Owner fits bullbar onto Tata Nexon EV: Car designer Pratap Bose not happy

Tata Motors is on a roll with its all-new modern range of vehicles in the Indian market, including its newfound focus on electric vehicles. The new Tata Nexon EV has emerged as India’s most favourite and highest-selling electric car. Many people have started accepting the Nexon EV for its low running cost and environment-friendly characteristics compared to the IC engine versions.

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

— Pratap Bose (@BosePratap) September 9, 2020

Like any other car, the Tata Nexon EV too has hit the aftermarket accessory market, with many people customizing it as per their choice. One such owner of a Nexon EV decided to fit the compact SUV with an aftermarket bullbar. The fitment of a bull-bar on a car is not accepted by many people, in general. Even Mr Pratap Bose, ex-chief designer of Tata Motors, doesn’t appreciate the move.

On being asked about the fitment of a bullbar in the Tata Nexon EV on Twitter, Pratap Bose clearly said that it is not encouraging as a bullbar is not good in an accident, and can be fatal even for pedestrians as well.

Also read: Tata Nexon goes off roading in the Himalayas (Video)

Adverse effects of bull-bar in a car

People usually fit a bullbar at the front of the car to protect it from minor damages in an accident or to enhance the frontal look of the vehicle. In many cases, the bull-bar only add to the damages in the vehicle, as it has a negative impact on its structural integrity.

As the bullbar is mounted on the vehicle’s chassis, the impact caused by a collision is transferred from the bullbar to the chassis. In this case, the impact skips the crumple zone, resulting in damage to the vehicle chassis even more. The crumple zones are the parts that are responsible for absorbing the impact of the crash.

In addition, the presence of a bullbar reduces the effectiveness of the airbag sensors mounted behind the front bumper. Since the impact might not reach these sensors at the time of the crash, the airbags might open with a delay or might not open at all.

The fitment of bullbars is already considered illegal by the Indian Government, as it is very harmful to pedestrian safety as well. These bullbars are made up of metal, which can cause serious injuries to pedestrians involved in a crash. However, despite making it an illegal move, there are still many people who install a bullbar to the vehicle and end up getting penalized by the Police.

Also read: Tata Hornbill HBX micro SUV: What its electric version will look like