Author: Team Giznext

It was last year on the 15th of August when Simple Energy opened bookings for its electric scooter. However, even 10 months down the line, there is no sign of deliveries or even test drive updates. It seems buyers of Simple One electric scooters will have to wait longer for their scooters to arrive. Deliveries have been postponed citing potential government policy changes in the light of recent fires in EVs. The brand has posted a tweet on Twitter to give an update on deliveries.

The Bengaluru-based firm, which introduced its e-scooter last year, had planned to begin deliveries by early this year. This got shifted to June. And now, according to a recent update, vehicle deliveries will now begin in the first week of September, and test drives will begin in July. So far, the brand has garnered 30,000 reservations.

Reason For Delay?

Recently, some electric two-wheelers have caught fire, resulting in fatalities and injuries. The government has launched an investigation into the incident, and the Centre for Fire Explosives and Environmental Safety (CFESS) has been tasked with digging deeper into the problem and providing answers.

Following the conclusion of the study, the EV industry may see certain policy adjustments, notably in the areas of battery packs and testing standards. Simple Energy has deferred deliveries in order to comply with the upcoming safety standard. In a way this is good as longer / better testing in real world environment help in various things. It will not only ensure higher safety standards, but also a product that has devoid of glitches. This is something that has plagued Ola for a while.

Simple One Scooter

For its claimed driving range, the Simple One caused quite a stir in the market. The e-scooter comes with a battery capacity of 4.8kWh and an 8.5kW motor. This provides 72 Nm of peak torque resulting in a stated driving range of 236 kilometres. The company introduced an extra 1.6kWh battery earlier this year, bringing the total capacity to 6.4kWh and claiming a range of over 300km in optimum conditions. The extra battery pack costs Rs 35,000 and will be installed in the boot of the scooter eating up a significant amount of boot space.

The Simple One electric scooter is claimed to sprint from 0-40 kmph in just 2.85 seconds. In contrast, the top speed is 105 kmph. Different driving modes will be available on the Simple One e-scooter, affecting its performance and acceleration. The Simple One electric scooter costs Rs 1.09 lakh (ex-showroom) for the standard and Rs 1.44 lakh (ex-showroom) for the longer battery version.

We all know that Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. has been planning to launch electric automobiles in India. The company had showcased its XUV 300 Electric SUV at 2020 Auto Expo 2020. This product will finally hit Indian roads in less than 10 months from now. During an event where they released the Q4 sales figures, the brand also revealed plans to launch the XUV300 electric. According to a statement in the event, the XUV300 electric will be launched early next year which means between Jan and March 2023.

During the event, Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director, M&M, further stated that the electric version of the XUV300 will be a larger product. This means it will be longer than its Internal Combustion Engine counterparts. It’s safe to assume, the electric version of the XUV300 will be 4.2 metres long. The current XUV300 is sub 4 meter in length in order to enjoy small cart tax benefits. The longer EV version will offer more space within the cabin and also aid the possibility of a larger, longer-range battery.

Mahindra has previously tried its hand at creating electric four-wheelers. The brand has manufactured electric vehicles such as the e2o and the e-Verito, although none of the products attracted many customers. The brand previewed its Born Electric Platform a few months ago, which will be presented in July. The electric version of the Mahindra XUV 300 SUV could be one such vehicle.

Mahindra recently teamed up with Volkswagen to explore the usage of VW’s modular electric drive matrix (MEB) components in electric vehicles. The MEB electric platform and its components enable automakers to swiftly and cost-effectively expand their electrified vehicle line.

The upcoming 2023 Mahindra XUV 300 Electric is expected to be available in two versions: standard and long-range. The Standard version is predicted to have a range of 200 kilometres, while the long-range form will have a range of 375 kilometres. The battery pack, as well as other specifications, are currently unknown. It might get a 40-kilowatt-hour battery pack.

If we talk about the battery and range of the upcoming XUV 300 electric, the five-seater EV will fight against the Tata Nexon EV and the MG ZS EV in its class.

2022 KIA EV6 is launched in India at a price tag of Rs 59.-95 – 64.95 Lakhs (ex-showroom). The deliveries of the EV6 will begin by September.

KIA has launched its first-ever all-electric car in India. The 2022 KIA EV6 crossover is a mixture between sedan & SUV. Priced at a premium of Rs 59.95 Lakhs (starting), the EV6 is based on the e-GMP architecture jointly developed with Hyundai. The main competitor is also its sibling car from Hyundai which is called Ioniq 5. The new EV can complete 528 km on a single full charge as well.

While the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is still waiting for its launch, the KIA EV6 has made its India entry with a bang. The car is available in 2 variants – RWD & AWD. KIA plans to sell the EV6 via its 15 dealerships placed in 12 cities in pan India. KIA EV6 has also scored a brilliant 5-star ANCAP crash test rating that makes it a safe car for the segment standards.

2022 KIA EV6 Design & Features

The exteriors of the new KIA EV6 embeds futuristic and look completely different when compared to the rival Hyundai Ioniq 5. The front design embraces an all-LED headlight & DRLs with a sharp nose and big front grille. The front bumper is designed with smaller air dams to reduce aerodynamic drag. 

The side profile embeds the slanting coupe-like roofline that gives the KIA EV6 a sportscar look. The 19-inch alloy wheel design looks fantabulous. These also contrasts well with the personality of the long-range car. At the rear, the curvy and upright-set design is a KIA EV6 trademark. The LED taillights make the car stand apart in the crowd.

The interior of the KIA EV6 is similar to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 in terms of space. The subtle use of good quality soft-touch material and dual-tone scheme looks and feels comfortable for the price tag of KIA EV6. The instrument cluster is 12.3-inch all-digital & it comes along with a driver HUD too. The floating 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system supports Android Auto & Apple CarPlay as well. It also gets wireless smartphone charging.

To enhance the cabin experience, KIA has equipped the EV6 with several features. These include a big sunroof, leather seats, 10-way powered ventilated seats, various driving modes, etc. KIA has also equipped the new EV6 with additional features such as a HUD, ADAS, 12.-3-inch infotainment display, 12.3-inch instrument console, brake-energy regen, 10+ connected car features, powered tailgate, 8 airbags, Front collision warning assist, etc. Although, the headroom at the rear seat is a bit tight for taller passengers due to the coupe-like roof design.

Powertrain & Driving Range

The KIA EV6 is an international product that is already known for its very capable electric motor power & long-distance driving range. The KIA EV6 is launched in India with a bigger 77.4kWh battery pack. This battery pack produces 229hp of peak power & 350 Nm of peak torque for the RWD variant. The AWD variant produces 325 hp of peak power & 605 Nm of peak torque.

The WLTP cycle claimed driving range of the KIA EV6 is a whopping 528 km on a single charge. For charging, the EV6 can behold a very fast 350kW DC charge, which will see the battery go from 10 to 80 percent in just 18 minutes, and on a 50kW fast charger, the battery will take 73 minutes for the same level. The Kia EV6 comes with a 22kW wall box charger as standard for charging the EV crossover at home via the portable home charger. KIA has not released the charging timings for this portable charger.

So, comment down & tell us your thoughts on the newly launched EV6 in India.