Tata will utilise three platforms to bring up its lineup of future passenger EVs including a dedicated skateboard EV architecture
Tata Motors announced a new standalone EV subsidiary known as TPEML (Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited) and it will be responsible for launching future EVs. With an investment of Rs. 15,000 crore over the next four years, Tata is focussed on launching as many as ten new electric vehicles in India. TPEML will utilise three platforms to bring up its lineup of passenger EVs.
One will a conventional ICE platform, the second is a bespoke EV architecture and the third is a dedicated skateboard platform. The brand is currently the best-selling EV maker courtesy of the Nexon EV and Tigor EV and both are based on X1 and X0 ICE platforms repsectively modified to suit the battery packs and necessary internals, and the same formula will continue.
Tata is currently working on a stretched version of the Nexon and it will be positioned in the midsize SUV segment to compete against Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, VW Taigun, Skoda Kushaq and the likes. It will take the SUV coupe form and will be offered with combustion engines as well as an electric powertrain with the latter possibly arriving first around 2024.
However, using an ICE platform has its limitations and thus Tata is preparing an EV architecture known as Sigma and is based on the ALFA debuted in the Altroz. The heavily modified platform has its transmission tunnel removed, fuel tank area tweaked and side members altered to bring forth a flat floor that will liberate space for a large battery pack.
Therefore, the Sigma based electric vehicles will more likely be lighter and offer longer battery range. It will underpin the forthcoming Sierra EV and a lot of other models will follow in the future. A skateboard pure BEV platform is specifically developed for EVs from scratch and thus engineers will have more freedom to work on interior space, overall weight, design and efficiency.
The platform will only be used in the next generation Tata EVs and possibilities are currently being evaluated to either source the skateboard from an outside supplier or develop one on its own. Tata is said to have benchmarked Hyundai and Kia’s E-GMP dedicated EV base that can be found in the well-received Ioniq 5 and EV6.