Hyundai has revealed its first locally manufactured EV in India – the Creta Electric. The company developed the model as a low-cost alternative to the globally available Kona Electric.
Hyundai plans to launch the Creta Electric with 42 kWh and 51 kWh battery pack options. The company has not revealed specific details, but its earlier announcements with Exide Energy indicate that it uses LFP cells in these battery packs. The 42 kWh unit delivers a range of 390 km, and the 51.4 kWh unit 473 km. These numbers lag significantly behind competition, even in India.
The Creta Electric is average even on the charging front, requiring at least 58 minutes for a 10-80% charging session through a DC charger. Using an 11 kW AC charger, the 42 kWh battery pack goes up from 10 to 100% SoC in four hours. Hyundai integrates the charging port in the front grille area, making head-in parking at charging stations easy.
The long-range variant of the Creta Electric accelerates from 0 to 100 kph in 7.9 seconds. Hyundai is keeping more technical details under wraps, but local reports suggest it will offer this EV only with a front-mounted motor. Hyundai offers the i-Pedal or one-pedal driving functionality in the Creta Electric, a feature customers will particularly appreciate in the chaotic stop-and-go traffic of metro cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai.
The Creta Electric is a derivative of the Creta, which is available with petrol and diesel engines. The company slightly modified the donor model’s design to give the EV a distinctive look. The electric model stands out with a fully covered front end featuring pixel graphic details and active air flaps (AAF), 17-inch aerodynamic wheels wrapped in low rolling resistance tyres, and pixelated LED reverse lights.
Inside, the Creta Electric has a new, three-spoke steering wheel, a more ergonomic and cleaner centre console, and a more advanced digital instrument cluster and infotainment system with new software. While the Creta Electric is not entirely different from the ICE Creta, it does exude a more upscale vibe.
Hyundai plans to showcase the Creta Electric at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 (17-22 January 2025) and may announce prices there.
