MG (Morris Garages) Motor India on Thursday officially launched the ZS EV, claimed to be India’s first pure electric internet SUV. The all-electric SUV will be available in five major cities – Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad starting January 2020.
The ZS EV uses advanced 44.5 kWh liquid-cooled NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) battery developed by CATL and travels a range of 340 kilometers on a full charge and delivers 353 Nm of instant torque and 143 PS power, accomplishing 100 kmph from a standstill in 8.5 seconds.
“As an enabler and catalyst for India’s EV revolution, MG Motor India is creating a strong, end-to-end electric vehicle ecosystem in association with leading players in the sustainable energy domain,” said Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director MG Motor India.
Mr. Chaba highlighted that the ZS EV has registered significant success in more than 10 international markets such as the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia. The company is hopeful that the car, which has been extensively tested for India-specific requirements, will recreate its success in the Indian markets as well.
To meet the charging requirements of ZS EV, MG Motor has partnered with various companies, both in India and globally to create a multi-step charging ecosystem. Each ZS EV comes with an on-board cable to charge anywhere and an AC fast charger for charging at home or in the office.
The SAIC-owned MG Motor India is setting up a DC Super-Fast charging network at select MG showrooms and plans to create an extended charging network across MG dealerships in select satellite cities. Through the 50kW Super-Fast DC chargers, the ZS EV will reach 80 percent battery capacity within 50 minutes while the AC fast chargers installed at homes would take approximately 6-to-8 hours for a full charge.
As for car features, MG ZS EV will come equipped with matching internet capabilities as seen in the company’s first MG offering in India, Hector SUV. The car also has an updated iSMART EV 2.0, powered by an all-new 6-core processor and an inbuilt embedded SIM providing internet onboard, capable of being connected to an external WiFi connection. Claimed to be as a unique and industry-first capability, this feature would enable users to connect their ZS EVs to their home networks and mobile hotspots effortlessly truly driving the connected EV experience.