Tata launches electric Tiago, India's most affordable EV

In what would make electric cars more affordable in a country that is dominated by two-wheelers, India's largest electric carmaker Tata Motors on Wednesday unveiled Tiago.ev, one of the few electric four-wheelers priced under Rs 10 lakh.

Experts said the move will offer car buyers an electric option in the sub-10 lakh segment for the first time. "This is a very positive move as it will speed up the democratisation of EVs (electric vehicle) in the PC (passenger car) segment," said Suraj Ghosh, Director, Powertrain & Compliance Forecasts, South Asia, S&P Global Mobility.

"We believe now is the right time to fast forward the ongoing revolution towards the future of mobility by introducing vehicles that will encourage rapid adoption of EVs," said Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd.

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The most affordable variant, Tiago.ev XE, will have a 19.2-kilowatt hour battery and has an introductory price of Rs 8.49 lakh ex-showroom for the first 10,000 customers. This will give an MIDC (Modified Indian Driving Cycle) range of 250 km. The car also has another battery-pack option with a 24 kWh capacity with an MIDC range of 315 km.

While pointing to the real range' as a possible problem for some customers, Ghosh said the vehicle could be a good option for households looking to add another car.

"The real-world range could be a concern for some but should be accepted well by the intra-city commuters and fleet operators. It could be a good second car alternative as well," he added.

However, while answering a question about the need for different battery packs, Tata Motors' Chandra said that range anxiety was an overrated problem, citing their existing EV user data.

On the charging front, besides having the ability to charge their cars using a 15A plug-point, a standard 3.3kW AC charger or their home charger, Tiago.ev drivers will also be able to charge their vehicles from 10%- 80% in just 57 mins using the DC fast charging.

The newest addition to homegrown automaker's EV family, which can clock the speed of 0-60 in 5.7 seconds, will have two driving modes - city and sport.