Super cheap electric car set to launch in India

On the occasion of World Electric Vehicle Day 2022, Tata Motors has announced the addition of a new product to its electric vehicle portfolio - the Tiago EV. The vehicle is expected to be available in the Indian market in the next few months.

The Tiago EV was first unveiled as a concept at an event in the UK and later at the Indian Auto Expo, positioned below the Tigor EV. Based on the exterior images, the Tiago EV has similar dimensions and front lines to the Mitsubishi Mirage while the rear resembles the Hyundai Grand i10.

The Tata Tiago EV Concept at the 2018 Indian Auto Expo. Photo: Indian Auto Blog

Shailesh Chandra - Director of Passenger Vehicles Division of Tata Motors said that the company plans to launch 10 electric vehicles in different segments, with different body styles and prices.

There are no official specifications for the Tata Tiago EV yet. The car may share the same chassis platform and engine with its "senior" Tigor EV that is already on the market.

Tata Motors has up to 3 engine options for the Tigor EV and Tigor X-Press T EV (service vehicle).

First is the standard version with 41 horsepower and 105Nm torque, with 2 battery options - 16.5kWh type for the car to run 165 km after each charge and 21.5kWh type for the car to run 213 km after each charge in the Tigor X-Press T EV service car version.

Meanwhile, the Ziptron version is only available in the Tigor EV model for individual customers, using an electric motor with a capacity of 75 horsepower and 170Nm of torque. This version uses a 26kWh lithium-ion battery pack that supports fast charging and allows the car to travel a distance of 306 km after each charge.

Tiago EV will likely share the same engine as Tigor EV. Photo: Car Trade

Interestingly, the Tigor EV has a split battery pack, with one part located in the trunk. It is not yet clear whether Tata Motors will adopt this design for the Tiago EV.

The price of the car has not been revealed yet, but with its positioning below the Tigor EV, the Tiago EV could become the cheapest product in the Indian electric car market.

The Tigor EV is currently the cheapest electric car in India, priced at Rs 1.22 lakh (US$ 16,000). Not long ago, Mumbai-based electric vehicle startup PMV Electric announced that it would launch the EaS-E microcar, which is half the price – starting at Rs 400,000 (US$ 5,000). However, there has been no further information since then.

The Tiago EV is part of Tata Motors' plan to increase its presence in the electric vehicle market. Photo: Drive Spark

Tata Motors is a famous low-cost car brand in India, which shocked the auto industry in 2008 when it launched the world's cheapest car - Tata Nano, with a selling price of only 100,000 Rupees, equivalent to 2,000 USD at the exchange rate at that time.

Despite being well-built and not bad looking, the Nano failed to change the face of transportation in India. The problem lies in the way it was introduced, initially marketed, and the company's inability to sustain its momentum.

Shortly after the Nano was launched, a number of car fires occurred, severely damaging the brand image. Once the initial excitement of the world’s cheapest car died down, people took a harsher view of the Nano.

Fires, quality issues, and the tag of “the cheapest car in the world” meant that few people wanted to buy the Nano. The technical issues were later fixed, and the car was upgraded several times, with new, higher-end versions aimed at the youth. However, sales did not improve, and the Tata Nano was eventually discontinued in 2018.