. A senior with the Shenzhen-based company, whose investors include Warren Buffett, stated that if demand for its vehicles called for it after 2025, the company might also expand its Indian production base.
Sanjay Gopalakrishnan, senior vice-president of BYD for India, told the Financial Times that if consumers have accepted the technology, then we cannot refuse the demand. As a result, we must work with partners to explore the feasibility of local assembly to meet demand. Semi-knocked down kits, or SKDs, are a method used by automakers to avoid paying high import charges, and BYD uses SDKs to manufacture its electric vehicles in Chennai.
Depending on demand, Gopalakrishnan claimed BYD might start constructing vehicles from completely knocked-down kits (CKDs) in a “second phase of expansion” if it chose to provide more items in larger quantities. More localization of components in India would result from switching from SKDs to CKDs.
BYD claimed it has received close to 2,000 reservations for its ATTO 3 electric sport utility vehicle as of this week when deliveries started in India. The BYD Seal, a high-end electric saloon, was introduced by the Chinese automaker on Thursday at the Auto Expo 2023, India’s premier auto exhibition.
The company stated that it hoped to start selling the vehicle by October, around the time of the Hindu festival season, when automobile sales generally rise. BYD plans to sell 15,000 vehicles in India this year, according to Gopalakrishnan. If so, Tata Motors, which expects to sell 45,000–50,000 EVs in the current fiscal year, which runs through the end of March, would surpass it in sales.
Additionally, BYD suggests the e6, a multifunctional vehicle aimed at Indian corporate users. To compete with established premium carmakers like Mercedes-Benz and BMW at the high end of the market, BYD introduced the first vehicles from a new luxury brand last week. Unit sales last year were 1.86 million, jumping 155% from the year before, according to the business.
BYD now produces a combination of hybrid and battery-electric automobiles instead of traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. According to the consultant LMC Automotive, India’s entire wholesale sales of vehicles increased by 26% from January to November of last year to 4.07 million units.
Compared to the US or Europe, where average salaries are greater and early producers and purchasers received more generous government subsidies, India’s price-sensitive market has been slower to adopt EVs.
Lexus
The RX 350h SUV served as Lexus India’s first model. The vehicle will be presented in a hybrid configuration with a 2.4-litre gasoline engine and a battery. With prices to be released by the end of the quarter, Lexus has announced that it will begin accepting reservations for the 2019 RX on January 11. While waiting, deliveries will start in the second quarter of 2023.
Tata Motors Tata Motors displayed 14 trucks, some of which were propelled by hydrogen fuel cells, and 12 vehicles, including five electric versions, at the Auto Expo 2023. The electric SUV Sierra and the electric version of the SUV Harrier, both of which are expected to be commercially released in 2025, were the company’s highlights in terms of their product lineup.
In addition, a concept car based on Tata’s next electric vehicle platform, which is scheduled to be on sale in late 2025, was unveiled. Tata Avinya also had its public debut in addition to these two. With a driving range of more than 500 km and a charge time of roughly 30 minutes using a DC fast charger, Avinya will be based on Pure EV Gen 3 technology.
The Tiago EV with a new sporty appearance was on display by the Indian automaker. The new Tiago EV in the Blitz version is compatible with 7.2kW fast charging and has a Ziptron powertrain with a 24kWh battery and an electric motor that is said to have a range of 315km on the MIDC cycle.
Toyota
At the Auto Expo 2023, the Japanese carmaker Toyota displayed the bZ4X all-electric SUV. The vehicle, which can go 559 kilometres on a single charge, is expected to enter Indian roads this year. Toyota’s first-ever electric vehicle, the BZ4X, was developed.
There are two available drivetrains for the bZ4X: a 204 PS single-motor front-wheel drive and a 217 PS all-wheel drive (dual motor). It comes with a basic battery pack of 71.4 kWh and claims charging rates of up to 150 kW when using a DC fast charger. The SUV has an EPA-claimed range of up to 405 km and 357 km for single and twin powertrain variants, respectively.
MG Motors, which made its debut in India in 2019, introduced three new electric vehicles at the 2023 Auto Expo. MG Motors also produces the MG 4, MG EHS, MG Euniq 7, MIFA 9, and more models.
It revealed the MG 4 EV, a hatchback that comes in two battery sizes: 51 kWh and 64 kWh. When compared to the latter, the former produces 203 horsepower. Both variants have a single motor and rear-wheel drive, and their combined torque output is listed as 250Nm.
The smaller battery pack, according to MG, has a range of up to 350 km, while the larger one has a range of 452 km. These claims are based on the WLTP cycle. A 150kW DC charger is suitable for use with the MG4 EV.
In terms of the MG EHS, it belongs to the class of small, five-seater SUVs and is a plug-in hybrid from MG. The car’s 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with 258 PS, an electric motor powered by a 16.6 kWh battery, and a 10-speed automatic transmission are its standout features (four-speed gearbox for the electric motor and six-speed for the ICE).
Additionally, it features a 52 km all-electric range. In addition to several safety elements, the feature list includes a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.1-inch infotainment display.
A full-cell MPV named the MG Euniq 7 was also revealed. Its hydrogen fuel cell powertrain can produce 201 horsepower at its maximum capacity. The Euniq 7 has a 6.4-kilogramme hydrogen cylinder that can be refilled in a matter of minutes and has a range of up to 605 kilometres, according to MG.
The first full-size all-electric MPV in the world, known as MIFA 9, was the next vehicle we saw. It has a maximum seating total of seven people and a huge 90kWh battery pack that works with an electric engine to produce 245PS and 350Nm of twist and a top speed of 180kmph. It can travel 440 kilometres on one charge.
The MG Marvel R is a second SUV coupe with a tri-motor AWD system that produces 288PS and 665Nm of torque and has a 4.9-second zero to 100kmph sprint time. It has a cabin with a 19.4-inch touchscreen made of Corning Gorilla Glass and a nine-speaker Bose audio system.
Last but not least, MG 5 was displayed. It has a 61kWh battery that drives a 159PS electric motor and can accelerate from 0 to 96kmph in 7.3 seconds. With support for quick charging and vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, it has a 524km (WLTP) range.
edited and proofread by nikita sharma
