Environment Day special: 9 electric, hybrid cars sold in India that don't hurt the planet

Diesel vehicles are the main villains behind vehicular pollution in India and authorities have taken steps including registration ban of vehicles in different parts of the country to curb emissions.

Going forward, hybrid and electric cars are the best mobility solutions for a greener future. However, electric and hybrid cars are still not a popular segment in India owing to the lack of infrastructure. Despite these issues, some carmakers have adopted bold measures to launch electric and hybrid cars in the subcontinent.

Coinciding with the World Environment Day on June 5, we have made a list of electric and hybrid cars sold in India that emit little to no pollutants.

Mahindra E2o Plus

Mahindra Electric launched four-door version of the E2o christened E2o Plus in 2016. The car is priced from Rs. 6.26 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and it can travel for up to 140km on full charge. Offered in three trim levels -- P4, P6 and P8, the E2o Plus require only 90 minutes for a full recharge.

The e2o Plus comes powered by an electric motor driven by 72V battery, which can generate 40bhp of power and 91Nm of torque in the top-end variant P8. While the e2o Plus P8 variant will offer 140 km electric range, the rest of the variants will have 110 km range.

Mahindra eVerito

Mahindra Electric launched eVerito in India last year at Rs. 9.5 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi. The eVerito is powered by a 3-phase 72V electric motor that produces 40bhp and 91Nm of torque right from the start of acceleration. The company claims a top speed of 86kmph and a range of 110km on full charge. With Mahindra's fast charge, the car can be fully charged in less than two hours. According to Mahindra, the eVerito comes with a running cost of Rs. 1.15 per km. The eVerito also gets low resistance tyres and regenerative braking to charge the battery during braking.

Toyota Camry Hybrid

The Camry Hybrid is powered by an in-line four-cylinder 2.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor. The hybrid setup develops 202bhp, 158bhp from the petrol motor and 44bhp from the electric motor. It runs on Hybrid Synergy Drive, which can sense and change the source of power from petrol engine to electric motor. It claims to offer a mileage of 19.16 kmpl and is manufactured at the company's Bidadi plant in Karnataka. The Camry Hybrid is priced at Rs. 31.98 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi.

Honda Accord Hybrid

Honda Cars India re-launched the Accord sedan in India in 2016. In its latest version, the Accord is powered by a 2.0-litre Atkinson Cycle i-VTEC four-cylinder petrol engine coupled with two electric motors connected to 1.3 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. The petrol unit can churn out a power of 143bhp at 6,200rpm and 175Nm of peak torque at 4,000rpm. It is mated to an E-CVT transmission. The combined output of the hybrid powertrain stands at 213bhp and it returns a claimed fuel efficiency of 23.1kmpl. The hybrid sedan has been priced at Rs 37.22 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi.

Toyota Prius

Toyota Kirloskar Motor launched 4th generation Prius in India in February 2017. Priced at Rs 38.96 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi, the Prius is based on Toyota's new shared platform --Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) -- and the company boasts TNGA's lower centre of gravity for better handling. The powertrain consists of a petrol engine along with an electric motor. The 1.8-litre, 4-cylinder DOHC VVT-I motor with Eco and Power modes develops 97bhp at 5,200rpm and 142Nm of torque at 3,600rpm.

The mill works in tandem with 71bhp and 136Nm torque producing the electric motor that sources power from lithium-ion/nickel-metal hydride batteries. The Prius has claimed a fuel efficiency of 26.27kmpl.

Volvo XC90 T8 Excellence

Swedish carmaker Volvo's XC90 T8 Excellence SUV is priced at Rs.1.25 crore (ex-showroom Delhi). The XC90 T8 Excellence is the first plug-in hybrid SUV in the country launched by any automaker.

The XC90 Excellence is built on Volvo's modular Scalable Product Architecture (SPA). The in-line 4-cyl 1969cc supercharged and turbocharged petrol engine in the XC90 Excellence develops 315bhp and 400Nm of torque. This powerplant is complemented by a 9.2 kWh lithium-ion battery that powers an electric motor which develops 87bhp and 240Nm of torque. The combined output of the hybrid set up stands at 402bhp and 640Nm of torque. The powertrain is mated to eight-speed automatic gearbox offering three driving modes- Pure, Hybrid and Power. Volvo claims the SUV can sprint from 0 to 100kmph in 5.6 seconds before reaching a top speed of 230kmph.

BMW i8

BMW i8 is powered by 3-cylinder, 1.5-litre, twin-turbo petrol engine, in combination with an electric motor. The petrol engine generates a power of 227bhp and a peak torque of 320Nm and is mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox transmission. The electric motor of the i8 is tuned to generate 129bhp of power and 250Nm of torque, taking the total output to 356bhp and 570Nm. The car is capable of attaining 0 to 100kmph speed in 4.4 seconds with a top speed of 250kmph along with a fuel efficiency of 47.45kmpl. The BMW i8 is priced at Rs 2.14 crore, ex-showroom, Delhi.

Lexus ES 300h

Lexus kick started India operations in India in March 2017. The ES 300h is the most affordable offering of Toyota's luxury sub-brand price at Rs. 55.27 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. The ES 300h is powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder Atkinson cycle petrol engine in tandem with an electric motor. The combined output of the hybrid system is 202bhp. The engine also churns out a peak torque of 213 Nm at 4500rpm. The powertrain comes paired to an electronically controlled CVT unit. The sedan will run on pure electric or petrol or a combination of both.

Lexus RX 450h Luxury/ F Sport

The RX 450h is Lexus' mid-size luxury SUV is offered in two variants - RX Luxury and RX F-Sport. The RX 450h Luxury is priced at Rs. 1.07 crore while the F-Sport trim is priced at Rs. 1.09 crore, ex-showroom Delhi. Under the hood, the Lexus RX 450h is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 VVT-i petrol engine paired with an electric motor. The mill belts out a combined output of 308bhp.

Honorable mentions

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga SHVS and Ciaz SHVS are not featured on our list because the setup is not outright hybrid. The Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki (SHVS) technology uses Integrated Starter Generator (ISG), helps the engine to perform better than the normal mill with increased fuel efficiency.

Mahindra Scorpio Intelli-Hybrid is another model that uses a mild hybrid system. The Intelli-Hybrid reduces fuel consumption by up to 7 percent via assisting the engine with electric power during acceleration. The system also automatically switches the engine off within 3 seconds of the vehicle being stationary (start-stop) and develops regenerative brake energy.