Tata already has the majority of the market share in the electric vehicle space courtesy of the good reception for the Nexon EV
Brands such as Maruti Suzuki and Toyota are banking big on hybridised vehicles as an alternative to the lack of diesel engines and to reduce the effects on the environment with high efficiency standards. However, not everyone has bought into the argument and Tata Motors, in particular, has developed a strategy to leapfrog the situation and establish an electric future.
Shailesh Chandra, MD, Tata Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility told in an interview: “If I’m not already invested in hybrids, why would I direct my resources to that technology also? I’ll put my 100% resource towards what is the future,” The homegrown auto major has a total of 2 billion USD investment in the pipeline for its EV operations.
He further noted that hybrid technology won’t make sense for Tata “till we get cornered by the end of the decade and this technology becomes an imperative for some reason.” If hybrids become so popular, Tata might consider entering the segment in the future but in the next five years, he does not see a role for hybrids in his brand’s domestic range.
Tata already has the majority of the market share in the electric vehicle space courtesy of the good reception for the Nexon EV and Tigor EV. Following the Nexon EV’s arrival, Tata expanded the portfolio with the inclusion of the updated Tigor EV and the Nexon EV Max with a bigger battery pack enabling a longer driving range on a single charge.
Only a few weeks ago, Tata introduced the Tiago EV with a highly attractive starting price of Rs. 8.49 lakh (ex-showroom) and is offered in multiple variants with an MIDC claimed driving range of up to 315 km. With four charging options and a long list of features including multi re-gen modes, the electric hatch has already been well received by customers.
The most affordable EV has garnered well over 10,000 bookings in a single day and seeing the response, Tata has extended the introductory prices to 10,000 more bookings. Tata plans to bring in more zero-emission vehicle over the next four years.