Democratised EV

The Tata Tiago EV, India's most approachable electric vehicle, has arrived and is built on a traditional basis from the Tiago's combustion-engine predecessor. Here is our first drive report

- Kurt Morris

TATA MOTORS HAVE A STRONG presence in the Indian market they have been making efforts to expand their offerings in the electric vehicle (EV) segment. Tata Motors have launched a number of EVs, including the Tigor EV and the Nexon EV. The Tigor EV is the compact sedan that was launched in 2017 and set the ball rolling for the company in terms of getting into the EV market. It had a range of up to 142 kilometres on a single charge. The Nexon EV, launched in 2020, has a range of up to 312 km on a single charge. It also has a fast-charging option that allows it to get charged up to 80 per cent in just one hour. The Nexon EV is currently the best-selling EV in India. Building on all this learning, Tata Motors have launched the Tiago EV which they hope will democratise EV ownership.

Conventional experience in the cabin a good thing

With the Tiago EV, the company hopes to attract more automobile customers to the electric brigade than any other EV has been able to. This EV has received 20,000 reservations since its launch in India at a star price of Rs 8.49 lakh (ex-showroom), demonstrating that the general public is ready for reasonably priced electric mobility.

Harman 7.0-inch touchscreen works well.

Contrary to the negative connotations of affordability that are sometimes associated with EVs, the Tiago EV is a well-rounded product, especially given the price at which the technology is delivered. Similar to the 2016-released ICE-powered Tiago, the car's bodywork features exactly the same shape. Tata succeeded in giving the electric version a welcome facelift despite the six-year-old design. The car's front grille is adorned with the unmistakable tri-arrow ornamentation, while the top grille is painted in the signature blue hues Tata have used to decorate all their electric vehicles.