Electric cars with the best real-world range in India: certified range, tested range and the cheapest variant at each step

The electric car with the best independently tested real-world range in India is the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which covered 501 km on Autocar India's combined city and highway test against its 690 km certified figure, but it costs Rs 55.71 lakh. Among cars under Rs 30 lakh the tested order is the Mahindra XEV 9S 79 kWh at 478 km (Autocar India), the Mahindra XEV 9e 79 kWh at 456 km, the Mahindra BE 6 79 kWh at 449 km, the Tata Harrier EV 75 kWh at 438 km (CarWale, driven to zero) and the Hyundai Creta Electric 51.4 kWh at 432 km. The cheapest variant certified past 500 km is the Tata Curvv EV Accomplished X 55 at Rs 17.19 lakh (502 km), the cheapest past 540 km is the Maruti Suzuki e Vitara Zeta at Rs 17.94 lakh (543 km), and the cheapest past 700 km is the BE 6 FE 79 kWh at Rs 24.45 lakh (708 km). All prices are ex-showroom, read from the makers' own price pages on 5 November 2026.

Two numbers appear for most cars on this page and they are not interchangeable. The certified figure is the MIDC Part 1 plus Part 2 result the maker prints in its brochure. The tested figure is what a named publication recorded on real roads, and it has run anywhere from 63 to 93 percent of the certified number depending on the car. Where no publication has tested a car, the tested column says so rather than guessing.

Every long-range electric car compared

One row per model, using the cheapest variant that carries the model's long-range battery. Certified range is the maker's MIDC figure. The tested column names who measured it.

Model	Cheapest long-range variant	Ex-showroom price (Rs lakh, checked 5 Nov 2026)	Powertrain (battery / motor)	Certified range (MIDC)	Tested real-world range (tester)
Tata Punch EV	Smart+ 40	Rs 11.19 lakh	40 kWh / 95 kW	468 km	Not independently tested; Tata's own C75 estimate is 335 to 355 km
Tata Nexon EV	Creative 45	Rs 14.34 lakh	45 kWh / 106 kW	489 km	350 km (Autocar India)
MG Windsor EV	Excite (38 kWh)	Rs 14.85 lakh	38 kWh / 100 kW	332 km	308 km (Autocar India)
MG Windsor EV Pro	Exclusive Pro (52.9 kWh)	Rs 18.05 lakh	52.9 kWh / 100 kW	449 km	Not tested on the 52.9 kWh pack
Tata Curvv EV	Accomplished X 55	Rs 17.19 lakh	55 kWh / 123 kW	502 km	365 km (Autocar India)
Maruti Suzuki e Vitara	Zeta 61 kWh	Rs 17.94 lakh	61 kWh / 128 kW	543 km	No full test published; Autocar India's short drive saw 7 km/kWh in town, 4.8 km/kWh on the highway
MG ZS EV	Executive	Rs 17.99 lakh	50.3 kWh / 130 kW	461 km	339 km (Autocar India)
Hyundai Creta Electric	Executive (O) LR (51.4 kWh)	From Rs 18.03 lakh for the 42 kWh Executive; Hyundai does not publish the LR price	51.4 kWh / 126 kW	510 km	432 km (Autocar India)
Mahindra BE 6	ONE 59 kWh	Rs 19.45 lakh	59 kWh / 170 kW	573 km	449 km on the 79 kWh Pack Three (Autocar India); 59 kWh not tested
Mahindra XEV 9S	Pack One Above 59 kWh	Rs 21.40 lakh	59 kWh / 170 kW (shared with the BE 6)	521 km	478 km on the 79 kWh pack (Autocar India)
Tata Harrier EV	Adventure 65	Rs 21.79 lakh	65 kWh / 175 kW	538 km	438 km on the 75 kWh QWD (CarWale, full charge to zero); 401 km on the same car (Autocar India)
Mahindra XEV 9e	Pack One 59 kWh	Rs 21.90 lakh	59 kWh / 170 kW	522 km	456 km on the 79 kWh Pack Three (Autocar India)
BYD Atto 3	Dynamic	Rs 24.99 lakh	49.92 kWh / 150 kW	468 km	Not tested by an Indian publication we could find
BYD Sealion 7	Dynamic	Rs 41.90 lakh	71.8 kWh / 170 kW	520 km (NEDC, not MIDC)	Not tested
Hyundai Ioniq 5	Single variant	Rs 55.71 lakh	84 kWh / 168 kW	690 km	501 km combined, 479 km highway (Autocar India, September 2026)

