Tata Motors will launch an all-new electric vehicle in the January-March quarter of this year featuring a new in-house developed technology called Ziptron.
The company has not disclosed the vehicle type that it would be launching but market sources expect it to be the electric version of the Altroz premium hatchback, the petrol version of which will debut in a few months.
The Ziptron technology would be most flexible in using the twin platforms - Alfa and Omega - of Tata Motors on which the Altroz will be based. The mid-size SUV Harrier was the first to have used the new platforms.
Tata Motors believes the average distance that a car travels in a day is 50-60 km. Buyers of electric vehicles, therefore do not need vehicles which can travel more than 400 kms on a full charge. Higher range means more expensive to the pocket.
"We don't need a 450km range electric vehicle when the actual driving usage range is 150 km," said Guenter Butschek, Managing Director, Tata Motors.
Hyundai Motor India, the country's second-largest carmaker, launched the Kona, a fully electric SUV having a price tag of just under Rs 24 lakh. More than 100 units of the Kona have already been sold in less than three months.
Due to its high cost, Tata Motors has decided against developing small entry-level electric cars for the time being as the cost of ownership makes it economically unviable for the car owner. As per an internal study done by Tata Motors, consumers are willing to pay 20-25 percent more for an electric vehicle when given a choice to dump their existing petrol/diesel car.
The Ziptron technology, which features a permanent magnet type AC motor, will power all upcoming Tata Motors electric vehicles. Tata Motors has tested the technology across 1 million km after four years of research and development.
Ziptron is a 300 Volts, high voltage powertrain that provides 'fast charging, long-range, zippy performance and a battery with a warranty of eight years', according to the company.
Tata Motors is one of only three companies who is selling electric vehicles in India (Mahindra and Hyundai being the other two). Tata Motors recently opened sales of the electric Tigor to the common public after having sold the vehicle to the Government-owned company EESL.
Due to high purchase cost and absence of any direct subsidy from the central government electric vehicles have failed to make a mark in the personal buyer space.
Under the Phase II program of Faster Adoption amd Manufacturing of Electric and Hybrid Vehicle (FAME) the government will subsidise electric cars only for commercial users i.e who run the vehicle as taxis. Personal buyers do not get any direct subsidy; however, they are eligible for state-sponsored incentives such as zero registration charges.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
