Shailesh Chandra – President of Tata Motors’ Passenger Vehicles Business – has just revealed that the Indian automaker plans to launch no less than 10 new electric cars over the next five years. While Tata Motors currently holds over 80 % market share in the electric car segment in India, the automaker attributes this market share to lack of competition. In future, Tata Motors expects that its market share in the electric car space will dip but will be compensated by additional volumes. A launch blitz with 10 new electric cars will drive the growth in volumes. Here’s what Mr. Chandra told MoneyControl in an interview,
Tata Motors currently sells two electric cars in India – the Tigor EV and the Nexon EV. The Tigor is also India’s least priced electric car with prices starting from Rs. 12.49 lakh while the Nexon Electric SUV is positioned a couple of lakhs higher, at Rs. 14.99 lakh. Tata Motors recently introduced the Nexon EV MAX, which is an extended range version of the electric car. The Nexon EV Max has a claimed range of 437 kilometers, which translates to a true range of about 320-250 kilometers. This kind of range is more than sufficient for everyday city use, and most of the Nexon EV Max buyers are those seeking a fuss-free city SUV whose fuel expenses are extremely affordable.
Also read: India”s first Mahindra XUV700 with 22-inch alloy wheels
Coming to the slew of new electric cars that Tata Motors has planned for India, the Altroz premium hatchback is a prime candidate for electrification. In fact, Tata Motors has even showcased an Altroz EV in the past. Another car that Tata Motors plans to electrify in the near future is the Punch, which is currently available only with a petrol engine. Both the Altroz and Punch Electric variants could start from under Rs. 10 lakh. Tata Motors has also showcased the Currv and Avinya electric car concepts, both of which could see the production line sometime in future.
In the mid-size and full-size SUV space, Tata Motors’ mainstay continues to be diesel power at the moment. However, electric variants for the Harrier and Safari SUVs is said to be in the works. Tata’s arch-rival Mahindra is said to be working on a range of electric SUVs including the XUV700 and Scorpio. Tata Motors will have to respond to competition, and we expect both the Harrier and Safari to get some kind of electrification. Notably, Mahindra will soon launch the XUV400, which is the electric version of the XUV300 compact SUV. The Mahindra XUV400 Electric will take on the Tata Nexon EV.
Also read: 10 DC Design cars & how they look in the REAL world: Maruti Swift to Mahindra XUV500
Source link