The Mahindra prices are without a wall charger; Mahindra lists each variant again at Rs 75,000 more with the 11.2 kW unit, except the XEV 9S, whose published prices already include it. Tata's Curvv EV and MG's Windsor Pro include a 7.2 kW or 7.4 kW wall box in the sticker price, the Nexon EV Creative 45 comes with a 3.3 kW box, and the e Vitara brochure lists only a 3 kW portable cable. The NEXA price page rendered the e Vitara Alpha at Rs 20.21 lakh on the day we checked, which is the dual-tone figure; NEXA's compare tool lists the single-tone Alpha at Rs 19.99 lakh, and the Zeta at Rs 17.94 lakh is the cheapest way into the 61 kWh pack.

The cheapest variant at each certified range step

This is the table the rest of the page hangs off. Each row is the least expensive variant in India, from any maker, that is certified at or above that range. Ranges are MIDC Part 1 plus Part 2 figures from the makers' brochures, not tested numbers.

Certified range step	Cheapest variant that gets there	Battery	Certified range	Ex-showroom price	DC charge quoted by the maker
450 km or more	Tata Punch EV Smart+ 40	40 kWh	468 km	Rs 11.19 lakh	Tata quotes only a 15 minute top-up adding up to 135 km of C75 range
480 km or more	Tata Nexon EV Creative 45	45 kWh	489 km	Rs 14.34 lakh	10 to 80% in 40 min (60 kW)
500 km or more	Tata Curvv EV Accomplished X 55	55 kWh	502 km	Rs 17.19 lakh	10 to 80% in 40 min (70 kW or above)
540 km or more	Maruti Suzuki e Vitara Zeta	61 kWh	543 km	Rs 17.94 lakh	10 to 80% in 45 min (70 kW minimum)
570 km or more	Mahindra BE 6 ONE 59 kWh	59 kWh	573 km	Rs 19.45 lakh	20 to 80% in 20 min (140 kW)
650 km or more	Mahindra BE 6 THREE 70 kWh	70 kWh	652 km	Rs 22.95 lakh	20 to 80% in 20 min (160 kW)
670 km or more	Mahindra XEV 9S Pack One Above 79 kWh	79 kWh	679 km	Rs 23.40 lakh (charger included)	20 to 80% in 20 min (180 kW)
700 km or more	Mahindra BE 6 FE 79 kWh	79 kWh	708 km	Rs 24.45 lakh	20 to 80% in 20 min (180 kW)

Three things changed since we last built this table in October. Tata's Punch EV price page now lists a Smart+ 40 trim at Rs 11.19 lakh, Rs 75,000 below the Adventure 40 that used to hold the first step. The Curvv EV Accomplished X 55 moved from Rs 16.99 lakh to Rs 17.19 lakh (Tata's own FAQ on the same page still quotes the old number). And the XEV 9S, Mahindra's seven-seater, now slots in between the BE 6's 70 kWh and 79 kWh packs at Rs 23.40 lakh with the wall charger included, which makes it the cheapest 79 kWh car in India once you add Rs 75,000 to the BE 6 FE for its charger.

Every step above 570 km belongs to Mahindra. The jump from the e Vitara Zeta's 543 km to the BE 6 ONE's 573 km costs Rs 1.51 lakh on paper and buys a far quicker charging stop, but it also drops you from seven airbags to six and from a 543 km car with a full fast-charge quote to one whose 20 minute figure needs a 140 kW charger.

Read the charging column carefully

The makers do not quote the same charging window. Maruti, Tata (Curvv and Nexon) and Hyundai give 10 to 80 percent; Mahindra, MG and Tata's Harrier give 20 to 80 percent. A 10 to 80 window puts 70 percent of the pack back in, a 20 to 80 window only 60 percent, so the e Vitara's 45 minutes and the BE 6's 20 minutes are not a straight comparison. Even allowing for that, the gap is wide. The Mahindras also need a 140 to 180 kW charger to hit their quoted figure, and many highway stations in India are 60 kW units, where a 79 kWh pack will take closer to an hour than 20 minutes.

