CM asks people upset with rising petrol, diesel prices to shift to electric vehicles

As we all are aware that the prices of petrol and diesel are rising constantly. Now, Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar said that the people should shift to electric vehicles as the new mode of transportation wherever possible. He also admitted that the prices of petrol and diesel are rising and people would like the prices to decrease. “The electric-vehicle is also better for the environment”, he said.

Nitish used his own example as he uses an electric vehicle as a transport and others should also prefer it as it saves the environment. He is using an electric vehicle since 2019 when he was first spotted reaching Bihar Assembly in an electric vehicle. He has asked the head of five other government departments to adopt electric vehicles as they are viable and eco-friendly.

Nitish Kumar uses a Tigor EV by Tata Motors for his daily commutes. The compact-sedan uses a 21.5kWh battery that powers a 72V 3-phase AC induction motor which in turn powers the wheels. The motor can produce a max power output of 41 PS and a peak torque output of 105 Nm. It is mated to a single-speed transmission, which comes with sports mode. The range of the Tigor EV is 150 km and it takes four hours to charge it up. However, if you use a fast charger then you can top-up the battery from 0 to 80 percent in 2 hours. It costs Rs. 9.4 lakhs to the commercial buyers after adjusting the subsidies provided by the government. As of now, the Tigor EV is mainly offered for government executives.

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Tata has not updated the design of the Tigor EV to the design of the facelifted Tigor which looks much better and modern. The Tigor EV comes with halogen headlamps, LED tail lamps, shark-fin antenna finished in piano black and there is also a high mounted stop lamp. At the side, you get alloy wheels, EV decals and a coupe inspired profile. In the interior, it comes with black and grey layout, automatic climate control, fabric seats, height-adjustable driver seat, infotainment system sourced from Harman. There are some safety features too, such as dual front airbags and Anti-lock Braking System with Electronic Brake Distribution.

One reason that people of India are not buying electric vehicles is the high cost of them. The Tigor EV is currently the cheapest vehicle that you can buy. But at more than Rs. 12 lakhs, it is quite a bit of money for a compact-sedan. In this budget, you can get gasoline-powered SUVs like Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta etc. which are more spacious and provide a better road presence and are SUVs. There is no denying the fact that SUVs are in demand due to which Tata offers a Nexon EV which is currently the best selling electric vehicle in the Indian market. Buying a Nexon does make more sense for a private buyer than buying a Tigor EV because it is a more modern vehicle.

Due to this, it has a more powerful battery, more range, faster charging through fast charger etc. It is also much more powerful, it produces 130 PS of max power and 245 Nm of peak torque which is available instantly because of an electric powertrain. Even the cabin of the Nexon EV is much better built and premium. Being a compact-SUV it also has more ground clearance. which is important for a country like ours. Tata Nexon EV starts from Rs. 13.99 lakhs ex-showroom. However, there are still some other general issues like lack of charging infrastructure in India, which caused Renault to postpone its plan for launching the Kwid EV. Then there is the range anxiety issue which is a big thing for people.

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