India's 5 Safest Affordable Electric Cars: Mahindra XEV 9e To Tata Punch.EV
Safety is one of the key factors many new car buyers consider today. Apart from safety features, buyers are also paying close attention to crash test ratings and the structural strength of a vehicle to ensure their family’s safety. This trend is not limited to ICE vehicles but extends to new-age EVs as well.
Car manufacturers have taken note of this shift and are now offering several 5-star-rated vehicles. Here is a list of five such electric vehicles that are currently among the safest to buy, as per Bharat NCAP.
Mahindra, like most mainstream manufacturers, entered the EV space a couple of years ago, and one of its early products was the XEV 9E. It is a large 5-seater electric SUV loaded with premium and futuristic features. It is also one of the more powerful SUVs in its segment and has secured a full 5-star rating in Bharat NCAP crash tests.
It was among the first vehicles to score a full 32 points in adult occupant safety. In child occupant safety, the XEV 9E scored 45 out of 49 points.
The XEV 9E is available with 59 kWh and 79 kWh battery pack options, offering a claimed range of 542–656 km. Prices for the Mahindra XEV 9E start at Rs 21.90 lakh (ex-showroom) and go up to Rs 31.25 lakh (ex-showroom).
Next on the list is Tata’s flagship electric SUV, the Harrier EV. It was launched last year, and like most Tata vehicles, expectations for safety were high - and it delivered.
In Bharat NCAP crash tests, the Harrier EV scored a full 32 points in adult occupant safety and 45 points in child occupant safety, earning a 5-star safety rating.
In terms of design, the Harrier EV is not a ground-up electric vehicle and retains much of the ICE version’s design with EV-specific updates. It is offered with 65 kWh and 75 kWh battery pack options. The smaller battery offers a claimed range of 538 km, while the larger one delivers up to 622 km.
Prices for the Harrier EV start at Rs 21.49 lakh (ex-showroom) and go up to Rs 30.23 lakh (ex-showroom).
The Mahindra BE 6 is one of the most uniquely designed electric vehicles currently on sale in India. Its bold styling even inspired Mahindra to introduce special “Batman Edition” versions.
Like the XEV 9E, the BE 6 is available with 59 kWh and 79 kWh battery packs, offering a claimed range of 557 km to 668 km. It has also secured a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating, scoring 31.97 points in adult occupant safety and 45 points in child occupant safety.
Prices for the BE 6 start at Rs 18.90 lakh (ex-showroom) and go up to Rs 28.49 lakh (ex-showroom).
Maruti Suzuki’s first electric SUV, the eVitara, was launched this year after a long wait. It is based on Suzuki’s dedicated EV platform and differs significantly from the brand’s ICE offerings.
The eVitara secured a 5-star rating in Bharat NCAP crash tests, scoring 31.49 points in adult occupant safety and 43 points in child occupant safety.
It is available with 49 kWh and 61 kWh battery packs, offering a claimed driving range of 440 km to 543 km, depending on the variant.
Prices for the Maruti eVitara start at Rs 15.99 lakh (ex-showroom) and go up to Rs 20.01 lakh (ex-showroom).
The last car on this list is the Tata Punch EV. The crash test results currently available are for the pre-facelift version, as the updated model is yet to be tested.
The Punch EV scored 31.46 points in adult occupant safety and 45 points in child occupant safety, earning it a 5-star rating. We can expect similar or improved scores for the facelifted version.
The older version was available with 25 kWh and 35 kWh battery packs. The updated version now comes with 30 kWh and 40 kWh battery options, offering a claimed range of 275–350 km.
Prices for the Punch EV start at Rs 9.69 lakh (ex-showroom) and go up to Rs 12.59 lakh (ex-showroom).