What independent tests found

Certified figures come from a dynamometer cycle with little sustained fast driving. The numbers below were recorded on the road by named testers, and they are the figures to plan a trip around.

Car and variant tested	Battery	Certified range	Tested range	Who tested it and how
Hyundai Ioniq 5	84 kWh	690 km	501 km combined (523 km city, 479 km highway)	Autocar India, September 2026, fixed city and highway loops in Navi Mumbai, Eco mode, AC at 22 degrees
Mahindra XEV 9S 79 kWh	79 kWh	679 km	478 km combined	Autocar India, 6.05 km/kWh
Mahindra XEV 9e Pack Three	79 kWh	656 km	456 km combined (425 km city, 488 km highway)	Autocar India, July 2025, Range mode, 5.78 km/kWh
Mahindra BE 6 Pack Three	79 kWh	682 km at the time of test (now certified at 708 km)	449 km combined	Autocar India, 5.68 km/kWh
Tata Harrier EV QWD 75	75 kWh	622 km	438 km	CarWale, November 2025, 100 percent to zero, roughly half city and half highway, City mode, AC at 23 to 24 degrees
Tata Harrier EV QWD 75	75 kWh	622 km	401 km combined	Autocar India, 5.35 km/kWh
Hyundai Creta Electric Long Range	51.4 kWh	510 km (473 km at the time of test)	432 km combined	Autocar India, August 2025, 8.4 km/kWh
Tata Curvv EV 55	55 kWh	502 km	365 km combined	Autocar India, 6.64 km/kWh
Tata Nexon EV 45	45 kWh	489 km	350 km combined	Autocar India, 7.79 km/kWh
MG ZS EV	50.3 kWh	461 km	339 km combined	Autocar India, 6.7 km/kWh
MG Windsor EV 38 kWh	38 kWh	332 km	308 km combined	Autocar India, 8.1 km/kWh

Two cars that matter for this page have no published full test. Maruti has not released a C75-style estimate for the e Vitara, and Autocar India has so far reported only indicative short-drive efficiency of about 7 km/kWh in the city and 4.8 km/kWh on the highway. Multiply those by the 61 kWh pack and you get roughly 430 km in town and under 300 km at highway speed, but that arithmetic assumes every kilowatt-hour is usable and it is not a test result. Tata does publish an estimate for the Punch EV, 335 to 355 km on the 40 kWh pack, and for its other cars: 350 to 375 km for the Nexon EV 45, 400 to 425 km for the Curvv EV 55, 480 to 505 km for the Harrier EV 75 and 460 to 490 km for the QWD. Tata calls this C75, the range it says three in four owners will see. CarWale's 438 km for the Harrier QWD landed just under Tata's band, which suggests the bands are honest.

The Creta Electric result is the one that upends the battery-size logic. It carries the smallest pack of any car that cleared 400 km in testing, and its 8.4 km/kWh was the second most efficient figure Autocar India has recorded on a mass-market EV. The Mahindras do the opposite: 79 kWh buys them the longest tested ranges under Rs 30 lakh, but at 5.7 to 6.1 km/kWh they use the most energy per kilometre of anything here.

Cost per certified kilometre

Dividing the ex-showroom price by the certified range gives a crude but useful measure of how much range each rupee buys. The tested column uses the independent figure where one exists for that battery pack.

