Tata Motors is currently leading the Indian EV race with more than 80% passenger EV market share. All this is thanks to its range of electric vehicles on sale today. The company’s EV portfolio ranges from the affordable Tiago & Tigor EV siblings to the Nexon Electric SUV. Notably, Tata has made the Nexon EV available in a host of different editions based on looks, i.e., the Jet Edition & the Dark Edition while another one that offers an increased range and performance package viz. the Nexon EV Max.
Rise Of Micro-Electric Vehicles
The Tiago.ev has become the country’s most affordable electric car and has been crossing milestones in terms of its booking numbers. This highlights the sort of car prospective EV buyers are looking for – an affordable & small, electric city car and the Tiago.ev ticks most boxes in this regard.
Such kind of a micro-electric car segment seems likely to have a lot of takers in the country as even MG is planning to capitalize on this space with its upcoming Air EV. Mahindra had also showcased its EV quadricycle, the Atom EV in the last AutoExpo whereas startups like PMV Electric; which recently unveiled its micro EV, the EaS-E; a two-seater micro EV would happily flock onto this space with their products too.
Speculation About The Nano EV
Here comes in the speculation about Tata Motors’ plan to revive Ratan Tata’s dream project, the Nano in an EV guise. Earlier this year, the company’s former chairman received an electric version of the Nano as a gift from the Pune-based Electra EV start-up that Tata founded himself. This news provided a firm ground for the speculation that a completely new, built from the ground up, born-electric version of the Nano could be in the works.
About Electra EV
For the unfamiliar ones, Electra EV is a manufacturer of electric vehicle battery packs, powertrains, battery management systems, and other EV components for Tata Motors. And the start-up specially made the Nano EV as a gift for Mr. Ratan Tata.
Can The Nano EV Become A Reality?
The Nano’s compact dimensions and surprisingly spacious inside would make it a perfect candidate from Tata Motors’ stable to be launched into this segment to further expand its range of EVs. The problems with the Nano’s noisy powertrain also can be easily addressed with its silent electric version.
However, it would be a complex thing for TaMo’s engineering team to manage the space for the battery pack and motor inside the Nano’s tiny engine bay at the rear. Not just that, the company which is so committed to offering safer vehicles will have an uphill task in front of it to make the electrified version of the Nano safe enough to achieve the maximum safety rating from testing agencies like Global NCAP.
Tata’s Tigor EV was also recently put through crash tests by G NCAP and it scored around the same points as its ICE sibling with a commendable four-star adult safety rating.
But despite all these speculations, the company has not released any official announcement regarding the Nano EV. When asked about the rumor, a Tata Motors spokesman said “Tata Motors doesn’t comment on speculation and forthcoming vehicles.”
Tata Motors’ EV Concepts
Keeping the Nano EV aside, the homegrown carmaker has showcased some pretty interesting EV concepts till now. Tata Motors, in the last Auto Expo, held back in 2020 had the Altroz EV, the Nexon EV, and the interesting Sierra EV Concept.
The Altroz and even the Sierra concept, which is based on the brand’s ALFA Architecture make it possible for Tata to create an effective electric version of the premium hatchback and SUV in the future. While the Punch, which is also based on the same platform could be the next in line for having its EV version launched by TaMo.
The latest EV concepts seen from the brand are the Curvv coupe E-SUV and the Avinya E-SUV based on Tata’s ‘Gen 3 electric architecture.’