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The Tata Nexon EV has already established itself as the best-selling electric car in India. With the launch of the new Nexon EV Max, Tata Motors has added to the appeal of the compact electric SUV. Although they both seem visually identical, there are significant differences between the two, so which one should you go for?

Tata Nexon EV Max battery
Nexon EV Max 40.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack

What’s the difference in range?

One of the most significant contrasts between the Nexon EV and the Nexon EV Max is the range. While the standard Nexon EV is capable of running up to 312 km on a fully charged battery, the Nexon EV Max offers a range of 437 km on a single charge, as per ARAI ratings.

Tata Nexon EV battery
Nexon EV has a 30.2-kWh lithium-ion battery pack

Is the battery larger?

The standard Nexon EV comes powered by a 30.2-kWh high energy density lithium-ion battery pack. A permanent magnet synchronous AC motor paired with a larger 40.5-kWh lithium-ion battery pack powers the Nexon EV Max. Clearly, the Nexon EV Max’s battery pack is considerably larger than its lower range sibling.

Tata Nexon EV Max charging
The DC charging setup for the Nexon EV Max charges the battery from zero to 80 per cent in 56 minutes

Anything new in the charging?

The Nexon EV Max supports both 3.3 kW and 7.2 kW AC charging. With the bigger charger, the Nexon EV Max can charge up in 6.5 hours while the regular version takes 8.5 hours. The 7.2 kWh charger can be used with the old Nexon EV but it will still charge at a slower pace because the car does not support the faster charging rate. Using a DC charger will charge the battery from 0 to 80 per cent in 60 minutes for the Nexon EV and 56 minutes for the Nexon EV Max.

What about power?

The Nexon EV is capable of pumping out 127 bhp of peak power and 24.98 kgm of peak torque. The Tata Nexon EV Max on the other hand comes promising 141 bhp of peak power and 25.49 kgm of peak torque, which is a 14 bhp and 0.5 kgm increase.

Tata Nexon EV Max interior
The Nexon EV Max gets a new drive selector

How’s the Performance?

The Nexon EV is capable of accelerating from 0-100 kph in 9.9 seconds, with an electronically limited top speed of 120 kph. The Tata Nexon EV Max on the other hand is capable of reaching the 100 kph mark from a standstill position in less than 9 seconds with a top speed of 140 kph. The EV Max also comes with the option of four levels of regenerative braking to help improve its range.

Tata Nexon dark EV drive selector
The drive selector on the Nexon EV

Variants and Pricing

The Nexon EV comes in five variants — XM, XZ+, XZ+ Lux, Dark XZ+ and Dark XZ+ Lux. Pricing starts at Rs 14.79 lakh for the XM variant and goes up to Rs 17.40 lakh for the Dark XZ+ Lux variant. The Nexon EV Max, however, comes in two variants — XZ+ and XZ+ Lux. Each variant can be had with the two previously mentioned charging options. With the additional kit, the Nexon EV Max starts at Rs 17.74 lakh and goes up to Rs 19.24 lakh (ex-showroom).

Tata Nexon EV Max rear profile
The exterior of the EV Max remains the same

On the whole, the Nexon EV Max as well as the Nexon EV are both very efficient machines in the electric segment. It all comes down to how much more the consumer is willing to spend to climb up the ladder in terms of performance.