Featured image credit: Image: Avante2025 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0). Source
By Piyush P. Yadav
What is the on-road price of an electric car in India, and why does the same Nexon EV cost Rs 13.2 lakh in Mumbai and over Rs 14 lakh in Bengaluru? The answer is that “on-road” is not one number but a sum of six, and for electric cars the largest of them, road tax, is the one that varies most: zero in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad, 5 to 10 per cent in Bengaluru since April 2026. This guide breaks the on-road price of an EV into its statutory and non-statutory parts, works the arithmetic for a Tata Nexon EV, a Hyundai Creta Electric and a Mahindra XEV 9S in four cities, shows which charges on a dealer’s quote you can refuse, and explains the one price threshold, Rs 30 lakh in Delhi, where a Rs 25,000 option can cost you Rs 3 lakh in tax.
How we worked this out
Ex-showroom prices are the September 2026 figures after this month’s Tata and Hyundai revisions. City on-road breakups were checked on 10 September 2026 against the itemised quotes published by V3Cars for Delhi and CarDekho for Hyderabad, which list registration, insurance, tax collected at source and FASTag separately. State road-tax positions are from our own state-wise EV road tax guide and, for Karnataka’s new slabs, from the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2026 as reported by EVFY. Insurance is the first-year comprehensive premium with the compulsory three-year third-party cover, taken from the published quotes and expressed as a percentage of ex-showroom so it can be scaled to other cars.
The six components of an EV’s on-road price
| Component | What it is | Typical size on an EV | Can you avoid it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ex-showroom price | Manufacturer’s price including 5 per cent GST; the number on the website | The base | Only through discounts |
| Road tax (one-time or lifetime) | State levy on registration, as a percentage of ex-showroom | 0 in EV-exempt states; 5 to 10 per cent in Karnataka; standard car rates where exemptions have lapsed | No; decided by state of registration |
| Registration and RTO charges | Central registration fee, smart-card RC, high-security number plate, state add-ons | About Rs 2,000 to Rs 8,000 for a car; some states add cess or “Bharat series” fees | No |
| Insurance | One year own-damage plus three years third-party, mandatory for a new car | About 4 to 4.5 per cent of ex-showroom in year one on an EV; higher than petrol because of the pack | You can buy it from any insurer, not only the dealer’s |
| Tax collected at source (TCS) | 1 per cent of ex-showroom on cars over Rs 10 lakh, collected by the dealer | Rs 12,490 on a Rs 12.49 lakh Nexon EV | No, but it is credited against your income tax and refunded if not owed |
| FASTag and hypothecation | Tag issuance; RTO endorsement of the lender if financed | Rs 500; Rs 1,500 | Hypothecation only if you take a loan |
Everything else on a dealer’s quote is optional. Extended warranty, accessories, “logistics” or “handling” charges, and dealer-side “registration facilitation” fees are not statutory. Consumer courts have repeatedly ruled that mandatory handling charges are an unfair trade practice, and a buyer can decline them; the statutory on-road price is the six lines above.
Worked example 1: Tata Nexon EV Creative Plus 30 kWh, Rs 12.49 lakh
| Component | Delhi | Mumbai | Hyderabad | Bengaluru |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ex-showroom | Rs 12,49,000 | Rs 12,49,000 | Rs 12,49,000 | Rs 12,49,000 |
| Road tax | Rs 0 (exempt to March 2030) | Rs 0 (exempt to 2030) | Rs 0 (exempt for registrations to 31 Dec 2026) | Rs 99,920 (8 per cent, Rs 10 to 25 lakh slab) |
| Registration and RTO | About Rs 4,600 | About Rs 5,000 | About Rs 8,000 plus state fees | About Rs 5,000 |
| Insurance (year one) | About Rs 55,500 | About Rs 55,000 | About Rs 52,000 | About Rs 55,000 |
| TCS at 1 per cent | Rs 12,490 | Rs 12,490 | Rs 12,490 | Rs 12,490 |
| FASTag | Rs 500 | Rs 500 | Rs 500 | Rs 500 |
| On-road, cash purchase | About Rs 13.22 lakh | About Rs 13.22 lakh | About Rs 13.22 lakh | About Rs 14.22 lakh |
The published quotes agree: Delhi at Rs 13.22 to 13.33 lakh depending on insurer, Mumbai and Hyderabad at Rs 13.22 lakh. The Bengaluru figure is a calculation, because most listing sites still show Rs 13.24 lakh for the city, a number that predates the April 2026 tax and is now wrong by about Rs 1 lakh. Karnataka’s slabs are 5 per cent up to Rs 10 lakh, 8 per cent from Rs 10 to 25 lakh and 10 per cent above Rs 25 lakh, as we reported when Karnataka ended its EV tax exemption.
