MG Motor India recently launched its new all-electric MG Windsor EV. The car is based on the Wuling Cloud EV and starts at Rs 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The car comes with a modern design with distinctive LED headlights and taillights. It has a comfortable and spacious interior made from premium materials. The car beasts 4,295 mm in length, 1,677 mm in height, and 1,850 mm in width. It also has a wheelbase of 2,700 mm.
Windsor EV is powered by a 134 bhp electric motor with 200 Nm of torque. It has a 38 kWh LFP battery pack that claims a range of 331 km on a single charge. The car has an 8.8-inch driver display and a 15.6-inch infotainment screen. It features Level 2 ADAS and also supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Other notable features include six airbags, a 360-degree camera, a 9-speaker sound system, a PM2.5 air purification filter, a 600-litre boot capacity, LED DRLs, headlight units, a front-charging inlet, and LED tail light units.
However, the most notable thing in the car is its Battery subscription model. The company opted for this unique approach to make the car much more affordable to consumers. In this detailed article, I will try to explain the Battery Subscription model of MG Windsor and will also compare the ownership cost. So, you know all the hidden things before buying Windsor EVs.
Understanding Battery Subscription
If you buy the MG Windsor EV, you are only buying the base vehicle excluding the battery pack. That’s the reason the cost of the MG Windsor EV comes down to Rs, 10 lakh even if the car has premium features that make it suitable for the next price segment. After buying the car, you will have to subscribe to a battery pack on a monthly or annual basis. This subscription fee covers the cost of battery maintenance and charging infrastructure. The company calls it Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) model.
You will have to pay Rs. Rs 3.5 per km. For now, customers will have to recharge the battery pack for a minimum of 1,500 km ( Rs. 5,250 per month). This is the rental cost of the battery.
Benefits of Battery Subscription Model
Due to this Battery Subscription model, the price of MG Windsor EV has become has dropped to Rs. 10 lakh. With the battery, MG would’ve launched it for Rs. 14.5-15 lakh. The battery Subscription model has reduced the initial investment and has made the car more affordable and accessible to a wider range of consumers. The company is also offering several plans for battery rental. So consumers can choose the plan that suits their usage patterns.
Another important thing is that MG is offering an unlimited km/year warranty on the battery. That makes MG Windsor even better than the competition. If we look at the Nexon EV, the company offers a warranty of 8 years or 160,000 km. If the battery fails after the warranty, it would cost you around Rs. 7 lakh.
It is also worth noting that a lifetime battery warranty is only limited to the first owner. If you buy a 2nd hand MG Windsor, you can’t claim a lifetime warranty. 2nd owner’s car will be covered under a standard 8 years/1,60,000 km warranty.
Ownership cost of MG Windsor
Now let’s compare the ownership cost of MG Windsor with Nexon EV (Fearless Plus Medium Range) after 160,000 km. I am assuming that the charging costs of both cars are similar. If you look at the dimensions, the MG Windsor is bigger than the Nexon EV. MG Windsor also features 6 Airbags similar to Nexon EV and offers Tyre Pressure monitoring and Child Seat Anchor Points. However, MG Windsor has a bigger battery and will offer better performance and a slightly longer range.
In Ghaziabad, the on-road pricing of MG Windsor EV is approx Rs. 10.5L and Tata Nexon EV (Fearless Plus Medium Range) costs Rs. 14.5L. You are saving Rs. 4Lakh while buying MG Windsor EV. Don’t forget that the MG Windsor EV has better performance and more space than the Nexon EV. Both EVs should have relatively similar maintenance and repair costs.
After driving 1,60,000km, you will end up paying Rs. 5,60,000 as battery rent for the MG Windsor EV. That makes the total ownership cost of MG Windsor slightly higher than owning Nexon EVs after driving 1,60,000km. However, you didn’t pay the whole amount upfront, putting less financial burden on you.
But you also need to consider another important point. In the case of the Nexon EV, the battery warranty will be over after driving 1,60,000 km. In case the battery fails, you will have to pay Rs. 7 lakh for battery replacement. Since MG Windsor is offering a lifetime battery warranty, you don’t need to worry about battery replacement costs.
All these Car companies are using Lithium Ion batteries that lose their battery retention capacity with each charge cycle. So, there is a high chance you will have to get a battery replacement of the Nexon EV after driving around 2,00,000km.
Wrap Up
As per some reports, MG Motors will soon also reveal the pricing of the MG Windsor EV with the battery. It means vehicle plus battery for people who do not want to pay for the BAAS plan. The full price of the car with the battery should be around Rs. 15 lakh. In this case, the company won’t provide lifetime battery warranty.
