Electric vehicles come in many shapes and sizes. British readers may remember that one of the most intriguing EVs to be commercialized in the United Kingdom is the G-Wiz, one of the most hated electric cars ever to be sold in the Albion. Now, though, history is repeating itself with the Mahindra e2o, the successor of the hateful G-Wiz.
After applying the government grant for EVs, the price of the Mahindra e2o shrinks to £12,995. This makes the e2o cheaper than the Renault Zoe (£18,445). Compared to the latter nameplates, the e20 is on the small side of EVs, measuring 129.1 inches (3,280 mm) in length and 59.6 inches (1,514 mm) in width. To put that into comparison, the Mahindra e20 is smaller than the Vauxhall Viva city car.
So what else do you get for the money? For starters, a 13.9 kWh battery pack and a range of 79 miles (127 kilometers) on a full charge. A charge from empty can take up to 9 hours. Performance-wise, the e2o can hit 63 mph (101 km/h), a top speed that falls shy of the 70 mph (112 km/h) limit applied on motorways and dual carriageways. Motivation comes from an electric motor that churns out 42 HP and 67 lb-ft (90 Nm).
Despite its reasonable price, the Mahindra e2o comes with a moderate amount of goodies as standard, including anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, as well as two airbags. That’s right, the e2o isn’t a quadricycle like the G-Wiz, but an M1-certified vehicle, which means that you can drive it on the highway. If you’re prepared to pay a little bit extra, the TechX trim level adds some creature comforts for £15,995.
Some of its highlights come in the form of a fast charging port (1.5 hours of charging time instead of 9), reversing camera, touchscreen infotainment, alloy wheels, leather seats, sat nav, Wi-Fi hotspot, and DAB digital radio, among others. For those who are willing to take chances, first UK deliveries are slated for May.
If I were in the skin of a prospective buyer, I would wait for a EuroNCAP crash test first, though.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News