India-bound Renault Kwid Electric car spied for the first time

Electric Vehicles is the new trend among the car manufacturers. Every manufacturer is planning to enter the electric vehicle space eventually. One such manufacturer is Renault. The French car manufacturer has already confirmed in the past that it is considering to launch an EV for Indian market. Their first EV is likely to be the electric variant on the Kwid hatchback and it was recently spotted testing in the roads of China.

Via AutoNewsChina

The Kwid electric is spotted for the first time and from the images it can be seen that the front of the Kwid EV is heavily covered. The profile of the car looks more or less the same. But at the front it seems like the electric version of the new Kwid will get a revised bumper and most likely to get Full LED headlamps.

Details regarding the electric motor, which it is developing in partnership with a Chinese firm, Dongfeng,is not out yet, but Renault has confirmed that it will have a driving range of 250 kms. Renault will introduce the Kwid EV first in the Chinese market where electric vehicles are gaining popularity. After China, Renault is likely to launch this electric vehicle in India. Other markets for the Kwid Electric include Brazil and South Africa – two other developing countries that will move towards electric cars in the coming years.

The Kwid EV is expected to be equipped with premium features such as rear view camera, touch-screen infotainment system, rear AC vents, Automatic AC and more. The instrument cluster is expected to display information regarding distance to empty, remaining battery charge and nearest charging station. Renault India is waiting for clarity on the country’s electric vehicle policy from the government. Once there’s a clear road map for electric vehicles in India, the automaker will launch the Kwid Electric here.

Renault will also offer Kwid’s EV version with double charging option, which will make it compatible with both domestic and public chargers. It is not just Renault, who is preparing to launch electric vehicles in India. Maruti Suzuki has already started the testing of electric version of the WagonR hatchback and Mahindra has also announced that they will be launching the electric version of their recently launched compact SUV XUV300. Another home grown manufacturer Tata motors have already developed an EV version of the Tigor sedan which is used by Indian government’s EESL. Hyundai will soon launch the Kona electric SUV.