The car has the same dimensions as the current Beat petrol and diesel variants and this is a part of GM’s strategy of having a ‘tailored for India’ and ‘clean and green’ automobile.
General Motors, on Monday, showcased the Chevrolet Beat Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) here. The car has the same dimensions as the current Beat petrol and diesel variants and this is a part of GM’s strategy of having a ‘tailored for India’ and ‘clean and green’ automobile.
The Beat BEV is powered by a 300 cell lithium-ion battery that has a total energy capacity of about 20 kWh. The battery weighs 270kg and under a full charge, can run 130km under normal driving conditions. The liquid-cooled battery can be operated at temperatures ranging from -20°C to 45°C. The battery can be charged from 240V domestic electrical sockets. The car also has a regenerative charging system, which harnesses energy during braking and charges the battery.
“The Beat BEV offers good, low-end torque,” said Karl Slym, president and managing director, GM India. “It is to be noted that the 2,000 engineers in the technical centre in Bangalore are involved in this design. However, the Beat BEV car is just at the demo stage and no time or goal has been set for production,” he added.
Slym went on to explain the three most important things that would be needed to develop a successful car. “First, we need to find out what the customer looks for. On that front, the Beat BEV is like any other petrol or diesel car. Second, we have to try and reduce costs and third, we need the government to give incentives while setting up factories for batteries, for example. Mere reduction in import duties is not going to help,” he said, while citing the example of China, which gives incentives.
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