With the electric mobility wave hitting India, the electric charging infrastructure is developing at a significant pace. The public is choosing electric vehicles to support the environment sustainability as well as are attracted by the running costs of an electric vehicle. Currently, there are not many options available in the market when it comes to buying an electric vehicle and the people strict on budget are deprived of this powertrain. Renault had earlier showcased an electric vehicle as the K-ZE at the 2020 Auto Expo which is up for sale as the 2022 Kwid EV in the Brazilian markets. Would it be launched in India anytime soon? Stay tuned!
The Renault Kwid is a budget hatchback with all the basic features and has seen a decent popularity in the segment. It has managed to cope up with the likes of many bestsellers in the market and has returned decent sales figures across the world. The Renault Kwid EV has recently been launched in Brazil and is also retailed in the European Markets as the Dacia Spring EV.
The 2022 Kwid EV is powered by a 65 PS electric motor running on a 26.8 kWh battery pack which can return upto 265-298 kilometres of range as per the Brazilian standards but is priced at an odd Rs. 23.20 lakh!
The Kwid EV supports DC charging and can fuel up from 15 per cent to 80 per cent in just 40 minutes. Regenerative braking on offer turns out to be a boon for this vehicle as slowing down restores the energy back into the battery pack and this can increase the range of the vehicle. Some common changes on the exterior spotted in typical EVs are the absence of a radiator grill where the battery charging point has been shifted beneath the Renault / Dacia badging.
In terms of design language, there are not many variations in the standard car and the electric avatar. The overall stance of the vehicle is pretty much the same but is offered with dual tone five spoke alloy wheels. A point to be noted is that the Kwid in India is offered with three lug nuts while in the international markets, it is four. If the Kwid EV is developed for India, we may come across many changes in multiple fronts to cut costs and cope up with the increasing manufacturing inputs and resources.
On the inside, the Kwid Ev remains identical with just a few elegant touches like a new four spoke steering wheel and a rotary knob in place of a conventional gear lever.
The international spec Kwid EV is equipped with a much better safety kit than the Indian spec model as the Brazilian Kwid offers six SRS airbags, Antilock Braking system (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Hill Start Assist and a passive Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). The seven inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is also available in the Indian spec Kwid.
It is suspected that the Kwid EV would take some time to reach the Indian Homelands as converting an IC engine based platform into an EV isn't as easy as plonking another engine or transmission into the vehicle. Many drastic transformations have to be carried out and any vehicle is released after proper testing. The electric powertrains offered by various automotive manufacturers have to be modified as per the climatic and road conditions in a country so as to extract the best out of the vehicle and present it to be a value for money package. If developed and launched, the Kwid EV is likely to compete with the Mahindra eKUV100 and the Maruti Suzuki Wagon EV.
So, what do you think about the 2022 Kwid EV? Should Renault develop one for the Indian markets? Share your views in the comment section. Let's get into a discussion with this in our 91Wheels Telegram and 91Wheels Whatsapp group, where you can know more about vehicles, conduct discussions on your favourite ride, and much more! You can also subscribe to our Youtube channel for our exclusive video content on the latest from the world of cars and motorcycles. Also, connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more about vehicles!
