Some cars arrive with a roar. Some with a whisper. And then there’s the PMV EaS-e, which shows up with the delicate hum of a ceiling fan and the price tag of a second-hand iPhone collection. Launched in 2022, this little Indian electric microcar is proof that not every automobile needs to look like a spaceship or cost more than your family house. Sometimes, you just need a funky box on wheels to make traffic in Mumbai feel like a video game.
First Impressions
The one you’re looking at here is the prototype, which means the final production car will change. Translation: what you see now is like your college “trial beard”—don’t get too attached, but you know it’s going to get cleaner later.
It’s only 2.9 metres long, which makes it shorter than some people’s excuses for being late. And at 1.6 metres tall, it stands proudly like a schoolkid forced to the front row in assembly. With a kerb weight of just 575 kilos, you’d swear it’s made out of recycled Maggi packets and optimism.
The Name Game
EaS-e stands for “Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Electric.” Which is catchy, though my suggestion would have been “Extremely Affordable, Somewhat Electric.” PMV itself expands to Personal Mobility Vehicles, but it might as well mean “Please Move, Vehicles!” because that’s what you’ll be yelling at rickshaws as you zip past.
Power and Performance
Under the adorable bonnet lies a 48-kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate battery paired with a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor. Tech jargon aside, it produces 13 horsepower and 50 Nm torque. In human terms: about as much grunt as a particularly motivated washing machine.
Still, it manages 0-40 km/h in 5 seconds (good for sprinting between traffic lights) and a top speed of 70 km/h. So yes, it won’t win you drag races against auto-rickshaws with “turbo” stickers, but it’ll get you to your chai tapri just fine.
Three range options—120 km, 160 km, and 200 km—are offered. We’ve got the 160 km variant here. Enough to do Mumbai-Pune once, provided you don’t switch on the AC and pray the ghats are downhill.
Design and Quirks
Originally dreamt up in 2016 as a 3-wheeler, the EaS-e grew a fourth wheel somewhere in its adolescence (we all go through phases). Designed in Mumbai, engineered in Pune—basically the India Gate meets Shaniwar Wada of cars.
The LED headlamps, DRLs, and funky light bar give it just enough bling to make neighbours ask, “Is it Chinese?” No, uncle, it’s desi. The wheels? 13-inch steelies with JK Ultima NXT tyres. They look like they came from your old Maruti 800, and that’s exactly the charm.
Paint choices? Oh, plenty. From Passionate Red (our test car) to Yellow, Green, Beige, Blue, and even Silver. Dual-tone is available too, so you can cosplay your microcar as an Oreo biscuit.
Cabin Life
Inside, it’s cosy. Read: two people max. Vinyl upholstery that screams “budget airline seat.” A single screen dashboard in production version, power windows, AC, Bluetooth infotainment, and even cruise control—because nothing says “highway luxury” like setting cruise control at 45 km/h.
There’s also Easy Mode, where you don’t need to touch the brake pedal. Just lift your foot, and regenerative braking does the rest. Perfect for stop-and-go traffic, or when you’re too busy checking Zomato.
Safety and Gizmos
PMV has thrown in everything from remote parking assist (for fitting into gaps that only bikes used to dare) to rear sensors, rear-view camera, keyless entry, and 3-point seatbelts. Basically, the EaS-e has more features than your 10-lakh hatchback, but packed into a body the size of a shoe cupboard.
Oh, and 24/7 roadside assistance. Which is comforting, because let’s be honest—you’ll probably need it at some point when your friends ask you to “test it off-road.”
Charging and Running Costs
A 3 kW charger fills it up in about 4 hours. That’s shorter than most Netflix binge sessions. PMV claims ₹0.75 per km running cost, which means you can drive from Mumbai to Goa for less than the cost of a pizza. (Though with 70 km/h top speed, you’ll get there sometime around Christmas.)
Final Verdict
The PMV EaS-e isn’t a car; it’s a statement. A statement that says: “I care for the environment, my wallet, and I don’t mind being overtaken by a milkman on a scooter.”
For ₹4–5 lakh, you get futuristic gizmos, laughably low running costs, and the bragging rights of owning India’s quirkiest EV. Sure, it won’t replace your family SUV, but as a daily commuter or second car? It’s brilliant.
If nothing else, it’ll put a smile on your face every time you park it inside your living room. Yes, it’s that small.
👉 Verdict in one line:
The PMV EaS-e is less “microcar” and more “full-size personality in bite-sized packaging.”
