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Tata Motors launches electric variant of SUV Nexon; price starts at Rs 13.99 lakh

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MUMBAI: Domestic auto major Tata Motors on Tuesday rolled out the electric variant of its compact SUV Nexon for the personal segment at a starting price of Rs 13.99 lakh and said it plans to launch four more EVs in the next two years.

Of the four proposed electric vehicles (EVs), two will be sports utility vehicles, one sedan and a hatchback, Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran announced at the launch event, which was also attended byRatan Tata, the group’s Chairman Emeritus.

With Nexon EV a reality, the whole ecosystem for an electric vehicle is in place now, and its adoption will be much faster and easier going forward, he said.

Powered by in-house developed Ziptron technology, Nexon EV comes with a range of 312 km on a single charge and a high voltage system, fast charging capability, extended battery life and class leading safety features. Besides, it has 35 connected car features as well.

“We have four other products in the pipeline, two more SUVs, one sedan and one hatchback in the next 24 months…with the launch of this car, Tata Motors is launching, in fact, India’s first EV ecosystem,” Chandrasekaran said.

Globally, the shift toward electric vehicle is a mega trend that is irreversible, and taking into account the challenge of climate change, it is going to be a long-term trend, he said.

As many as 1.5 million vehicles were sold globally last year, a market which is only accelerating, he added.

“From the Indian market perspective, it is more important considering that we have 14-15 most polluted cities in the world,” the Tata Group chairman said.

As the crude oil is majorly imported from “geographically sensitive areas,” given that, the shift to electric vehicle is not only a trend but it is imperative from the Indian context, Chandrasekaran said.

“Shifting to electric mobility is not about building and selling more cars. It is about ecosystem that needs to be developed. You need the charging infrastructure, you need battery packs, cells and also you need very good financing options. All of this is critical if this whole shift to electric mobility has to become successful,” he said.

He said group companies such as Tata Power for providing charging infrastructure, Tata Chemicals for battery cells, Tata AutoComp for battery packs and Tata Motors Finance for specific solutions for EV financing have played a very “intensive and active” role in bringing the EV vision to reality.

Powered by a 129 PS permanent magnet AC motor powered by a 30.2 kWh lithium ion battery, the Nexon EV will be available in three trim levels across 60 authorised dealerships in 22 cities, the company said at the launch.

“After 16 months of strenuous effort, we are delighted to launch India’s own electric SUV, the Nexon EV. We are confident that this game-changing product will further reinforce our commitment towards developing sustainable and responsible mobility solutions for India,” company’s Managing Director and Chief Executive, Guenter Butschek, said.

On the charging side, Nexon EV’s battery can be charged up to 80 per cent within 60 minutes when plugged into a fast DC charger besides using a regular 15-ampere socket, which would account for a longer charging duration.

The company has already set up a network of about 100 electric vehicle charging stations so far, which it plans to increase to 300 by March this year, Tata Motors e-mobility business chief Shailesh Chandra said.

As an extension to the consumer’s digital lifestyle, Tata Motors has partnered with Croma to provide a digital retail experience to its customers.

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