Top electric and hybrid cars that we drove in May 2022

May 2022 was an electric month for the CarWale review team. In the decade or so that we have been reviewing cars, last month was the first time that we had so many electric vehicles on schedule. Call it if you will a sign of the changing times. But it wasn’t just pure battery electric vehicles that we drove. Our list also included two hybrid cars, a glimpse of the immediate future where an emphasis on offering high range will become an immediate concern.

Tata Nexon EV Max

First on our list is the Tata Nexon EV Max. As the name suggests, it is an extended version of the Tata Nexon EV that was launched in India in 2020. Where the standard car offers a theoretical 312km range, this one offers 437km; a significant jump. Prices for the Nexon EV Max are in the range of Rs 17.74 lakh to Rs 19.24 lakh (ex-showroom). 

Honda City e:HEV

From the glimpse of budget cars of the future with the Nexon EV Max, we move to the Honda e:HEV. It’s a new top version of Honda’s popular sedan and is a hybrid with two electric motors, a petrol engine and a possible range of 1063km! The City e:HEV has also brought in Honda’s Sensing ADAS suite which is priced at Rs 19.50 lakh. 

Kia EV6

Kia India’s plans for its electric vehicles will be a locally produced EV in the C-segment in 2025. While that car will be their Tata Nexon EV Max and Mahindra eXUV300 rival, they are opening their innings in 2022 with a flagship called the EV6. It will be launched in India tomorrow with an expected price in the range of Rs 50 lakh to Rs 60 lakh and in AWD and RWD guise. What’s the most exciting bit? A 0-100kmph time of just 5.3 seconds for the AWD version!

BMW i4

BMW’s three-part electric strategy for India has been completed with the launch of the i4 sedan. It’s based on the current generation 3 Series and is fitted with an 83.9kWh battery pack that’s good for 539km (WLTP) and a 0-100kmph time of 5.7 seconds as well as a top speed of 250kmph. The sedan supports up to 205kW rapid charging and can charge the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in a claimed 31 minutes, while the charger can add 164km of range in just 10 minutes.   

Toyota Camry Hybrid 

The second hybrid car on this list has actually been here the longest and has established quite a name for itself in that time. What’s the USP? A 2.5-litre hybrid powertrain producing 178bhp and with the addition of a 120bhp permanent magnet synchronous motor to achieve a self-charge hybrid driving experience.  It’s priced at Rs 43.45 lakh (ex-showroom). 

Audi e-Tron sportback 

It’s a coupe SUV version of the e-Tron SUV and is priced at Rs 2 lakh over the latter. You get a 95KWh battery pack and an output of 408bhp/664Nm of torque which is pretty much sports car territory. You get dual motors achieving a new version of Audi’s famed Quattro AWD system. The claimed range is 400km with a 0-100km time of 3.3 seconds!

Audi e-Tron GT

The last car on the list is another Audi and this time around it’s the spiritual successor to the R8 in the form of the e-Tron GT. You get all the looks, a best-in-class cabin, performance of 523bhp/630Nm, AWD and of course a 0-100kmph time of 4.1 seconds!