Jayem Neo EV will have a driving range of around 200 km, and will sport the same design inside-out as the now-discontinued Tata Nano
Back in 2017, Tata Motors and Jayem Automotives had announced a joint project – an entry-level electric car. This vehicle was to be based on the Tata Nano, and a few test models were spotted in the following years. Earlier this year, the two companies ended their joint venture, and the electric Nano faded was lost in limbo, until now.
Recently, another test model of the Tata Nano EV was spotted in the streets of Pune. The vehicle had the same exterior and interior design as the Nano, but had a fully-digital LCD instrument console instead of an analogue one. We expect the vehicle to get updated safety features as well, as the old Nano wouldn’t comply with today’s safety regulations.
Also, it was confirmed back in 2017 that the Tata Nano EV was to be christened ‘Jayem Neo’. It seems like the vehicle is going to use the same name, as the test model was wearing ‘Neo’ badge instead of ‘Tata’. However, this Nano-based EV was supposed to only be available as a fleet vehicle previously. Now, the market has changed, and the Jayem Neo could potentially be a mass-market vehicle.
Earlier this year, Jayem Neo was put on display, and its specifications were also revealed. The video above, posted by SMILEY TAMILAN TECH, gives us a quick walkaround of the vehicle. The Neo draws power from a 17.7 kWh battery pack, and can deliver an ARAI-certified driving range of 203 km on a full charge. The top speed of the Neo EV is rated at 85 kmph, and the vehicle is FAME-II certified.
Initially, Jayem Neo was to be inducted into Ola Cabs’ fleet. A prototype spotted back in 2018 had Ola’s livery, and seemed to be in near-production form. Due to some reason though, nothing came out of it. Interestingly, now that carmakers in India are racing to develop an entry-level EV for the Indian market, Jayem Neo could be the perfect piece for this puzzle.
That said, the Indian EV market is still in infancy, and introducing an entry-level electric car this early might not be a good idea. Regular car buyers are still unwilling to jump over to electric mobility, and thus fleet operations seem to be the only logical solution. Tata Motors will be introducing more EVs in the near future though; the Altroz EV and Tigor EV facelift are expected to launch sometime during next year, and we expect the HBX EV to be unveiled soon as well.