Tata Motors is set to democratise the auto industry once again when it launched its cheapest electric vehicle (EV), Tiago EV, and is offering it at a price of INR849,000 ($10,373/AED38,095) for the first 10,000 customers.
Tiago is the third EV model in Tata’s portfolio after Nexon EV and Tigor EV. Bookings for the new hatchback will begin on October 10 and deliveries will start by January next year. It is much cheaper than India’s next most affordable EV – Tata’s own Tigor, a compact sedan with a price tag starting at approximately $15,000.
India is the world’s fourth largest car maker, which is very price sensitive. Tata Motors had launched a compact car in 2008 which broke every price barrier at the time – the model Nano cost INR100,000 ($1,222/AED4,485), but struggled with various logistic and technical issues before discontinuing it in 2018 and moving to EV production.
The e-car will be offered with an eight-year or 160,000 km battery and motor warranty. Tiago EV comes with two battery options – a 24kWh battery that offers a range of 315 km on a full charge, and a lighter 19.2kWh that is expected to deliver a range of 250 km. Customers have four charging options – using a 15 A socket at home, a 3.3 kW AC charger, a 7.2 kW AC home fast charger, and a DC fast charger.
Shailesh Chandra, managing director of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, said: “With the launch of the Tiago EV, the nation can take a giant leap forward in an ideal fun hatch which offers premium, safety and technology features, eco-friendly footprint, and spirited performance, all made even more desirable with the added advantage of a low cost of ownership.”
“We are not chasing to be the lowest cost,” said Chandra, adding the aim was to pack in connected car features and other advanced technologies while keeping the price accessible.
He said the car’s “disruptive” pricing would open new opportunities and markets for Tata in smaller towns and cities, where buyers tend to be more price-conscious.
The company said Tiago EV has a peak output of 55 kw and a peak torque of 114 Nm. It can accelerate from 0-60 kmph in 5.7 seconds. It will be equipped with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, an eight-speaker Harman infotainment system, and other connected car technologies. It will have automatic projector headlamps, fog lamps, dual-tone alloy wheels, and hill ascent/descent assist, among other features.
With Nexon and Tigor, Tata Motors has already managed to capture 88 percent of India’s electric passenger vehicle market. The company sold 3,845 EVs comprising Nexon EV Prime, Nexon EV Max, and Tigor EV in August 2022, as against 4,022 units in July 2022.
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