Definitely targeting exports with Tata electric cars, says company VP

While Tata Motors is certainly leading the domestic electric passenger vehicle segment with the Tigor EV extended range variant and the Nexon EV, the company is keen on exporting its electric cars in the years to come.

Anand Kulkarni, Vice President, Passenger EVs, Tata Motors has confirmed that Tata is looking to target right-hand-drive markets to export its electric cars, in interaction with Telegraph India. This will let them save development costs (as LHD conversion would take up time and resources) and start exporting sooner. Mr Kulkarni said that for now Tata Motors is looking to focus on India before exploring new markets.

The first export market for the Tata Nexon EV was confirmed as Nepal by Sujan Roy, company’s Head of International Business, Passenger Vehicles – Tata Motors. Roy was speaking to the Nepali media last year (before the situation with the COVID-19 emerged that disrupted the production ramp-up of the Nexon EV) and had said the long-range Tata electric car would reach the mountain nation around May this year.

The company’s third electric car is the Tata Altroz Electric, which gets the same Ziptron powertrain from the Nexon EV. We expect it to be priced around 15-20 per cent more than its ICE counterpart. The Nexon EV offers a range of 312 km with its 30.2 kWh battery and with a lighter kerb weight, the Altroz EV can be expected to offer a slightly better range if it is to get the same battery pack. Going forward, all electric cars targeted at the personal segment (such as the Altroz EV and the HBX EV) will be based on Ziptron tech, while the commercial segment vehicles like the Tigor EV would use the low-cost Electra EV powertrain.

Tata is not ruling out the launch of bigger electric vehicles but will wait till the market and the technology is ready. With the Nexon EV, Tata believes it has hit the sweet spot with respect to the price, battery range and time of launch.

Tata Motors will also be launching an electric variant of a sedan that we will believe will rival the Maruti Ciaz, Honda City and Hyundai Verna. The Tata Peregrin (codename) will also be offered in petrol and diesel engine options which would be the volume spinners. The electric sedan is a part of Tata’s short-term product plan to launch four electric cars by 2022 that will include a hatchback (Altroz EV) and two SUVs (HBX EV and likely the Sierra EV).

[Source: telegraphindia.com]