Tata Nexon EV vs Nexon Petrol MT: Electricity vs Petrol Compared

With fuel prices skyrocketing each day, it does make an electric vehicle seem like a tempting proposition. But is that a sensible option at the moment considering the limited charging network? To find that out, we spent a day with the petrol-powered Nexon MT and its equivalent all-electric counterpart. We compared both models for a detailed efficiency and performance report to see if they can last the daily grind.

Spec Check

On paper, the Nexon EV and petrol-powered SUV have around similar power figures. However, the EV is 75Nm torquier than its petrol counterpart. Also, the Nexon EV puts out the power instantly while you need to wait for the revs to build in the petrol SUV. How does this affect the acceleration test? Read on to find out. 

Fun Acceleration?

 

Despite the EV’s instant power delivery, it’s slower than the petrol-powered SUV by 3.47 seconds in our test conditions. However, that’s in Drive mode and power is limited. Flip the gear selector to Sport and the EV will use its 129PS to use and is quicker than its ICE-counterpart by 3.75 seconds. 

Even during roll-on accelerations, the Nexon petrol is slower. It did the 20-80kmph and 40-100kmph runs in 10.49 seconds and 18.26 seconds respectively. The EV, in comparison, did the 20 to 80kmph run in 9.09 seconds and 5.25 seconds in Drive and Sport respectively. 

So overall, the Nexon EV is quicker, especially in Sport. But does it come at the cost of range?

Efficiency Test 

As seen in the table above, the Nexon EV covered 9.35km per kWh while the standard model returned 13.41km to the litre. So if we do the math, the Nexon EV is capable of covering 282km on a single charge while a tank full of Nexon will take you around 590km in the city. So if your weekly grind is less than 300km, a Nexon EV makes sense as you can weekly charge it up using your home charger.  

On the highway, the EVs poorer efficiency means the range drops to 211km. And considering the limited charging network, road trips need to be planned. On the other hand, the standard Nexon’s better efficiency means you can do around 890kms. So the petrol Nexon with its superior efficiency should make sense for long trips. 

Verdict

With rising fuel prices, it does make sense to spend the extra for the Nexon EV. But that’s mainly if your usage is in the city. The thin charging network at the moment means the standard Nexon is a better model for highway usage. Also, range anxiety is a factor one should always consider when buying an EV for highway usage.