Can it defy the odds?
Indian EV startup Pravaig Dynamics’ big dreams rest on the Defy SUV capturing the imagination of luxury SUV buyers
BENGALURU-BASED EV STARTUP Pravaig Dynamics has launched its first electric SUV, the Defy at `39.5 lakh, ex-showroom. The Defy gets a dualmotor setup and all-wheel-drive as standard and it is also available in a more offroadfocused version dubbed the ‘Veer’, for military use. The catch is, you can’t test one until the third quarter of next year, which is when the company plans to officially start deliveries. Nevertheless, if you are willing to shell out `51,000 to book one, here’s what you need to know about the SUV.
The Defy will get a dual motor setup with all-wheel-drive, making 402bhp of power and 620Nm of torque. The company claims over 500km on a full charge and that the battery supports 150kWh of fast charging, giving it 80 per cent juice in just 30 minutes. On a standard 7kWh home charger the SUV will take about 8 hours to be fully charged. The battery life is a claimed 2.5 lakh kilometres.
The Defy will have a top speed of 210kmph, promises to do a 0-100kmph sprint in 4.9 seconds and with its 234mm of ground clearance, has 900mm of water-wading ability. At the launch of the vehicle, Pravaig claims to have tested the vehicle in and around Bengaluru and in Rajasthan over 50,000km, and component level testing is completed. The interior is yet to be finalised and going by the overall design, the exterior needs a fair bit of fine tuning as well.
Pravaig is working on its first electric car, and it has taken over a decade to launch a car that isn’t production ready yet. The company claims its batteries have over 2,500 charge/discharge cycles and will come with a ten-year/5-lakh kilometre warranty. While on the component front, even if we give them the benefit of doubt to have tested these components extensively, on-road testing is critical and there’s a long way to go before ARAI approvals are granted. The Q3 2023 launch timeline looks difficult as a result, which makes the early price announcement baffling in such an inflationary environment. ⌧