MG’s Windsor EV shook up India's e-PV market, but how far can it take JSW MG Motor in a market set to a deluge of new, high-profile models?
28 May 2025 | 8750 Views | By Ketan Thakkar
It started as a quiet challenger. When MG Motor rolled out the Windsor EV in September 2024, it was another contender in India’s growing electric car segment. But by the time the fiscal year turned, the narrative had flipped. Windsor wasn’t just selling—it was dominating. Backed by a feature-rich package, ...
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It started as a quiet challenger. When MG Motor rolled out the Windsor EV in September 2024, it was another contender in India’s growing electric car segment. But by the time the fiscal year turned, the narrative had flipped. Windsor wasn’t just selling—it was dominating. Backed by a feature-rich package, premium interiors, and a price that undercut rivals, MG had done what few expected: it cracked Tata Motors’ EV stronghold and rewrote the leaderboard.
Launched in September 2024, it disrupted a Tata Motors-dominated segment by offering an affordable, feature-rich EV that looked and felt like a class apart, at least on the inside. However, while Windsor’s plush interiors and spacious layout won buyers, its peculiar exterior design received mixed reviews. While growing fast, India’s EV segment remains nascent and thinly populated.
In that context, Windsor stood out as a well-timed, well-packaged option offering buyers more than low running costs—a premium experience at a realistic price. From September 2024 to April 2025, MG sold 23,918 Windsor EV units, including 3,400 units in April alone, helping the brand capture a 28–38% market share. The Windsor became India’s best-selling EV for seven consecutive months, riding on strong retail momentum and a differentiated value proposition.
In contrast, Tata Motors sold around 4,400 EV units in April 2025. In January 2025, flagship models like the Nexon EV and Punch EV recorded 1,289 and 1,189 units, respectively. The company experienced a substantial 13% year-onyear drop in EV sales, falling from 73,833 units in FY24 to 64,276 units in FY25, with its share slipping to 55% from 73%.
JSW MG’s head of sales, Rakesh Sen, says Windsor was “instrumental in accelerating the growth of the 4W-EV segment,” and that its consistent performance for seven straight months signals strong product-market fit. With the arrival of the Windsor EV Pro, MG is doubling down on this success, while also working to address the platform’s early criticisms and scale for the next growth phase.
A Winning Formula
Sen attributes Windsor’s success to a well-judged combination of price, design, and comfort. He highlights this positioning as “ABC”—A-segment price, B-segment dimensions, and C-segment space—framing Windsor as the ideal entry EV for Indian families.
MG entered the market spotlight with its Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) model that lowered the entry price of the Windsor to Rs. 9.99 lakh. However, the BaaS strategy, while headlinegrabbing, only accounted for 10–15% of actual sales. Most buyers opted for the outright purchase variant, which offered compelling value with a sub-Rs. 15 lakh price and a premium cabin.
Windsor truly clicked inside the car. The spacious, airy, and comfortable cabin offered reclining rear seats, highquality materials, and segment-defining digital features, including a 15.6-inch touchscreen and over 80 connected functionalities. It was one of the few EVs in its price bracket that made buyers feel like they were upgrading, not compromising. If the cabin won hearts, the exterior styling sparked debate. While some appreciated its futuristic cues, others saw the design as quirky and polarising, particularly the front fascia and side profile.
In a mass segment where conservative styling still holds sway, Windsor’s looks were often seen as aesthetic overreach rather than universal appeal. Yet, the car’s abundant interior space and refined ride quality more than compensated in the eyes of many consumers, particularly first-time EV buyers who prioritize comfort, tech, and practicality. MG also introduced eHUB, a cross-brand charging aggregator app that links to 9,000+ public chargers.
With over 66,000 downloads, eHUB is helping cultivate a connected EV ecosystem. While Tata Power has a larger physical footprint, MG’s attempt has been to make its platform more user-centric and inclusive. It uses eHUB, BaaS, and strong resale assurances to debunk EV-related fears—range, cost, battery life.
