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EVs see great interest from customers at NADA
Electric vehicles were a special attraction at the NADA Auto Show this year, with leading EV automobiles brands showcasing some of their best products at the annual automobile extravaganza in the capital. Vehicles such as Tata Tigor, Hyundai Ioniq and Renault ZOE were some of the best picks showcased at the annual Auto Show, which ended on September 16.Krishana Prasain
Electric vehicles were a special attraction at the NADA Auto Show this year, with leading EV automobiles brands showcasing some of their best products at the annual automobile extravaganza in the capital. Vehicles such as Tata Tigor, Hyundai Ioniq and Renault ZOE were some of the best picks showcased at the annual Auto Show, which ended on September 16.
Arjun Karki, assistant general manager at Sipradi Trading, said that the future of the automobile industry is electric cars. “At the Auto Show, our Tata Tigor EV received a good number of inquiries from customers,” he said, adding that customers can book the vehicle as soon as it gets launched in the Nepali market. The Tata Tigor EV delivers a mileage of 100 km on a full charge and features 80 kW motor, 240 Nm torque and speed of 135 km per hour.
Another vehicle that saw customers flocking towards it was the Hyundai Ioniq, according to Mrinal Lavh, technical officer at Hyundai. “Everyone was interested to know the efficiency and the mileage of the vehicle,” he said. Hyundai will open bookings for the Ioniq soon, he added. The car’s lithium polymer ion battery, gives 215 torque and a 280 km mileage in a one-time charge.
Likewise, Advance Automo- biles, the authorised distributor of Renault vehicles in Nepal, showcased ZOE EV at the Auto Show. “The response has been overwhelming,” said Sandeep Chhetry, marketing manager at Advance Automobiles. ZOE delivers a mileage of 400 km in one-time full charge, he said adding, that the vehicle delivers good performance in off-road.
According to automobile dealers, the market of EVs has been growing in recent years. However, the lack of infrastructure—such as well-paved roads and charging stations across highways—has become a major problem for the growth and expansion of the EV market. Continental Trading Enterprises, the authorised distributor of Kia Motors in Nepal, showcased some of their existing EVs at the show. According to Prasiddha Khadka, senior marketing officer of Kia Motors, the market for electric vehicles has been growing in recent years, with the company selling 77 units of Kia Soul electric vehicle in two years, he said.
The company was successful in getting 15 EVs booked by consumers at the Auto Show. The company offers two models that are priced at Rs5.8 million and Rs5.6million. Kia EV comes with a seven-year warranty and delivers a mileage of 112 km.
Agni Incorporated, the authorised distributor of Mahindra vehicles in Nepal, introduced EVs to Nepal, in 2010. The company has since been offering different EV models such as Reva, e2o Plus and E-Verito. According to Pramod Bhandari, executive senior manager at Agni Incorporated, the company has sold 500 units of EVs to date. The price of Mahindra EVs ranges from Rs1.5 million to Rs2.88 million.
At the Auto Show, the company received bookings of 20 e2o Plus and 10 E-Verito. According to Bhandari, the market for EVs is positive and he found that most of the visitors at the NADA Auto Show were looking for EVs especially.