India’s electric car industry has been on the rise with more OEMs trying their luck today, than ever before. There are multiple new OEMs entering this lucrative segment. Recently, two new electric cars were spied in Murshidabad in West Bengal on the back of a transit truck. Are these SUVs here for a potential launch in India or something else? Let’s take a closer look.
Two New Electric Cars Spied In India
Automotive enthusiast Touhidur Rahaman spotted two new electric cars in Murshidabad in West Bengal recently. These electric cars were strapped on top of a transit truck and were being transported to someplace. Close inspection reveals that these electric vehicles are from the major Chinese automotive brand Changan Automobile.
One of the notable state-owned car manufacturers, Changan Automobile, operates in many major markets. It has spawned multiple sub-brands like Changan UNI, Changan NEVO, Changan LCV, Deepal and Avatr. The units spotted in India can be identified as Changan NEVO E07 and Deepal S07.
It has to be noted that Changan or any of its brands do not currently operate in India. Changan had set up office in India and had launch intentions too. Hence the sighting of these vehicles in India is rather interesting. There is a good probability that Changan is not testing these electric cars for a potential launch in India, which has emerged as a major automotive market in the world.
However, Changan does operate in Nepal, which is a landlocked nation surrounded by the mighty Himalayan mountain range. There is a good probability that Changan supplies automobiles to Nepal by road through West Bengal and Bihar states in India.
Changan E07 and Deepal S07
Of the two new electric cars spied in India, Changan NEVO E07 is by far the most interesting. It is a crossover between an SUV and a pickup truck and it offers a concealed flat bed at the back. In profile, it looks like an elongated coupe SUV and it has an electrically retractable trunk cover. It reminds us of Audi Activesphere Concept which was never launched.
Load bearing capacity is around 300kg, which is decent for a vehicle that is not a hardcore pickup truck. Changan E07 is offered in both EREV and BEV powertrain options. In EREV version, we can see a 1.5L engine that acts as a range extender mated to a 39.05 kWh battery pack. BEV version has up to 90 kWh battery with 701 km range and up to 590 bhp and 3.69s 0-100 km/h sprint.
Deepal S07, on the other hand, is a more conventional SUV that is capable of advanced ADAS features powered by Huawei. It is also offered in EREV and BEV versions. Deepal S07 EREV has a similar powertrain as Changan NEVO E07 and BEV version has up to 80 kWh battery that is rated at up to 628 km. Both these models are not likely to launch in India.