Variant	Price	Rs per certified km	Rs per tested km
Tata Punch EV Smart+ 40	Rs 11.19 lakh	2,391	Not tested
Tata Nexon EV Creative 45	Rs 14.34 lakh	2,933	4,097
Maruti Suzuki e Vitara Zeta	Rs 17.94 lakh	3,304	Not tested
Mahindra BE 6 ONE 59 kWh	Rs 19.45 lakh	3,394	Not tested on 59 kWh
Tata Curvv EV Accomplished X 55	Rs 17.19 lakh	3,424	4,710
Mahindra XEV 9S Pack One Above 79 kWh	Rs 23.40 lakh	3,446	4,895
Mahindra BE 6 FE 79 kWh	Rs 24.45 lakh	3,453	5,445
MG ZS EV Executive	Rs 17.99 lakh	3,903	5,307
MG Windsor EV Exclusive Pro	Rs 18.05 lakh	4,020	Not tested on 52.9 kWh
Tata Harrier EV Fearless+ 75	Rs 25.29 lakh	4,034	5,774 (CarWale) to 6,307 (Autocar India), both on the QWD
Mahindra XEV 9e Pack Two 79 kWh	Rs 26.50 lakh	4,040	5,811
Tata Harrier EV Adventure 65	Rs 21.79 lakh	4,050	Not tested on 65 kWh
Mahindra XEV 9e Pack One 59 kWh	Rs 21.90 lakh	4,195	Not tested on 59 kWh
MG Windsor EV Excite 38 kWh	Rs 14.85 lakh	4,472	4,821
BYD Atto 3 Dynamic	Rs 24.99 lakh	5,340	Not tested
Hyundai Ioniq 5	Rs 55.71 lakh	8,073	11,119

The Nexon EV 45 is the cheapest tested kilometre in India by a clear margin. The e Vitara Zeta and the BE 6 ONE sit within Rs 90 per certified kilometre of each other, which is why the choice between them comes down to charging speed and equipment rather than range. The Creta Electric is missing from this table only because Hyundai publishes no variant prices on its website; Autocar India's listing puts the Long Range from Rs 20 lakh, which would work out to about 3,920 per certified km and about 4,630 per tested km, but we could not confirm that on a Hyundai page.

Under 20 lakh

This budget gets you a certified range past 540 km and, on the Creta Electric, the second-best tested figure on the whole page. The e Vitara Zeta at Rs 17.94 lakh is the cheapest car certified past 540 km, with seven airbags on every trim and a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating, but it has the slowest quoted fast charge here at 45 minutes for 10 to 80 percent and no full independent range test. The BE 6 ONE at Rs 19.45 lakh is certified at 573 km with a 20 minute stop, but Mahindra's FAQ confirms the ONE, TWO, THREE and FE trims have no ADAS, and the ONE has six airbags. The Curvv EV Accomplished X 55 (Rs 17.19 lakh, 502 km certified, 365 km tested) brings a 500 litre boot and a wall box in the price. The Nexon EV Creative 45 (Rs 14.34 lakh, 489 km, 350 km tested) is the cheapest tested kilometre in the country. The Creta Electric Long Range (510 km, 432 km tested) is the pick if tested range matters more than battery size, though Hyundai does not print its price online. What this budget cannot buy is a 79 kWh pack or anything larger than a compact SUV. If family space is the priority, our guide to electric SUVs under Rs 20 lakh with the most room ranks the same cars by cabin and boot.

Under 25 lakh

Rs 25 lakh buys the biggest batteries sold by a volume brand. The BE 6 FE at Rs 24.45 lakh carries 79 kWh and the highest certified figure in India at 708 km; the same pack returned 449 km in Autocar India's test of the Pack Three. The XEV 9S Pack One Above 79 kWh at Rs 23.40 lakh has the longest tested range under Rs 30 lakh at 478 km and seats seven, with the 11.2 kW charger included. The BE 6 THREE 70 kWh at Rs 22.95 lakh splits the difference at 652 km certified. On the Tata side, the Harrier EV Adventure 65 at Rs 21.79 lakh is certified at 538 km in a 4,607 mm body, and the XEV 9e Pack One at Rs 21.90 lakh gives 522 km in Mahindra's roomiest five-seater. The BYD Atto 3 Dynamic at Rs 24.99 lakh is the outlier: 468 km certified from 49.92 kWh, with BYD's Blade LFP pack but no Indian range test we could find.

