Tata Motors first Indian carmaker to roll out 50,000th EV

Tata Motors today rolled out its 50,000th electric vehicle – a Nexon EV Max – from its Pune plant. The milestone comes four years and 11 months after the company had rolled out its first EV – the Tigor EV – on December 6, 2017 from its Sanand plant in Gujarat.

The company, which is the elctric passenger vehicle market leader, has three models – the Nexon EV, Tigor EV and the fleet-only XPres-T EV – plying on the roads. They will soon be joined by the Tiago EV, for which bookings began last month. With the electric hatchback joining the Nexon (SUV) and the Tigor (sedan), Tata ‘s EV portfolio covers the bulk of the passenger vehicle segment, other than vans.

According to Tata Motors, what has helped its EV programme and market growth "is the proactive policy environment, positive word of mouth from existing customers, practical product options, better ride and handling and attractive cost of ownership."

Demand for its EV portfolio has grown year on year (see data table below).
TATA MOTORS EV SALES
Fiscal: Units
FY2018: 131
FY2019: 349
FY2020: 1,325
FY2021: 4,216
FY2022: 19,106
FY2023: 20,805*
Total: 45,932
*April-September ‘22

Commenting on the rollout of the 50,000th EV, Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility said, “As the pioneers of EVs in the country, the onus of ensuring successful adoption was on us. With a well calibrated product mix, strong consumer-facing initiatives, we have been able to address barriers to EV adoption. We created an entire EV ecosystem with Tata Group companies to provide simple, cost-effective solutions for our customers.”

He added, “Celebrating the 50,000 EVs in India is a strong testament to how our portfolio is resonating with people across the country. EVs are offering a practical solution to problems of rising fuel price and worsening pollution. Customers are now ready to welcome EVs and we are thrilled to witness the transition from early adopters to now EVs becoming a mainstream choice for Indian customers.” 

Hormazd Sorabjee, editor, Autocar India, tweeted: “Amazing how a legacy brand has run away with the EV market. Lesson here is to give the customer what they actually need not what you think they need. Fine balance of price, range and features the formula for Tata Motors’ success.”

To enhance the EV ownership experience, Tata Motors offers software updates to existing EV customers. And, to achieve greater consumer reach, the EV maker has entered 80 new cities, expanding its network to more than 165 cities.

The EV advantage
Tata Motors, which has targeted sales of 500,000 PVs including 50,000 EVs in the ongoing fiscal year (FY2023) is well set to achieve its goal. At end-October 2022 with 317,667 units, it is 182,333 units away from that target – Tata is averaging monthly sales of 45,381 units which means the half-a-million target is being seen clean and large in its crosshairs.

The EV portfolio gives Tata Motors a sizeable advantage in the domestic passenger vehicle market. Its first real challenge will come when the all-electric Mahindra XUV400 with 456km range is launched early next year.

The Tata Nexon EV, which is the best-selling product in the EV portfolio, also gives a boost to overall Nexon sales. In the first half of FY2023, the Nexon was the best-selling utility vehicle in India with 86,197 units.

The company has sold a total of 20,805 EVs in the first six months of FY2023 (April-September 2022). The Tiago EV, India’s most affordable EV with an introductory pricing of Rs 849,000 (through to Rs 11.79 lakh), whose deliveries will begin in January 2023, is expected to help Tata achieve its 50,000-EV units goal.

Going forward, Tata Motors is focusing on a three-phased architecture approach for EVs and has ambitious plans to launch 10 EVs in five years.