I recently asked a senior executive of a leading SUV manufacturer in India for his opinion about a small two-door electric car that has just been launched in the country. “In India, people are very conscious of their status. Do you think you’d ever take this tiny car to a wedding in your family, where your parents would sit in the back seats, and awkwardly exit the two-door car in front of your relatives?”
If I’m being honest with myself, probably not. Definitely not. And a small electric micro-car, even smaller than the Tata Nano, isn’t even meant for that purpose – you don’t pack your family of four into a car like this when attending a wedding or going out of town. For. But if one reverses the question, how sensible is it to take your 7-seater SUV for your grocery runs, to pick up your kids from class, or to go shopping? Not much, but how often do we see this happen? All the while, which only proves that the senior executive had a point – a car is a vanity purchase for most Indian families. Even in China, buyers are crazy about huge cars. Even automakers make special long-wheelbase iterations of popular luxury models just for China. India was, until recently, known as a small-car market dominated by Suzuki, a popular manufacturer of the ‘kei car’ or ‘K-car’ in Japan, which refers to a small, lightweight vehicle that is capable of driving small cars. Can zip through urban. Empty spaces easily and have a low carbon footprint. But we’re starting to copy the passion of the big fuel-guzzling Western and Chinese markets. To be fair, they can traverse rough terrains more confidently than a smaller car. And they give the driver a feeling of command on the road. what’s not to like
A friend and editor of a popular auto magazine says that people in India don’t buy cars for 99% of their use cases, but for the 1% use case they will rarely find themselves in. Take a look around The next time you’re stuck in peak hour traffic, look at all the cars, how many people are in them, and you’ll know how true this is.
The question, however, remains whether this is the best option for our cities notorious for gridlock that lasts for hours and a road infrastructure that is inadequate for this amount of traffic. MG Motor India marketing its two-door micro EV Comet pointed out how 70% of people in a vehicle travel alone. In that case, how practical is it from the point of view of economy, efficiency, environment and congestion for a single passenger to use a large vehicle in a city? In cities such as Delhi, and increasingly in Mumbai as well, air pollution is a serious health hazard, and larger vehicles generally pollute more. The trajectory of fuel prices is also on an upward trajectory – which means they are not light on your pocket either.
Another issue is the lack of parking facilities in large cities, where there is extreme pressure on parking given the limited supply of spaces. Illegal and haphazard parking, which worsens congestion, especially in commercial and residential areas, only adds to the problem. Additionally, we do not have road-pricing policies such as those seen in London, for example, which can help reduce peak traffic and encourage the use of public transport or other sustainable modes of transport.
So a small Lego-car-like EV, such as the MG Comet, is likely to appeal. At less than 3 meters in length, the maneuverability it gives you in tight urban spaces is unmatched. You can go into tight corners and park easily. Plus, it has all the gadgets you need to make your city commute practical and fun – a large floating display, ample storage space if you’re driving alone or with a co-driver, and an infotainment system that minimizes clutter. Does but doesn’t want to leave. Sure, it will remind you of its smallness every time you drive over a pothole or a speed bump. But it does give you a practical range of 200 km, which might give you an average running cost of at least 519 in a month in an EV that occupies much less space than a typical hatchback. It’s a solution India’s congested cities need, but aren’t necessarily ready to embrace. However, on a With a starting price of ₹ 8 lakh, it is quite expensive to buy compared to the regular petrol powered hatchback.
College-going youth certainly don’t like micro EVs enough, but middle-aged folks who flexed their big car in their younger years might find value in a cutely sized car like this one. Even senior citizens who prioritize ease of driving over the strong road presence of a larger car may find it a sensible buy.
We’ve seen cars like this before: the Reva and the e2O were both small electric cars, but didn’t work because they were ahead of their time and had very short driving ranges. EVs are now in the conversation of many affluent urban Indians. And maybe it’s time for us car-buyers to take the lead in adopting eco-friendly solutions to our gridlocked roads.
However, even for a plush looking car, the Comet’s boxy design and two-door format can prove to be polarizing. Your first instinct may be to dismiss micro EVs as a fad, or toy cars, but I urge you to get behind the wheel and weigh your options. China, which already has one million EVs on its roads, is already a convert. Perhaps India could be next.
Alisha Sachdev covers the automotive and mobility sectors Peppermint.
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