Top 10 new electric cars worth waiting for in 2023: Tata Punch EV to Citroen ëC3

The popularity and sales of electric vehicles in India are increasing every day and in 2022, the Indian automotive market witnessed multiple electric vehicle launches. The year 2023 too will witness the launch and unveiling of various electric vehicles. Even though India is still far behind in terms of EV infrastructure. Nonetheless, people are slowly and steadily starting to accept EVs as a replacement for ICE cars.
In this article, let’s take a look at the top 10 upcoming electric cars that will launch in India.
1. Mahindra XUV 400 electric
Mahindra & Mahindra is all set to launch the XUV 400 electric SUV in the Indian market. The company announced that it will launch an e-SUV in January 2023. Customers can book the new Mahindra XUV400 from January 2023 online or at their nearest Mahindra dealership.
Initially, the Mahindra XUV400 electric SUV will be available across 16 cities, including Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Goa, Jaipur, Surat, Nagpur, Trivandrum, Nashik, Chandigarh, Kochi.

Powering the Mahindra XUV400 is an IP 67 compliant 39.5 kWh battery pack and PSM motor, cumulatively churning out a peak power of 149.5 PS and a max torque of 310 Nm. Offering a top speed of 150 kmph, the electric SUV accelerates from 0-100 kmph in 8.3 seconds. The Mahindra’s C-segment e-SUV offers a range of 456 km on a single full charge as per Indian driving cycle (MIDC), says the company.

Mahindra claims that the battery takes only 50 minutes to charge from 0-80% with a 50kW DC fast charger. When charged via a 7.2 kW/32A outlet, it takes 6 hours 30 minutes for 0-100% charge, while it can be charged fully in 13 hours with a standard 3.3 kW/16A domestic socket.
The Mahindra XUV400 will be available in five colour options, including Arctic Blue, Everest White, Galaxy Grey, Napoli Black and Infinity Blue with a dual-tone roof option in a Satin Copper finish.
2. Hyundai IONIQ 5
Hyundai’s flagship electric car, IONIQ 5 made its India debut a few days ago. The company will be launching the IONIQ 5 EV at the upcoming Delhi Auto Expo. Bookings for the new EV are now open and customers can place their orders by paying a token amount of Rs 1 lakh.
Built on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) of Hyundai, the Ioniq 5 will arrive in India via Completely Knocked Down (CKD) route. The EV measures 4,635 mm in length, 1,890 mm in width, and 1,625 mm in height and has a wheelbase is 3,000 mm.

In terms of exterior, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 features 20-inch aerodynamically-designed alloy wheels, LED headlamps with DRLs, LED tail-lamps, flush door handles, shark-fin antenna and an integrated spoiler.
Globally, the Ioniq 5 is offered with two battery options: 58 kWh and 72.6 kWh, offering up to 480 km of range (WLTP cycle).
The base variant is powered by a single electric motor which produces 165 bhp of power and 350 nm of torque. The dual-motor version packs 298 bhp of power and 605 nm of torque and Hyundai says it can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 5.2 seconds. In India, Hyundai will offer a larger battery pack with an ARAI-certified range of 631 km and a rear-mounted electric motor.
3. MG Air EV
MG Motor India is all set to launch its second electric car, MG Air EV to the Indian market. The MG Air EV will be showcased at Delhi Auto Expo. Talking about the MG Air, It’s a 2-door, 4-seater vehicle and essentially it’s the rebadged version of the Wuling Air EV currently on sale in Indonesia.
To keep the price competitive, it is said that MG will locally source the battery pack from Tata AutoComp.
The Air EV is smaller than three metres in length, it features an LED strip spanning the width of the front end, vertically stacked dual-barrel headlights, 12-inch steel wheels with stylised covers, and an LED bar at the rear.

Moving on to the interior, the MG Air features leather upholstery with silver and black elements to make it look more premium. The car also features 10.25-inch digital screens for both infotainment and cluster, electronic parking brake, steering-mounted controls and connected car tech.
The MG Air is expected to be offered with two battery pack options 17.3kWh and 26.7kWh battery packs. The larger battery offers a claimed range of 300km, but the version with the smaller pack comes with a claimed range of 200km.
The battery pack will be paired with an electric motor which produces 38 bhp of power.
Talking about the pricing, it is expected that the EV will be priced from Rs 8-10 lakh (ex-showroom). When launched, the Air EV will compete with Tata Tiago EV and Citroen C3 EV.
4. Citroen ëC3
Citroen India recently confirmed that the electric version of the C3 hatchback will be called ëC3. It will be the first electric vehicle and third model from the company in India.
The electric hatch will be unveiled in mid-January 2023 and the launch will take place sometime in early February 2023. The electric version of the compact hatchback is expected to be priced around the Rs 10 lakh mark.
Talking about the C3 electric, the car was recently spied testing on Indian roads. The front fender of spied car was camouflaged and it looks to be covering the charging port. The EV will be based on the ICE C3 as the side profile and the design elements look the same as the ICE counterpart. However, we expect Citroen to make some noticeable cosmetic changes to differentiate itself from the regular model.
Talking about the powertrain and battery, it is expected to be offered with multiple battery options, one of which is the global-spec 50kWh battery pack with a WLTP-claimed range of over 350km, present in the Peugeot e-208 which is based on the same platform. The EV is expected to be powered by an electric motor that produces 136 bhp and 260Nm of torque. There’s a possibility that the EV could also feature a smaller battery pack with a range of about 300km.
5. Tata Punch EV
After launching the Tiago EV, Tata Motors is all set to launch the Punch EV in 2023. It is expected that Tata might showcase the Punch EV at the upcoming Delhi Auto Expo and the launch could take place sometime in September 2023.
The Tata Punch EV will be based on the ALFA platform, which underpins the Altroz hatchback. It is also expected that the Punch EV will be powered by Ziptron electric powertrain that powers up the Tiago and Tigor EV but with higher power output.

