Luxury electric cars launching in India in 2021

Luxury cars in India currently have a market share of around 1%, which is expected to grow in the coming days, as preference towards upgradation to premium vehicles is increasing among the consumers, especially the new generation buyers. The luxury carmakers are betting big on this trend and expecting around 25-40% growth in sales in 2021.

The luxury car market is expected to register a sale of 28,000-33,000 units in 2021, up from 20,000-21,000 sold in 2020.

A host of new launches will play a key role in this projected growth story. The luxury carmakers are reportedly planning to launch around 70 models in the domestic market this year, more than double the number of 2020, when the operations were severely hit due to the Covid-19 pandemic. These new launches will include all-new models, facelifts, new variants, etc.

Among the luxury carmakers present in India, BMW plans to for the biggest product offensive with 25 launches, while Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar Land Rover plan to introduce 15 and 10 products respectively. Audi and Volvo have lined up 7 and 5 launches respectively, while the sportscar manufacturers Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche combined, will bring in another 6-8 models. So far, this is going to be an interesting year for the luxury car segment of the country.

What’s more interesting is there will be a host of luxury electric cars hitting the Indian showrooms in 2021. Models like Jaguar I-Pace, Mini Cooper SE, Audi E-Tron, Porsche Taycan, Volvo XC40 Recharge, and Tesla Model 3 are expected to hit the roads this year.

Tesla Model 3

Tesla has already announced that it will officially entre the Indian market in 2021 and expectation is already running high among the buyers and EV enthusiasts. The Model 3, Tesla’s bestselling and most affordable offering is expected to be the first model from the brand to launch in the country, sometime later this year. This is certainly going to be the biggest car launch of the year.

Initially, Tesla will import the completely built units of the Model 3 compact sedan. The zero-emission car has a capacity to get charged in 15 minutes, thanks to the fast charging technology and it has a range of 500 km with a top speed of 162 kmph. Upon launch, Tesla Model 3 will compete with Jaguar I-Pace and Lexus ES Hybrid. Expect it to be priced at around ₹60 lakh.

Jaguar I-Pace

Jaguar Land Rover has already imported the first I-Pace in India, the first-ever electric car of the British marquee. Bookings for the car commenced in November 2020 and deliveries are expected to begin from March 2021. Available in three variants – S, SE, and HSE; the I-Pace features a three-phase AC home charging facility and offers driver-focused technology.

This electric SUV is claimed to be capable of accelerating 0-100 kmph in 4.8 seconds, thanks to the 90 kWh lithium-ion battery combined with twin electric motors, which combined, churns out 400 PS of power. JLR offers 8 years or 1.60 lakh km warranty on the battery. Also, the I-Pace owners get a complimentary 5-years service package, 5 years Jaguar Roadside Assistance and a 7.4 kW AC wall mounted charger. Expect it to be priced at around ₹2 crore.

Mini Copper SE

The electric three-door hatchback from the BMW-owned British luxury car brand has a single motor powering the front axle. The electric motor generates 184 PS of power and 270 Nm of torque. It enables the car to accelerate 0-100 kmph in 7.3 seconds, with a top speed of 150 kmph.

The car requires around 12 hours to be charged fully using a 2.3 kW AC charger while using a 50 kW DC charger will do the same job in 1.24 hours. Mini Cooper SE is claimed to be able to run up to 270 km on a single charge, as per the new WLTP test cycle. Expect this EV to be priced at around ₹40-45 lakh in India.

Audi E-Tron

Audi unveiled E-Tron in India in 2019 in an exclusive. It was planned to launch in 2020, but plans were delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the German luxury car brand is now readying to launch the car in India this year.

The Audi E-Tron offers 312 PS of power and 540 Nm of torque output from its 71.2 kWh battery pack. The E-Tron will compete with rivals like Jaguar I-Pace and Mercedes-Benz EQC. Expect it to hit showrooms around June this year and the price would be around 1.5 crores.

Porsche Taycan

Porsche Taycan was supposed to launch in India in 2020, but the arrival was disrupted and delayed due to the pandemic. However, the German sportscar major is planning to bring it to India this year.

Taycan is Porsche’s first fully electric car and one of the most powerful electric cars available in the world. It gets power from a 79.2 kWh battery that pumps out a power output of 608 PS and can reach 0-100 kmph in less than 4 seconds. The EV has a range of over 500 km and could compete with Tesla Model S. It is expected to be priced at around ₹2.5 crore.