Pro Upgrade
The Windsor Pro builds on the base of Windsor’s popularity while addressing its known flaws. Launched in May 2025, the Windsor EV Pro saw 8,000 bookings in one day, and comes with features such as Level 2 ADAS—featuring Traffic Jam Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Warning, and other safety technologies and a larger 52.9 kWh prismatic cell battery.
The MIDC-claimed range now stands at 449 km, up from the original’s 331 km, offering buyers long-distance confidence. It also responds to early user criticism of the infotainment system. In the first version, users found basic functions—like defogging or climate control—buried in touchscreen menus, creating usability issues. The Pro now includes physical buttons for essential operations, improving the driver interface and reflecting MG’s willingness to learn from user feedback.
MG has further positioned Windsor Pro as a mobile energy hub, with Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) and Vehicleto- Vehicle (V2V) charging. With V2L, users can power external devices—from campsite lighting to kitchen appliances—while V2V allows the vehicle to charge another EV in emergencies.
“It’s not just self-reliance, it’s shared resilience,” said Manish Manek, head of engineering, highlighting the role of Windsor Pro in community-powered mobility. Initially offered at Rs. 17.49 lakh for the first 8,000 customers (Rs. 12.49 lakh under BaaS with Rs. 4.5/km rental), the Pro now retails at Rs. 18.09 lakh. Bookings opened on May 8 and matched the standard Windsor’s record—8,000 units booked within 24 hours.
According to Sen, the Windsor Pro expands the Windsor family’s relevance to intercity use cases,adding that the standard Windsor suits city and short trips, while the Pro brings highway flexibility. “We foresee 60-65% of our overall sales will be driven by EVs in CY25,” he said. Buyers also receive a lifetime battery warranty and a 60% assured buyback after three years.
Upcoming Challenges
Windsor’s success, while impressive, has exposed a structural gap. MG’s other EVs, including the ZS EV and Comet EV, have failed to maintain traction, leaving the brand heavily dependent on a single model for its EV growth. While MG does have follow-up models in its pipeline, including the ZS EV and more premium offerings, none yet replicate Windsor’s mass-market appeal or price positioning.
MG relies heavily on Windsor to drive volume and maintain visibility in the under Rs. 20 lakh EV segment. Moreover, the company’s ICE portfolio has slid significantly, and JSW MG desperately needs a fresh infusion of models to participate in the 98% internal combustion engine market. This is a key vulnerability. “They’ve got a clear winner in Windsor, but that’s the only card on the table right now,” said a senior dealer. MG’s internal confidence is evident— vendors have been instructed to double Windsor output over the next 3–6 months.
Sen confirms that ramp-up measures have already been completed: “We have completed the ramp-up, both facility and supply chain, and are now well equipped to meet our production targets.” People in the know claim that if the company can sustain the momentum, it may be the first of its models with the potential to sell 50,000 units annually.
Moreover, Tata may be down, but it is definitely not out. The Indian brand has seen its share erode to about 50% as models like the Nexon EV and Punch EV have begun to show their age and newer models like the Curvv EV failed to contain Windsor’s momentum. Still, the company remains a formidable challenger. With upcoming premium EVs like the Harrier EV and Sierra EV slated for launch, and growing strength in fleet and commercial EV applications, Tata may yet pose stiff competition to MG in the second half of FY2026.
Similarly, another dark horse is Mahindra & Mahindra, whose EV shipments have scaled to 3,000 units per month, giving it the No.3 position, with potential to rise further. Still, the Windsor EV reshaped expectations in India’s EV market—not by being revolutionary, but by nailing the fundamentals: space, perceived luxury, and compelling value.
The new Pro variant shows that MG is responsive, but the segment also evolves fast. In addition, Sen hints at upcoming diversification into new energy vehicle formats beyond BEVs from FY27. The company has been quite vocal about bringing in plug-in Hybrids. Sources say the Chinese automaker has been working on Model F—C- and D-segment SUVs, likely to have internal combustion engine models, EVs, and plug-in hybrids all on one platform, but they are about 12-18 months away.
However, for now, Anurag Mehrotra, the manging director of JSW MG Motor India, prefers to focus on the bigger picture: “More than anything, what moves us is seeing so many switches from ICE to EV. This isn’t just about technology—it’s about a collective movement toward a more sustainable tomorrow.