Talking about the battery, we expect Tata to offer the Punch EV with two battery pack options – medium range and long range. Tata will also make some changes to the exterior and interior bits to distinguish itself from the ICE variant. The Punch will get electric-themed styling tropes and an Electric-specific Teal Blue shade with a tri-arrow design and the ‘humanity’ line grille similar to other Tata EVs.
Moving on to the inside, the Punch EV will retain much of the look from its petrol variant. It will get a dark-toned interior with EV-themed colour detailing with electric blue accents around the instrument panel, AC vents and on-the-seat fabric with a tri-arrow pattern as seen in other Tata EVs.
We expect prices to range between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 14 lakh (ex-showroom).
6. Tata Altroz EV
Tata showcased the all-electric variant of the Altroz premium hatchback at the Geneva Motor show in 2019. The Tata Altroz EV is based on the same ALFA platform which is compatible with electrification. The electric premium hatchback is expected to be launched sometime in 2023.

The Tata Altroz EV is expected to borrow many features from the already launched Nexon EV such as the same electric powertrain, PDU (Power distribution unit) and battery pack. The car is expected to come with connected car technology which lets you access the car’s stats such as the remaining battery, and charging history and even locate the nearest charging stations for you.
The Tata Altroz EV is expected to be priced around Rs 12- 15 lakhs in India.
7. Skoda Enyaq EV
The next electric car on the list is the Skoda Enyaq IV electric car. The Enyaq is based on MEB modular electric platform. It gets skateboard architecture that can house different capacity battery packs and motors.
The Enyaq EV will be bought to India via the CBU route and will likely get an 82kWh battery that supports 125kW DC fast charging, with a range of up to 513km.

The EV gets dual electric motors – one on each axle which produce 265 hp of power and gets an all-wheel drive system. It is also expected that Skoda might offer lower-spec, two-wheel drive variants of the Enyaq iV to offer it at a lower price.
The Skoda Enyaq IV gets a panoramic sunroof, a powered driver’s seat with massage functionality, heated front and rear seats, and tri-zone climate control. It also has a head-up display and a 13-inch touchscreen infotainment system with connected car technology. A 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, blind spot recognition, and up to nine airbags all work to protect passengers.
8. Volvo C40 Recharge
After launching the XC40 Recharge in the Indian market, the company announced that it will bring the C40 Recharge coupe SUV to the Indian market sometime in 2023.
The C40 Recharge coupe electric SUV is based on XC40 Recharge and it only gets an electric powertrain and won’t get an ICE counterpart. The Volvo C40 Recharge will be the second EV by Volvo in India.

The Volvo C40 Recharge gets the same powertrain setup as the XC40 Recharge. It gets a twin electric motor set-up, one on the front and one on the rear axle, powered by a 78-kWh battery. Volvo claims that the C40 Recharge offers a range of around 420 km. The electric motors produce 408 bhp of power and 660 Nm of torque.
It can support up to 150kW of fast charging and Volvo claims that the battery can be charged from 0 to 80 per cent in 40 minutes.
The Volvo C40 Recharge is already available globally, the electric coupe SUV comes with three variants – Core, Plus and Ultimate. The standard variant will be powered by a single electric motor which produces 231 bhp of power and 330Nm of torque that’s delivered to the front wheels. This variant will be powered by a 67 kWh battery pack.
The Plus and Ultimate variants get a dual-motor set-up which produces 408 bhp of power and 660Nm of torque. These two variants will be powered by a 78-kWh battery pack.
The Volvo C40 Recharge will come to India via the CKD route. We expect Volvo to price this SUV just under the Rs 60 lakh (ex-showroom) mark. When launched, the C40 coupe SUV will compete with Mini Cooper SE, Kia EV6, Hyundai IONIQ 5 and BMW i4.
9. Volkswagen ID.4
The Volkswagen ID.4 electric SUV has been spotted testing on Indian roads. The car is based on the company’s modular Electric drive matrix (MEB) platform, which is specifically designed for electric vehicles.
Talking about the styling of the SUV, it features a swooping design, which improves its aerodynamics, thereby helping it achieve a higher range. The SUV gets an enclosed grille up front, with sleek-looking LED headlamps. At the rear, the ID.4 gets wraparound tail lights that are connected.

The ID.4 that has been spotted testing is the GTX variant of the EV that makes use of two electric motors, putting out a combined 299 PS of maximum power with an all-wheel drive configuration. The Volkswagen ID.4 GTX comes equipped with a 77 kWh battery pack that provides it with a 496 km range on a single full charge. The electric SUV has a top speed of 180 kmph.
10. BMW i7
The last car on the list is the BMW i7 luxury electric sedan which directly rivals the Mercedes Benz EQS. The i7 made its global debut in April 2022 and will be launched in India soon.
The 2023 BMW i7 features a new design language and BMW claims that they are only reserved for its flagship models. The new 7 Series gets a massive kidney grille and a split headlamp Setup with the daytime running lights up top and main headlamps embedded into the front bumper.
The all-electric i7 will be powered by a twin-motor setup that produces 536bhp of power and 745Nm of peak torque. The i7 is equipped with a 101.7kWh battery pack that delivers a claimed range of 625 kilometres on a single charge. The battery pack supports 195kW DC fast charging and BMW claims that the battery can be charged from 10-80% in 34 minutes. Charging using the onboard charger and a 3-phase 11kW AC plug will take around 9.5 hours.