The under-25 band by battery size, which used to be its own page, now reads: BE 6 FE 79 kWh (Rs 24.45 lakh), XEV 9S 79 kWh (Rs 23.40 lakh), BE 6 THREE 70 kWh (Rs 22.95 lakh), Harrier EV Adventure 65 kWh (Rs 21.79 lakh), e Vitara Zeta 61 kWh (Rs 17.94 lakh), BE 6 ONE and XEV 9e Pack One 59 kWh (Rs 19.45 and Rs 21.90 lakh), Curvv EV 55 kWh (Rs 17.19 lakh), Windsor Pro 52.9 kWh (Rs 18.05 lakh), Creta Electric 51.4 kWh, ZS EV 50.3 kWh (Rs 17.99 lakh), Atto 3 49.92 kWh (Rs 24.99 lakh) and Nexon EV 45 kWh (Rs 14.34 lakh). The Harrier EV's 75 kWh pack no longer fits: the Fearless+ 75 is Rs 25.29 lakh. For a wider look at this budget, including cabin space and service, see our hub on the best electric SUVs under Rs 25 lakh.

Under 30 lakh

Between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 30 lakh the extra money buys the Harrier EV's 75 kWh pack and all-wheel drive, or the top Mahindra trims. The Harrier EV Fearless+ 75 at Rs 25.29 lakh is certified at 627 km, and the Fearless+ 75 AWD at Rs 26.79 lakh has the dual-motor drivetrain CarWale drove 438 km to a dead battery; Tata's own estimate for the AWD is 460 to 490 km. The XEV 9e Pack Two 79 kWh at Rs 26.50 lakh (Mahindra's July 2025 announcement; the FAQ page lists Pack Two from Rs 24.90 lakh with the 59 kWh pack) is the cheapest way to the 456 km tested figure. The BE 6 FOUR and Launch Edition at Rs 26.95 lakh add Level 2+ ADAS with five radars and adaptive dampers to the 708 km pack, and the XEV 9S Pack Three 79 kWh at Rs 28.80 lakh adds a third row to the longest tested range in the band. What you still cannot buy under Rs 30 lakh is anything that beat 480 km in an independent test.

Over 30 lakh

Above Rs 30 lakh the choice narrows to cars with bigger packs than any volume brand offers. The XEV 9e Pack Three at Rs 30.50 lakh is the variant Autocar India tested at 456 km. The BYD Atto 3 Premium at Rs 30.35 lakh moves to the 60.48 kWh pack and 521 km certified. The BYD Sealion 7 carries 71.8 kWh in the Dynamic (Rs 41.90 lakh, 520 km) and 82.56 kWh in the Premium (Rs 49.90 lakh, 567 km), but BYD quotes those on the NEDC cycle, which is more generous than MIDC, so they do not belong in the same column as the Indian figures. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 at Rs 55.71 lakh is the only car on this page that stayed above 450 km on the highway in a test, at 479 km, and it charges fastest of all at 18 minutes for 10 to 80 percent on a 350 kW unit. It is also more than twice the price of a BE 6 FE for 18 km less certified range.

How the e Vitara fits

The e Vitara is on this page for one reason: the Zeta is the cheapest car in India certified past 540 km, at Rs 17.94 lakh, and the Alpha (Rs 19.99 lakh single-tone; Rs 20.21 lakh as the NEXA page renders it, dual tone) adds adaptive cruise, lane keep assist and a 360 camera to the same 61 kWh pack. Every trim has seven airbags including a driver knee bag, a 2,700 mm wheelbase, and an 8 year or 1,60,000 km battery warranty. The 49 kWh Delta at Rs 16.19 lakh is certified at 440 km and is a city car for the purpose of this page.

Its weaknesses are just as specific. Maruti quotes 45 minutes for 10 to 80 percent and says that needs a 70 kW or faster charger; the BE 6 ONE, Rs 1.51 lakh dearer, quotes 20 minutes. Its 128 kW motor is the least powerful of the 540 km-plus cars. The battery warranty is a fixed term, where Tata and Mahindra offer lifetime cover to the first private owner. And it has no full independent range test yet, so any real-world figure you see quoted for it, including the 400 to 420 km estimate this site used to carry, is arithmetic rather than measurement. On the evidence that exists, the Curvv EV at Rs 17.19 lakh has a tested number and the e Vitara does not.