Worked example 2: Hyundai Creta Electric Executive 42 kWh, Rs 18.20 lakh
| Component | Delhi / Mumbai / Hyderabad | Bengaluru |
|---|---|---|
| Ex-showroom | Rs 18,20,000 | Rs 18,20,000 |
| Road tax | Rs 0 | Rs 1,45,600 (8 per cent) |
| Registration and RTO | About Rs 5,000 to 8,000 | About Rs 5,000 |
| Insurance (about 4 per cent) | About Rs 73,000 | About Rs 73,000 |
| TCS | Rs 18,200 | Rs 18,200 |
| FASTag | Rs 500 | Rs 500 |
| On-road | About Rs 19.17 to 19.20 lakh | About Rs 20.62 lakh |
Worked example 3: the Rs 30 lakh cliff in Delhi
Delhi’s EV Policy 2026 waives road tax and registration on electric cars priced up to Rs 30 lakh ex-showroom. Above that, the exemption is gone entirely and the car pays Delhi’s standard slab of about 10 per cent. The Mahindra XEV 9S makes the point. Its seven-seat Pack Three Above with the 79 kWh battery is Rs 29.90 lakh; the six-seat version with captain chairs, which we detailed in our XEV 9S six-seater guide, is Rs 25,000 more at Rs 30.15 lakh.
| Delhi | XEV 9S Pack Three Above, 7-seat, Rs 29.90 lakh | XEV 9S Pack Three Above, 6-seat, Rs 30.15 lakh |
|---|---|---|
| Road tax | Rs 0 | About Rs 3,01,500 |
| Insurance (about 4 per cent) | About Rs 1,20,000 | About Rs 1,21,000 |
| TCS | Rs 29,900 | Rs 30,150 |
| Registration, FASTag | About Rs 6,000 | About Rs 6,000 |
| On-road | About Rs 31.46 lakh | About Rs 34.74 lakh |
| Cost of the captain seats, on-road | About Rs 3.28 lakh |
In Mumbai, Chennai or Hyderabad, where the exemption has no price ceiling, the same option costs Rs 25,000. Anyone in Delhi shopping near Rs 30 lakh should price the car ex-showroom to the rupee before choosing options or a colour that carries a premium.
Road tax on EVs, city by city
| City (state) | Road tax on an electric car, September 2026 | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | 0 up to Rs 30 lakh ex-showroom; standard slab above | Policy to 31 March 2030 |
| Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur (Maharashtra) | 0 | Policy to 2030; toll waiver on three expressways too |
| Chennai, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) | 0 | Extended to 31 December 2027 |
| Hyderabad (Telangana) | 0 | Only for registrations completed by 31 December 2026 |
| Bengaluru, Mysuru (Karnataka) | 5 per cent up to Rs 10 lakh; 8 per cent Rs 10 to 25 lakh; 10 per cent above | From 1 April 2026; two-wheelers remain exempt |
| Lucknow, Noida (Uttar Pradesh) | Standard car rates | EV waiver expired October 2025 |
| Ahmedabad (Gujarat) | Partial relief; check current notification | Purchase incentive of Rs 10,000 per kWh up to Rs 1.5 lakh is the larger benefit |
Three ways to lower the on-road figure legitimately
- Buy the insurance yourself. Dealer-arranged policies are often the insurer’s list price. Quotes for the same Nexon EV cover vary by Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 between insurers, and you are entitled to bring your own policy; our EV loan and insurance guide covers the add-ons worth keeping.
- Time the purchase against discounts. A Rs 1 to 3 lakh manufacturer discount, of the kind we tracked in our September 2026 EV discounts round-up, reduces the invoice price and therefore the TCS and, in taxed states, the road tax, since both are percentages.
- Register where you live, not where you buy. Road tax is charged by the registering state. Buying in Delhi to save Karnataka tax and then using the car in Bengaluru requires re-registration within 12 months and payment of the Karnataka tax at that point; it does not work.
Who this is for, and the limits
The figures are for private buyers paying cash or with a standard loan. Corporate registrations, taxi permits and cars bought under battery-subscription schemes carry different tax treatment. Insurance is shown at a typical first-year comprehensive rate; a zero-depreciation add-on or a lower voluntary excess changes it. State tax positions are as of September 2026 and, as Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh have shown, can change with a single amendment; confirm the current notification before paying a booking amount.
Sources & Further Reading
- V3Cars: Tata Nexon EV on-road price in Delhi with itemised breakup
- CarDekho: Tata Nexon EV on-road price in Hyderabad with RTO, insurance and TCS
- EVFY: Karnataka ends EV tax exemption, new road tax slabs explained
- PB Partners: RTO charges for new cars in India, state-wise
People also ask
How is EV road tax calculated in India?
As a percentage of the ex-showroom price, set by the registering state. Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Telangana charge zero on electric cars (Delhi up to Rs 30 lakh). Karnataka charges 5 per cent up to Rs 10 lakh, 8 per cent from Rs 10 to 25 lakh and 10 per cent above, since 1 April 2026.
Does an EV have road tax in India?
It depends on the state. Fourteen states and union territories still waived it fully as of early 2026, but Karnataka introduced lifetime tax on electric cars from April 2026 and Uttar Pradesh’s waiver lapsed in October 2025. Electric two-wheelers remain exempt in Karnataka.
Is there any subsidy on electric cars in India?
Not from the Centre; PM E-DRIVE covers two- and three-wheelers, trucks, buses and chargers, not private cars. Cars get 5 per cent GST and state benefits: road-tax waivers in several states, Gujarat’s Rs 10,000 per kWh incentive up to Rs 1.5 lakh, and Delhi’s Rs 1 lakh scrappage-linked incentive.
Which EV car has the lowest price in India?
The Tata Tiago EV, listed from about Rs 5.84 lakh ex-showroom in September 2026, followed by the MG Comet EV. On-road in an exempt state, the Tiago EV comes to roughly Rs 6.3 lakh including insurance and registration; it is under the Rs 10 lakh TCS threshold.
Is it worth buying an electric car in India?
For most owners driving over 9,000 km a year with home charging, yes: energy costs about Rs 1 per km against Rs 6 to 7 for petrol, and in tax-exempt states the on-road premium over a petrol car is Rs 1 to 2 lakh smaller than the ex-showroom gap. In Karnataka or Uttar Pradesh the case is weaker because the road-tax saving is gone.