After Nano, Tata launches India’s cheapest e-car to drive e-mobility among common masses

Almost 15 years back, Tata inspired hope with the launch of the Rs 1,00,000 Nano, which promised to make cars accessible to the common Indian masses. But Ratan Tata’s ambitious experiment didn’t work out as planned, and the company had to stop the production of Nano by 2020. But the steel-to-salt conglomerate known for relevance and credibility among Indian households has come back with India’s cheapest electric car Tiago EV, to drive common people towards e-mobility.

Practical approach to EV adoption in India

Priced at Rs 8.49 lakh, the e-car by Tata can help EV adoption in a country, where earning even Rs 25,000 makes you one of the top 10 per cent. This is the third electric car after two Nexon EV models and Tigor EV from Tata, which has captured 87 per cent of the EV market share. Tata has also established an infrastructure of 2,200 public charging stations to make EV ownership easier and has also provided 13,000 private charging units for households.

Bookings for 10,000 units will start from October, and existing Tata EV owners will have first dibs on the first 2000 Tiago EVs. The models with a 24 kWh battery will carry motorists to a distance of 315 kilometres, while the 19 kWh variant is good for a 250-kilometre drive. Its magnet synchronous electric motor, propels the Tiago EV to a speed of 60 kmph in 5.7 seconds, and it also achieves 80 per cent charge in just 57 minutes, making it quick in all departments.

Another attempt to woo the masses

Apart from stability issues, incidents of the Nano catching fire had blemished the initial euphoria around it, to fuel its decline. Currently, as several e-scooters and e-cars have gone up in flames recently, Tata is haunted by incidents involving the Nexon EV catching fire as well. Whether this affordable EV will win over the masses or meet the fate of Ratan Tata’s dream car Nano, only time will tell.

Chinese competition on the horizon?

Although Tesla is yet to enter Indian markets, the highest-selling EV won’t be available for less than Rs 50 lakh in the country, making it out of reach for most people. Even Indian EVs start at Rs 11 lakhs, and China’s top EV maker SAIC is yet to arrive in India while it sells $4500 EVs in the US, which is less than Rs 4 lakh. As per an agreement with Morris Garage, SAIC’s Wuling Air EV is set to hit Indian roads next year, at a price tag of less than Rs 10 lakh.