Tata Motors, the market leader in the passenger electric vehicle (EV) segment, is stepping up its play and will launch at least four new EVs in the next couple of years, according to a top company official.
The passenger EV market in the country is small, but growing as more products get launched. Tata Motors has already taken a lead here offering the Nexon EV, Tiago EV and Tigor EV. It also sells the Xpres-T EV in the fleet segment. In the October-December quarter, Tata Motors sold 15,232 EV passenger vehicles, up 21 per cent over the 12,596 EVs it sold in the year ago quarter. According to Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles, 23,159 EV four-wheelers were sold in the same period.
Between April-December 2023, SMEV data shows 67,565 EV four-wheelers were sold. This may be very small compared with the overall EV volumes of 11,79,507 units in April-December., but, is expected to grow.
Tata Motors on Wednesday launched the Punch sub-compact EV at introductory prices starting Rs 10.99 lakh, going up to Rs 14.49 lakh ex-showroom. It will launch four more EVs - Curvv and Harrier, both by the end of 2024, followed by the Sierra and Altroz EVs, said Shailesh Chandra, managing director, Tata Passenger Electric Mobiity.
EV sales have grown at a rapid clip over the past few years on a low base; volumes more than doubled in 2022-23. While EV sales are expected to remain in the fast lane for the forseeable future, Chandra expects the growth rate to slow with the increasing base.
"EV segment two years back was growing on a very low base at the rate of 100-150 per cent, even last calendar year it ended with a growth of 90-100 per cent. But, now the base of the EV industry, maybe which we will end by the end of this financial year will be around 100,000. On this high base, I think the growth would moderate to 40-45 per cent," he said.
Chandra further added that with the company launching the Curvv and Harrier EV by the end of this year, Tata Motors' aspiration is to beat the industry growth. When compared with the passenger vehicle industry, which is expected to clock low-single digit growth next year, the EV sales growth will still be very healthy, he said.
The Punch.ev launched on Wednesday, is the first product Tata Motors has launched on the recently announced pure EV acti.ev architecture. This Advanced Connected Tech-Intelligent Electric Vehicle architecture will underpin all future products from the Tata Passenger Electric Mobility portfolio. Punch.ev deliveries are expected to begin from January 22, 2024.
While the Punch.ev body may look similar to its ICE (internal combustion engine) Punch counterpart, the underpinnings are completely different. The Punch.ev is also packed with features including 360 degree camera surround view system, blind spot view mirror, 26 cm digital cockpit with embedded navigation view, 26 cm HD infotainment system by Harman, over the air (OTA) software updates and ventilated front seats among other things.
Safety features like six airbags, ESP and isofix mounts will be standard across the Punch.ev variants.
The Punch.ev will come with two battery pack options. You could either opt for the 25 kWh battery pack, which has a certified full charge range (as per MIDC cycle) of 315 km. The Punch.ev LR will come with a 35 kWh battery, which has a certified range of 421 km. The Punch.ev LR will also get a more powerful electric motor power and torque thus enabling faster acceleration, compared with the standard Punch.ev
Using a AC home wall box charger, you could charge the Punch.ev from 10 per cent to 100 per cent in about 9.4 hours and the Punch.ev LR in 13.5 hours. A 7.2 kW AC home wall box charger will reduce the charging time to 3.6 hours and 5 hours respectively. A DC fast charger will charge the vehicle from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in about 56 minutes.
Charge anxiety and the limited charging infrastructure still remains among the main hurdles for EV sales, say Tata Motors officials.
The company is collaborating with six charge point operators to bring over 17,000 chargers in the next year, said Chandra. The company is also encouraging shared charging in apartment complexes, he added.
Last month, Tata Motors unveiled two stores in Gurgaon catering only to EVs. Over the coming year, the company has plans to expand this retail initiative across the country, according to Chandra.
Just earlier this month, Tata Motors began production of passenger vehicles from its new plant in Sanand, Gujarat, which it had acquired last year from Ford. The new plant has a capacity to manufacture 300,000 units per year, scalable to 420,000 units per year.
