Nissan Motors may make budget e-cars in India, cheapest with Rs 700,000

The company wants to sell e-cars with significant volumes in India and manufacture locally

Nissan Motor Company may start manufacturing all-electric cars in India with the price being considered at around Rs 700,000 (Rs 7 lakh) or $10,000 upwards, the cheapest globally.

This will also make the least expensive private e-vehicle in India, even cheaper than Mahindra and Mahindra's e20 mini car.

According to the Nissan's Global Director for electric cars, Nicholas Thomas, if the company wants to sell e-cars with significant volumes in India, it has to manufacture locally, The Times of India reported.

The Japanese carmaker is also considering exporting India-made electric vehicles and selling it to other Asian countries for huge profits due to India's inexpensive manufacturing process.

When asked how soon the project will start, Thomas said the company is keeping an eye on the growth of e-vehicles and that Indian government needs to come up with clarity on having electric cars. The Indian government did not provide any clear map of having electric cars by 2030, he added.

Talking about the cost, Thomas said though the price of the batteries has gone down it may still take some more years to reach the affordable level. Until then, the company needs subsidies from the government to promote the sale and mass adoption of the e-vehicles or the shift to cleaner vehicles will take much more time.

The Nissan Leaf, one of the most successful e-cars which has sold over 300,000 vehicles, is priced above $30,000 in the US. According to TOI report, getting the car to India will charge the company additional cumulative duties of around 200 per cent, making it unviable.

The company may sell the Leaf in India but does not wish to manufacture it locally.

Nissan wants to launch 12 electric vehicles globally by 2022.