We recently reported that the Delhi government announced a massive discount, as much as INR 3.02 lakhs on buying the Nexon and the Tigor EV to incentivise the sales of EVs in a territory with high air pollution levels. But now, in a surprising move, the Delhi government has suspended the subsidy offered on the Tata Nexon EV. The reason behind this rather surprising decision is because apparently, the government received complaints that the model failed to meet the specified range on a single charge, officials said on Monday.
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Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot earlier in the day pointed to complaints from several Nexon EV owners who stated that the range of their car wasn’t what was being claimed by Tata Motors.
Official statements
“The Delhi government has decided to suspend subsidy on a EV car model, pending final report of a Committee, due to complaints by multiple users of sub-standard range performance,” he tweeted. “We are committed to support EVs, but not at the cost of trust & confidence of citizens in claims by manufacturers.”
After the suspension of subsidy on Nexon EV, a Tata Motors spokesperson said the company will continue to work with customers, while underlining the certified range of the vehicle. “It is unfortunate to receive this order from the Delhi Transport Commission. We will continue to engage constructively to protect the interests of our customers,” he said. “As with conventional vehicles (with IC engines), the actual range achieved in EVs is dependent on AC usage, individual driving style and the actual conditions in which the vehicle is driven. The range achievement is also a function of familiarity with the new technology, and customers report improvements upwards of 10% within 4-6 weeks of familiarity.”
Last month, a show-cause notice was issued to Tata Motors by the transport department about a complaint from a user of the Nexon EV claiming it did not meet the promised range of 312 km on a single charge of its battery, officials said.
In terms of the range of the Nexon EV, the company claims that the single full charge (312 km) for the Nexon EV is basis the certification received from the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), which is the official body that independently tests all mass-produced vehicles under standard/defined test conditions before they can be offered to customers.