Offering battery as a service on Windsor EV might turn out to be next most widely offered strategy in Indian electric vehicle scene
With huge growth ambitions, JSW MG Motor JV has come up with a unique product proposition in the form of Windsor EV. It is the first passenger electric car in India to offer battery as a service and strikes a very tempting price point as battery is not part of the ownership. Thus striking a tempting Rs 9.99 lakh introductory price ex-sh.
However, this pricing lends unique perspectives. Perspectives we never even dreamed of having before the launch of Windsor EV. We say this because MG Windsor EV is a direct rival to Curvv, by size. But it is just as affordable as a Punch EV, where initial buying costs are concerned. Let’s take a look.
MG Windsor EV Vs Rivals
Interestingly, Punch EV has arrived at Rs. 9.99 lakh (Ex-sh) due to the festive offers and will revert back to its original prices, starting at Rs 10.99 lakh (Ex-sh). Not only is MG offering battery as a service, but there is free public charging for initial buyers for a whole year since purchase, significantly contributing to savings, despite the Rs 3.5/km battery rental charge.
Where value is concerned, MG Windsor is unbeatable and offerings from Tata, Mahindra and even MG’s own ZS EV look obsolete. Immediate rival, the Tata Curvv comes off as the most expensive in this comparison, starting at Rs 17.49 lakh (Ex-sh). Windsor EV offers a 38 kWh battery as a service, charging Rs 3.5 per km.
Performance is one aspect associated with EVs, owing to their vigorous acceleration. Among this bunch, nothing beats Mahindra XUV400 with its mammoth 310 Nm electric motor, sprinting to 100 km/h a hair above 8 seconds. On paper, Tata Curvv EV 55 kWh packs 165 horses, but it is not as blistering as XUV400, as we found out during the first-drive review in Udaipur.
Owing to its larger battery, Curvv pulls ahead with around 500 km of claimed range. MG Windsor promises 331 km on a single charge. In terms of charging, Tata Curvv has a clear edge supporting 70 kW DC charging and comes with a 7.2 kW charger as standard. Owing to their segments, Nexon EV and Punch EV don’t get all-wheel disc brakes as standard fitment.
The size quotient
As MG Windsor EV aims for a crossover design silhouette between a hatchback, a sedan and an SUV, it is the biggest 4.3m vehicle on sale in India. The crossover design has allowed the A-Pillars to be forward-set and the 2,700 mm long wheelbase is unmatched. Thus carving immense room on the inside, beating vehicles a segment above.
Windsor EV is the widest and tallest as well. Not only in this comparison but in C-Segment (Compact SUVs) and a segment above. This CUV silhouette has also allowed for best-in-class boot space of 604L, starting from 579L. Nexon EV’s and XUV400’s wheel size is 16-inches as standard, while Punch EV offers 15-inch and 16-inch options. Both Curvv and Windsor EV offer 17-inch and 18-inch alloy wheels.
Features are subjective, but price, specifications and space are objective. Thus commanding this interesting comparison between MG Windsor EV, Mahindra XUV400, Tata Curvv EV, Nexon EV and Punch EV. As we can see, JSW MG Motor seems to have turned the table around in their favour. We will have to see the market reception of Windsor EV with sales data in the future.