How to choose between certified and tested range

Use certified range to compare cars and tested range to plan trips. The gap between the two is not constant. The Creta Electric kept 85 percent of its certified figure in testing, the Windsor 38 kWh kept 93 percent against a low MIDC claim, the Nexon EV kept 72 percent, the BE 6 kept 66 percent against its old 682 km figure and only 63 percent against the new 708 km one, and the Harrier EV QWD kept 64 to 70 percent depending on who drove it. A car that is certified higher is not always the one that goes further, and the Mahindras, with the highest certified numbers in India, have the lowest retention.

For a highway trip, the number that matters is the highway figure where a tester split it out. Autocar India recorded 479 km for the Ioniq 5 and 488 km for the XEV 9e on its highway loop, and 4.8 km/kWh for the e Vitara on a short drive. Nobody in India certifies a figure at 100 to 120 km/h, and the MIDC cycle includes little sustained fast driving. If most of your driving is in town with the occasional long run, our guide to electric SUVs for daily commuting with occasional long trips weighs charging speed against range; if you are leaving a petrol SUV, the family EV switch guide covers the space and running-cost side.

How we built this page and what we could not verify

Every certified range, battery size and charging claim was read from the maker's own brochure or specification page: Maruti's September 2026 e Vitara brochure, Mahindra's BE 6 SPORTEQ and XEV 9e brochures and its FAQ page, Tata's October 2026 Harrier EV, Curvv EV and Nexon EV brochures and its Punch EV specification page, Hyundai's Creta Electric and Ioniq 5 price pages, MG's Windsor and ZS EV pages and BYD's Atto 3 and Sealion 7 pages. Prices come from the makers' price pages as they rendered on 5 November 2026. Tested figures come from Autocar India's published range tests and CarWale's Harrier EV QWD drain test, each named in the table.

Things we could not verify on an official page:

• The Creta Electric Long Range variant prices. Hyundai's website shows only the Rs 18,02,800 starting price, which buys the 42 kWh pack.
• The e Vitara Alpha's single-tone price. The NEXA price page rendered Rs 20,21,000 under the dual-tone tab.
• The XEV 9e Pack Two 79 kWh price. Mahindra's FAQ lists Pack Two at Rs 24.90 lakh without saying which battery; the Rs 26.50 lakh figure is from Mahindra's July 2025 announcement.
• Any independent range test of the e Vitara, Punch EV, Atto 3, Sealion 7 or Windsor Pro.
• Range at highway speed for most cars, since only Autocar India's Ioniq 5 and XEV 9e tests separate the highway figure.

Frequently asked questions

Which electric car has the best real-world range in India?

The Hyundai Ioniq 5, at 501 km combined in Autocar India's September 2026 test, with 479 km on the highway loop. Under Rs 30 lakh the best tested figure is the Mahindra XEV 9S 79 kWh at 478 km, followed by the XEV 9e at 456 km and the BE 6 at 449 km.

What is the cheapest electric car with more than 500 km of certified range?

The Tata Curvv EV Accomplished X 55 at Rs 17.19 lakh, certified at 502 km on the MIDC cycle; Autocar India measured 365 km on the road. The Maruti Suzuki e Vitara Zeta at Rs 17.94 lakh is the next step up at 543 km certified.

Does the Maruti e Vitara really do 400 km in the real world?

Nobody has published a full test, so there is no measured answer yet. Autocar India's short drive recorded about 7 km/kWh in the city and 4.8 km/kWh on the highway, which points to roughly 400 km in town and well under 300 km at highway speed on the 61 kWh pack, before allowing for the buffer the car keeps in reserve.

Why is tested range so much lower than certified range?

The MIDC certification cycle runs at moderate speeds with little sustained fast driving and no account of Indian summer air conditioning. On the road, testers have recorded between 63 and 93 percent of the certified figure depending on the car, with heavier, more powerful cars like the Mahindras at the low end and efficient ones like the Creta Electric at the high end.

Is a bigger battery always the longer-range car?

No. The 51.4 kWh Creta Electric went 432 km in Autocar India's test, within 17 km of the 79 kWh BE 6's 449 km, because it used 8.4 km/kWh against the BE 6's 5.68. A bigger pack is the surest route past 450 km, but efficiency decides how much of that pack you actually get to use.

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Reviewed by the EV Index India editorial team. Prices and specifications checked against manufacturer price pages and brochures on 5 November 2026.