Tata Nexon EV’s range: Transport Dept issues Show Cause Notice

The Delhi transport department has issued a show-cause notice to Tata Motors after an owner complaint about its range on a single charge. The complainant, who is the owner of Tata Nexon EV said that the car failed to meet the range specified by Tata Motors.

The owner of the car bought the Nexon EV from a dealership in Safdarjung Enclave, Delhi and registered the vehicle on December 3, 2020. However,  the owner says that the car failed to provide the 312 km range as specified by Tata Motors. A senior transport department official said that after receiving the complaint, a show-cause notice is issued to Tata Motors as per ET Auto.

The vehicle owner is a resident of Najafgarh. He also claimed that after visiting Tata Motors dealership, he received various advice on increasing the range. However, even after “duly” following the advice given by the dealership, the car did not return an optimal range as promised by OEM or Original Equipment Manufacturer. The show-cause notice has directed Tata Motors to depute its representative to appear before a transport department officer at 12 noon on February 15. The owner says that the car fails to complete even 200 km on a full charge.

Also read: Pravaig Extinction spotted on Indian roads!

The notice further states that if the OEM fails to send a representative, the transport department will take further action. The department will also consider to “delist” the said model from the subsidy-eligible e-vehicle’s list. In Delhi, a purchase incentive of Rs 10,000 per kWh of battery capacity is provided to the customer. There is a cap of Rs 1.5 lakh per vehicle. The first 1,000 vehicles after the issuance of the policy will be eligible for the incentive. The Nexon EV is an approved vehicle under the eligibility conditions of the Delhi government’s EV policy.

Range tested by ARAI

Just like any other vehicle, Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) certified the Tata Nexon EV before its launch. According to the certification, the Nexon EV can return a maximum of 312 km on a full charge. ARAI is an independent body that is a prime testing and certification agency as notified by Government of India. The tests done by ARAI are under test conditions and ideal conditions. However, the conditions where the vehicles are tested are different from the practical world. This is why the range of the vehicles tested by ARAI will always be higher than the real-world conditions.

The same goes for the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles. ARAI tests the vehicles for fuel efficiency under test conditions but in the real world, when the consumer drives the vehicle, the fuel efficiency comes down drastically. Since driving style of most customers is different from each other, the fuel efficiency and the range of the vehicles differ too. There are various test cycles that authorities of different countries use to estimate the range of an electric vehicle. Tata Motor’s spokesperson said that that they have received the notice and they are taking all the possible measures to address the concern. The Nexon EV is the best-selling electric SUV in India and is also the most affordable car in the segment.

Also read: Upcoming Tata Hornbill HBX micro SUV front & rear in new spy shots