Hyundai launches battery subscription model for Creta Electric

MUMBAI: The biggest spark in buying an EV may no longer come from the battery, but from the bill. Hyundai Motor India has introduced a Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) ownership model for the Hyundai Creta Electric, lowering the SUV’s starting price to Rs 10.99 lakh (ex-showroom) while offering battery rental plans from Rs 3.9 per kilometre.

The new ownership model is aimed at tackling one of the biggest barriers to electric vehicle adoption in India—high upfront costs. By separating battery ownership from the vehicle purchase, Hyundai hopes to make its electric SUV more accessible to a wider set of buyers.

Alongside the BaaS rollout, Hyundai has also upgraded the Creta Electric with an integrated side foot step to improve ease of entry and exit while enhancing the SUV’s premium stance. Responding to customer demand, the company will also offer a 7.4 kW wall box charger with HC variants, making home charging more convenient.

Commenting on the move, Tarun Garg, MD and CEO, Hyundai Motor India, said the BaaS model is designed to democratise electric mobility by significantly reducing acquisition costs while giving customers the flexibility of battery rental plans.

The Hyundai Creta Electric is available with 51.4 kWh (long-range) and 42 kWh (short-range) battery options and delivers an ARAI-certified driving range of up to 510 km. It supports DC fast charging, enabling the battery to charge from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in 39 minutes.

The SUV also comes equipped with Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality, Hyundai SmartSense Level 2 ADAS, Single Pedal Drive (i-Pedal), Digital Key smartphone access, Active Air Flaps for improved aerodynamics and cooling, and a battery warranty of 8 years or 160,000 km, whichever comes first. The long-range variant accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 7.9 seconds.

Hyundai highlighted the vehicle’s real-world credentials through its ‘Hyundai Test Driven by 100’ campaign, where 100 creators drove the Creta Electric across 10 states, 26 cities and 200-plus destinations, covering 15,000 km over 100-plus days. The campaign generated 526 million views and 35 million likes across digital platforms.

The company also noted that the Creta Electric entered the India Book of Records after covering 1,326.5 km in 24 hours, while completing 1,000 km in 18 hours and 31 minutes during the same endurance run.

Hyundai is simultaneously expanding its EV ecosystem. As part of its plan to establish nearly 600 fast public EV charging stations over the next seven years, the company has already set up infrastructure across 183 locations, comprising 214 DC chargers and 399 charging points. Through the myHyundai app, customers can also access more than 10,000 EV charging points across India, further strengthening the country’s growing electric mobility network.