Tata Nexon EV Max comes with a considerably larger battery pack
Putting an end to anticipations, Tata Motors has launched the extended-range version of their most-sold EV- the Nexon electric. Dubbed ‘Nexon EV MAX’, the vehicle features a major powertrain upgrade. It gets a larger battery pack and guarantees a considerable hike in range figures. The vehicle will retail alongside the 30.2 kWh Nexon EV, and is priced from Rs 17.74 lakh, ex-showroom.
Nexon EV Max remains unchanged from the familiar Nexon EV in its design. The lines and surfaces have all been retained without any alteration. However, an exclusive new shade of Intensi- Teal has been introduced on the new car. The palette now consists of 3 colors- Intensi Teal, Pristine White, and Daytona Grey.
Nexon EV Max Interior
There are multiple changes inside the cabin of the long range Nexon EV. While the overall design and layout might look familiar, there are a few key feature additions. Things like front ventilated seats, electric parking brake with auto-hold function, air purifier, wireless charger, auto-dimming IRVM, cruise control, etc are all present on the new car. Drive selection is now done through a jeweled control knob, which looks quite fancy. Also to be noted is the new Makrana Beige interior colorway.
Specifications: The Biggest Change
As already obvious, the Nexon EV MAX gets major upgrades to its powertrain. The showstopper here is the large 40.5 kWh Lithium-ion battery pack, which is 33% larger in size than the regular EV’s 30.2 kWh unit. Since both these are based on the same Lithium-centered chemistry and use cells of the same typology, the best way to increase capacity was to package more cells. The overall size of the battery unit has thus grown fairly in all four directions.
However, Tata claims to have ‘wisely’ packaged this and mounted it neatly on the Max’s floor, much like the way it is on the 30.2 kWh sibling. The packing is claimed to have had zero impact on the boot capacity, which still continues to be 350 liters. Tata Motors has apparently deleted some members of the regular Nexon EV’s platform to generate enough room to neatly contain the mass.
| Battery | 40.2 kWh Lithium-ion battery pack |
| Power | 143 hp |
| Torque | 250 Nm |
| 0-100 kph time | Under 9 seconds |
| Top speed | 140 kph |
| Range (ARAI) | 437 km |
Nexon EV Max gets a more powerful electric motor that can produce 143 hp (105kW) and 250 Nm. The output here is 14 hp and 5Nm more than that of the 30.2 kWh EV. The EV Max is faster than the same, claimed to do 0-100 kph in under 9 seconds. The bigger battery pack is claimed to give Nexon EV Max an ARAI-certified range of 437 kilometers. While this might seem rather aspirational, the specifications could return real-world figures of 300-330 km for sure. More about these on Tuesday, after our first drive…
ALSO READ: 2021 Tata Nexon EV Review: A True Blue EV!
Due to the larger battery pack and multiple feature additions, the overall weight of the Nexon EV Max is up by 100 odd kilos, with 70% of it coming from the battery alone. To contain this, the suspension also has been revisited. The battery takes 56 minutes on a 50 kW DC fast charger for 20-80% refill. The car also comes with a 7.2 kW AC fast charger on the higher trims, while a 3.3kW AC charger remains the standard offering. The 7.2 kW charger can lower the AC charging time to just 6.5 hours.
For better performance and efficiency, the Nexon EV Max gets selectable regeneration modes, four disc brakes, ESP with i-VBAC (intelligent – Vacuum-less Boost & Active Control) etc. Both the battery and electric motor offer warranties of up to 8 years or 160,000 km, and there is no specific cap on the number of DC charging cycles the battery can endure in its life. IP67 ratings further ensure the safety and durability of these.
Trims, Variants And Prices
There are two different trims to the Nexon EV Max- XZ+ and XZ+ Lux, with and without the AC fast charger, thus making for a total of four variants (or let’s just say configurations!) to pick from.
| Trims | Charger Options | Ex-Showroom(All-India) I Prices In Lakh |
| Nexon EV MAX XZ+ | 3.3 kW | 17,74,000 |
| Nexon EV MAX XZ+ | 7.2 kWAC Fast Charger | 18,24,000 |
| Nexon EV MAX XZ+ Lux | 3.3 kW | 18,74,000 |
| Nexon EV MAX XZ+ Lux | 7.2 kWAC Fast Charger | 19,24,000 |
The 30.2 kWh Nexon EV is currently priced at Rs 17.20 lakh, ex-sh, for the top-spec XZ+ LUX. The Dark edition would further be dearer by 20k. These prices stand very close to the entry price of the MAX. Considering how sensitive India is to pricing and range figures, we expect to see some amount of cannibalization between the two.
Tata’s Vision For EV Future
Having unveiled two fascinating EV concepts in a matter of weeks- the Curvv based on a converted ICE platform and the Avinya based on a BEV platform, Tata Motors’ vision of EV supremacy is obvious. The Nexon EV Max is another milestone in this journey, as it was with the smaller Nexon electric that the carmaker had started its EV journey, and the new iteration preps the nameplate for the days ahead.
Considering the fact that the earlier Nexon EV has been in huge demand pan India, and has been topping the EV sales charts since its market debut, the only way for the long-range version’s acceptance would be up! It could drive massive volumes in the EV space if the manufacturer’s claims are met in the real world. Tata Motors is prepared for the booking boom and currently manufactures the product at its Ranjangaon and Pune facilities. They also confirm that the semiconductor crisis would not hinder the production and deliveries much for the time being. Deliveries of the initial batches are expected to commence in the days ahead.
Besides launching interesting EVs, Tata Motors is also actively involved in setting up the right ecosystems for these in India. What had started with 50 chargers in 5 cities- Tata’s DC charging station network now has over 13,000 chargers across India. The manufacturer is working proactively on the development and realization of Tata UniEverse- the ecosystem powered by various Tata Group verticals. Tata could soon think of setting up community chargers- both gated and geographic- as well.
