MG (Morris Garages) Motors on Thursday unveiled the MG ZS EV, its first electric car and its second vehicle for the Indian market. The electric sport utility vehicle (SUV), which will be launched in January next year, will compete against the country’s first electric SUV — Hyundai Kona. Homegrown auto-major Tata Motors is also expected to unveil its first electric vehicle (EV) SUV — Nexon EV in coming weeks.
Its price is expected to be significantly lower than Kona (about Rs 24 lakh) and ZS. Expected to be priced around Rs 20 lakh - Rs 25 lakh, the Chinese-owned British carmaker said it will start ZS sales in five markets — Delhi/NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru.
It is also planning to launch more EVs in India, which will be seen at the upcoming 2020 Auto Expo. “A truly global and best-inclass EV SUV, the ZS EV has already registered significant success in more than 10 international markets such as the UK, Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia.
It has also been extensively tested for India- specific requirements. We’re hopeful that it will recreate its success in India, thanks to the strong EV ecosystem that we are putting in place,” said Rajeev Chaba, president and MD, MG Motor India. MG claims the new vehicle has the best charging system and it would do its best to create a robust ecosystem.
“We are creating an end-to-end ecosystem for the ZS EV with leading global and local players in the sustainable energy domain,” said Chaba, while naming a number of players such as Delta Electronics, ExicomTele- Systems, Fortum Charge and Drive India etc.
It is offering five-tier charging infrastructure with the SUV. A portable charger will be supplied with each unit that can be plugged in any standard three-pin power socket.MG has partnered with Fortum Charge and Drive India to install super-fast DC chargers (50 kW) at select MG showrooms in cities where the ZS EV will be sold initially.
The carmaker said it will also be installing a network of fast chargers across the country and charging services provided through the roadside assistance. Talking about the most import aspect of the vehicle, its mileage, the ARAI certified range of the MG ZS EV is 340 km per single full charge.
While Kona has an ARAI-certified range of 452 km. Charging time of the two electric SUVs is more or less similar. ZS’s battery can be charged up to 80 per cent in 50 minutes using a 50 kW DC fast charger, while a 7.4 kW AC charger will take 6-8 hours for a full charge.
Kona takes a little over six hours via a 7.2 kW charger and 80 per cent charge can be achieved in 57 minutes with 50 kW DC quick charger. Power side, ZS is powered by a synchronous motor producing 143 PS and 353 Nm of peak torque.
It features a 44.5 kWh water-cooled, lithium-ion battery. Kona uses a permanent magnet synchronous motor making 136 PS and 395 Nm of peak torque with its 39.2 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery.