Tata Motors drives in Curvv EV at Rs 17.49 lakh. Features, bookings and more...

Tata Motors, which leads the passenger electric vehicle market in India, is confident of EV sales picking up in the country, despite the slowdown seen in the market in the last few months after the FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles in India) subsidies ended in March.

On Wednesday, the homegrown car maker drove in the much-awaited Curvv EV. Starting at Rs 17.49 lakh, it is attractively priced, closer to some of its midsize ICE (internal combustion engine) rivals with automatic transmission.

"The Curvv EV price is positioned competitively against on-road prices of entry automatic versions of popular ICE mid SUVs. With these prices, we have achieved price parity with ICE vehicles in the mid-SUV segment," said Shailesh Chandra, MD, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility.

The company also showcased the ICE variant of the Curvv, which will sit on the new ATLAS (adaptive tech forward lifestyle) architecture and get new petrol and diesel engines mated to manual and automatic powertrains.

However, the ICE variant will go on sale at a later date and prices are also going to be disclosed only on September 2.

The Curvv EV though is really something the company is betting on and is feature-packed inside and out.

It has a coupe design, with flush door handles, 18 inch alloy wheels with aero inserts and squared wheel arches, smart connected DRLs, panaromic sunroof, powered tailgate among other things.

On the inside, features include ventilated front seats, two-stage rear seat reclining, a 31.24 cm touchscreen by Harman, JBL sound system and connected car features.

It also gets a host of safety features including level 2 of ADAS (advanced driver assistance system), six airbags, acoustic vehicle alert, electronic parking brake etc.

There are two battery pack options 45 kWh and 55 kWh, with an ARAI certified range of 502 km and 585 km respectively. The 55kWh battery pack incorporates prismatic cells (1.2C rated) for faster charging speeds, enabling charging from 10 to 80 per cent in 40 minutes.

There will be three drive modes, multi-mode regeneration with paddle shifters and a high ground clearance of 190 mm.

Curvv EV bookings open on August 12, with deliveries starting August 23.

However, EV sales have slowed in recent months, especially in the fleet segment which accounted for almost 20 per cent of sales, after the FAME subsidies ended in March. Chandra said while fleet sales had come down, demand in personal segment had been stable.

"There was a huge preponment of offtake that happened in March because of FAME-II coming to expiry. That is why there was huge pre-buy and now there is a postponement because there is an expectation of FAME III," he said.

Chandra maintains that in the long-term EVs offer the best technology for the industry.

"What are the inflection points? There is a CAFE (corporate average fuel efficiency) regulation that hits you in 2027; which would force the OEMs also to go for EVs," he felt.

In a bid to reduce emissions and air pollution India transitioned to the Bharat Stage VI emission norms in 2020 from BS IV earlier. The third level of CAFE norms are likely in 2027.

"I am absolutely not worried about the future of EVs because this is bound to grow very fast in coming years," said Chandra.

Tata Motors will continue to focus on building its portfolio and offering a wide range of products to customers.

The Curvv is the fifth EV launched by Tata Motors after the Nexon EV, Tigor EV, Punch EV and Tiago EV.