With all the expensive electric vehicles (EVs) entering the market, it’s nice to see the new very affordable Ora R1, which will debut in India this year.
The Ora R1 is made by a Chinese automobile manufacturer, Great Wall Motor. With the air pollution in Northern India reaching hazardous levels the past few years and more people recognizing the global climate crisis, India makes for a good place to debut the car.
The small box style car comes standard with a 35KW motor and is said to have a maximum range of 351km, which is comparable to other EVs currently available in India.
While the Ora R1 is not meant for speed, its reported that it can reach a top speed of around 63mph or 102km/h, which makes it a nice vehicle for getting around the busy streets of India.
Great Wall Motor is saying this car will be the cheapest EV in the world, with a price tag between $8,600 and $11,000. (INR 6.2 to INR 8 Lakh).
EVs in India have a much higher cost than traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. The average economical ICE vehicles can be purchased for around INR 5 Lakh, which is much lower than the average EV that sells for around INR 13 Lakh.
With the increased awareness of air pollution and greenhouse gases, Indian consumers are more likely to be interested in owning an EV. However, the high costs have swayed most from buying them. The Indian government has been pushing for tax-cuts and EV-focused subsidies.
Reports say that one of the main reasons for the high costs of EVs in India is the lack of lithium-ion battery manufacturers within the country. Currently, most are imported from China, Taiwan, and Korea causing these higher prices.
Just recently a joint venture between three Japanese tech giants Suzuki, Toshiba, and Denso has committed to increasing production of lithium-ion batteries in Hansalpur, Gujarat. Other companies Mahindra and Tata have formed a partnership to start manufacturing lithium-ion batteries in India as well.
These newly affordable Ora R1 EVs could help struggling auto sales in India. In 2019, vehicle manufacturers reported a 14% decrease in car sales. Hopefully, with more people looking to help the environment these cars will provide an affordable eco-friendly option all while boosting sales.
The new battery facilities may also help drop the price of the competitors EVs in India as well. Even better will be when new technology such as lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries become available.
