Tata Curvv.EV Is A True Highway Electric Car: We Explain
The just-launched Tata Curvv.EV changes everything. It’s the first truly highway-ready electric car from an Indian automaker, and it actually outclasses many foreign electric cars sold here on this front. The fact that the Tata Curvv.EV packs in a mammoth 55 kWh battery (biggest ever on a India-made electric car) on the higher variants gives it a claimed range of 585 kilometers. Well, claimed range obviously isn’t something that most electric car owners won’t be able to achieve. This brings us to the real world range of the Tata Curvv.EV.
A 425 kilometer real world range
About 75 % of Tata Curvv.EV owners will be able to achieve about 425 kilometers of real world range in a single charge of the 55 kWh battery pack. Tata Motors calls this range C75. Picture this, you could do Bengaluru-Mysuru-Bengaluru in a single charge, with some charge to spare. You could do Delhi-Jaipur without having to stop anywhere for recharging the Curvv.EV. Similarly, Mumbai-Pune-Mumbai in a single charge? Eminently achievable. Why, you could even do a Bengaluru-Chennai run of nearly 400 kilometers in a single charge on the Curvv.EV.
Previously, such journeys on Tata’s own electric cars such as the Tiago.EV, the Tigor.EV, Punch.EV or even the Nexon.EV (long range version manages about 280-300 Kms of range/charge) would have required at least one stop to recharge the battery. Not anymore. This is what makes the Curvv.EV such a gamechanger for highway travel in India as this SUV coupe has long legs, for an electric car.
Save time, and money!
The ability to carry on without having to stop for recharging the battery means both time and money saved. Fast chargers typically charge about Rs. 30 per unit, and recharging the Curvv.EV’s battery from say 40 % to 100 % would cost around Rs. 1,000 (33 units at Rs. 30 per unit).
On the other hand, if you were to leave home in Mumbai with a full battery in your Tata Curvv.EV, finish work at Pune and then drive back to Mumbai, and then plug your SUV Coupe into your household charging socket, the cost of charging would be under Rs. 200.
Effectively, you aren’t any time in stopping to recharge the car during your Mumbai-Pune-Mumbai trip, and are also able to save wads of cash thanks to home-charging using a slow wall socket charger. And this is exactly how having a bigger battery and higher range can actually save you money on outstation trips.
Fast charging unlocked!
The Curvv.EV’s battery has been designed to go from 10 % to 80 % in just 40 minutes when plugged into a 70 kWh fast charger. The Curvv.EV features a charging rate of 1.2C, the fastest on a Tata electric car, ever. This makes for quick recharges, especially on highway trips, where the car will be fully charged by the time you’re back from your meal stop.
Why is a big battery range such a big deal?
If you’ve ever seen an electric car on a highway, you’d have noticed that the car is usually on the middle lane, with the cruise control set at a steady 80 Kph. Well, that’s because electric car owners have to maximize every bit of range their EVs deliver. EVs typically consume more power on highways (at constant speed) rather than on city streets (where brake energy regeneration kicks in to recharge the battery and maximize range).
Having a bigger battery and higher range means that,
You can overtake vehicles as and when needed without having to worry about conserving charge all the time.
You can happily use air conditioning and the in-car entertainment system without having to worry about conserving charge.
You can save time on highway trips that you’d otherwise be spending on recharging the EV’s battery.
When you want to drive spiritedly and have some fun, you can actually go ahead and indulge yourself.
More road trips, less range anxiety. This is perhaps the biggest one as peace of mind is literally priceless!
Finally, a relatively affordable electric car that can be your only car!
Typically, most people in India buy electric cars as their second cars. Electric cars are used predominantly for city driving, which EVs love thanks to constant start-stop conditions (great for brake energy regeneration). EV owners are hesitant to take their cars out on road trips, mainly due to range anxiety and the still-nascent charging infrastructure. However, a car such as the Tata Curvv.EV can be the only car for a lot of people as it offers 425 kilometers of real-world range. Most people don’t drive more than say 400 kilometers on the highway on a single day, and this is where the 55 kWh battery equipped version of te Tata Curvv.EV fits in very nicely.
The best part is it’s price. At a starting price of Rs. 18.49 lakh for the 55 kWh battery equipped version, the Tata Curvv.EV is actually cheaper than the likes of the BYD Atto3 and the MG eZS, both of which smaller ranges. If you are looking at the Tata Curvv.EV as a city car, then the 45 kWh version is the one to go for, and that’s even more attractively priced, from just Rs.. 17.49 lakh.
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