Tata Punch EV soon to be released with re-style looks: Shailesh Chandra
Shailesh Chandra, MD of
Tata Motors
, discussed the company's future products and strategy during the recent launch of the updated Tata Harrier and Tata Safari. He also emphasised the steps that the central and state governments need to take to strengthen the nation's disjointed charging infrastructure."The government should require OMCs (Oil Marketing Companies) to install additional fast chargers, especially on the roads. They gain from this also, as it gives them a different source of income," Chandra said during a sit-down interview with Moneycontrol. "The government requested that OMCs install 22,000 chargers, but the request still needs to be fulfilled.
"Tata Power by itself is insufficient, despite the fact that we have gone to tremendous lengths to achieve critical mass with it," he continued. "At the domestic level, there is currently no regulation requiring housing societies and residential complexes to provide shared charging stations. That must be dealt with," he remarked.
Even though they have been updated with ADAS technology, the new Harrier and Safari SUVs have the same engine as before and stand out for not having all-wheel drive. But Chandra made it clear that he would much prefer to invest in electric technology, which will make up half of the brand's passenger
EV
sales by 2030, as there is very little need for 4x4 technology."I can look at giving them all alternatives, including a 4x4 option, with the future Harrier EV. There will undoubtedly be a market for something in the area. The long-term viability of investing in 4x4 technology for an ICE vehicle is questionable. Our preference is to concentrate on the future," adds Chandra, whose most recent offerings are built around a former Land Rover chassis. To enable all-wheel drive on an electric vehicle, their future SUVs would need to be fitted with a dual-motor setup, where each axle is powered by a separate motor. Tata's EVs, such as the
Tiago EV
and Nexon EV, use a single-motor setup.Tata does not plan to mine the Gen 1 platform, which is the foundation of the Nexon and Tiago EV, for more electrification. Its upcoming product, which is anticipated to be on sale in November or December, is the first to be built on the Gen 2 platform, which has more functionality than any other platform. "Range is the main advantage of Gen 2. Prismatic cells may be packaged, and Gen 1 works better with cylindrical cells due to its ability to fit into tight spaces. But further ahead, prismatic cells will be used by the majority of worldwide EVs. The Punch, a small SUV from Tata, will soon be available with electric propulsion. But considering how much the product is changing, Punch's name may be altered.
"Gen 2 also gives us more form factor flexibility." Accordingly, the Punch EV, which is on the way, will be designed to resemble an EV more," he stated. Aerodynamics is one of the main benefits employed by EV manufacturers to increase a vehicle's range, even though Chandra would not clarify whether aerodynamics will be improved to boost range. We'll also be adding a tonne of additional tech and multimedia features, some of which were shown in the new Nexon EV, along with an upgrade to more modern, efficient electric motors. because studies have indicated that when their EVs are charging, individuals would much rather spend more time inside of them.