Nexon EV owner fits big bullbar: Tata’s Chief Designer disapproves!

Aftermarket bull bars are banned in India and cannot be installed on any private, road-going vehicle. Even though cops from different states take action against the vehicles with aftermarket bullbar, there are still many who install these aftermarket accessories anyway for various reasons. Bullbar on any car can cause a lot of problems and can be fatal in case of an accident with a pedestrian. After spotting a new Tata Nexon EV with aftermarket bullbar, Pratap Bose, the Global Design Head of Tata Motors commented disapprovingly on it.

Very much unfortunately. Not great for crash, and even worse for pedestrians 😓 https://t.co/oL9lsjbEvP

— Pratap Bose (@BosePratap) September 9, 2020

After a group of Tata Nexon EV owners met on the occasion of World EV Day and posted pictures online, someone spotted the heavy bullbar installed on the vehicle and asked Pratap Bose for his opinions. He commented on the picture saying “This is not great for the crash, and even worse for pedestrians“.

Most people install bullbar on their vehicle to ensure that the car does not get damaged from minor accidents and the bumpers remain scratch-free. Also, bullbar ensure a butch look to the vehicle, which is another major reason for installing it by the Indian motorists. However, bullbar can negatively impact the vehicle’s structural integrity.

Bullbar is installed to the chassis of the car and in case of an accident, the impact directly transfers to the chassis bypassing the extremely important crumple zone of the vehicle. Crumple zone is extremely important when a crash happens as it is designed to absorb most of the impact during an accident and saving the occupants from critical injuries. However, if a heavy bullbar is installed, that does not happen and the occupants may get seriously injured. Also, the sensors for the airbags are located in the front of the car and any kind of bullbar may intrude the opening of the airbag. Delayed airbag opening can seriously injure the occupants of the vehicle. Modern airbags use a small explosion to fill the airbag in microseconds and any delay may injure the face of the passengers near the airbags.

On the occasion of @World_EV_Day, here are the highlights of the proud owners of #NexonEV – The Electric SUV powered by #Ziptron in Bangalore, as they rendezvous at a Tribes Meet in Narsapura on Sunday, 6th September!

Want to join the electrifying Nexon EV Tribe? pic.twitter.com/ZbxQGFRAMq

— Tata Motors Electric Mobility (@TatamotorsEV) September 9, 2020

There are many more repercussions of installing aftermarket bullbar. The government of India has set a pedestrian safety rule that ensures that any accident with a pedestrian will not cause fatal injuries. However, the bullbar changes that and can harm the pedestrian during an accident.

While the cops remained very vigilant to stop vehicles with bullbar when the new bullbar rule was implemented in India, most cops ignore them in the present day. However, bullbar is against law and can be fined by the cops. Always refrain from using them and use paint protection film (PPF) or similar coating to save the bumpers from scratches.