MG Windsor EV Battery Rental Program: What Is BaaS And What's The Catch?

MG Motor India introduced the Windsor EV, which is the third fully-electric offering from the company in the country. While the EV has been launched with an introductory price of Rs 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom), but there is a catch! The company has mentioned this as the listed price of the car and it will lease out the battery to the buyer as a service (BaaS) at Rs 3.5 per kilometer rate.

The booking for the MG Windsor EV will commence from October 3 and test drives will start from October 13. The full price list of the electric compact utility vehicle (CUV), which will be available in three trims - Excite, Exclusive, and Essence - has not been revealed yet.

What is BaaS and How does it Work?

As its name suggests, BAAS or Battery as a Service is a program where you rent the battery at a fixed price per kilometer rather than buying it. JSW-MG are offering the Windsor’s 38 kWH battery pack at Rs. 3.5 per kilometer.

If you drive 1,000 kilometers a month, you will be required to pay Rs 3,500 to JSW-MG as battery rental cost. Similarly, if you drive 1,500 kilometers, you will need to pay Rs 5,250.

You will need to buy a battery recharge pack from JSW-MG, just like you recharge a prepaid mobile number. The minimum recharge pack, which doesn’t expire, costs Rs 5,250 and gives you 1,500 kilometers drive distance. After completing 1,500 drive distance, you’ll need another battery pack.

For the first one year, owners can recharge for free at JSW-MG Motor charging stations. After one year, they will need to pay per unit of electricity consumption at JSW-MG Motor charging stations.

MG Windsor EV: Powertrain Specs

The MG Windsor EV comes equipped with a 38kWh LFP battery. The prismatic cells in the battery transfer energy to a single electric motor mounted on the front axle.

The motor delivers an output of 134 bhp and 200 Nm torque. The EV offers an estimated ARAI range of 331km on a single charge. It comes with four drive modes: Eco, Eco+, Normal and Sport.

The MG Windsor comes with multiple charging options, including a 3.3 kW CCS2 connection that rejuvenates the battery in 13.8 hours. Other charging options include 7.4 kW and 50 kW with charging time of 6.5 hours and 55 minutes, respectively.

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