Tata Motors working on an all-electric Nexon - Report

Tata Motors recently disclosed at its 74th Annual General Meeting that it is readying a Nexon EV and that it will launch it in the next 18 months.

Speaking of the launches, Tata's Chairman N Chandrasekaran revealed that Tata Motors is readying four EVs for India which include all-electric versions of the Nexon compact SUV, upcoming Altroz EV, an updated long-range iteration of Tigor EV, while the fourth model remains undisclosed.

"In the next 12-18 months we will have five electric vehicles in the market. This will be the Tigor, electric Nexon, electric Altroz, a new Tigor with higher mileage and one more vehicle," Chandrasekaran said.

Details about the Nexon EV are scarce at the moment. The pure electric SUV may share its battery tech and motor with the Altroz EV which was showcased at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. A DC fast-charging option would be offered.

Tata Motors has thrown a tentative target range of around 250-300 km on a full charge which is almost double than that of the current 140 km range (ARAI tested) of the Tigor EV. The company has also hinted 60 min charging time for 80% charge using DC fast chargers. What's not confirmed is the price that Tata is eyeing on both the models. Reports suggest that the Altroz EV could cost over INR 10 lakh, and the same is expected for the Nexon EV.

Also, the third on the list, Tigor EV is up for improvement in the coming time. It will be updated with a larger battery pack for an extended range. The current setup on the Tigor EV includes a 16.2 kWh battery pack which delivers 140 km of full range. With the revised battery setup, the Tigor EV is expected to deliver around 180 km range on a full charge. Tata Motors will be carrying out the updates as per the feedback received by the government employees the current Tigor EV has been allotted to. With the extended range, the company may finally commence sales to private buyers.

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Tata Group is also planning to setup an INR 4,000Cr Lithium-ion battery plant in Gujarat. The Tata Nexon's rival Mahindra XUV300 will also get a pure electric variant, by mid-2020.