Tata Motors to announce 'something important' on electric vehicles strategy soon

The Narendra Modi government had earlier announced its ambitious plan that sees India using only electric vehicles by 2030. Following the announcement, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has sent a clear message to automakers to move to alternative-fuel vehicles.

Automakers have started to shift focus from fossil-fuelled vehicles and home-grown automaker Tata Motors has ambitious plan to be the leader in transition. The country's fifth largest car-maker will make an important announcement in a few weeks on its electric vehicle programme, reports Money Control quoting a top company official.

"We will have something important to announce about electric vehicles in the next few weeks," Guenter Butschek, Managing Director, Tata Motors told the publication. "Tata Motors is committed to the clarion call given by the government to switch to fully electric mobility by 2030," added Butschek.

Tata Motors has been working on electric cars and heavy vehicles for quite some time. Tata Motors and its wholly-owned UK-based subsidiary Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC) had unveiled Tiago EV concept earlier this month in the UK. Tiago EV utilises a liquid cooled 85kW drive motor developing 200Nm of torque driving front wheels through a single speed gearbox. The concept attains 0-100 kmph speed in less than 11 seconds and has a top speed of 135 kmph.

Satish Borwankar, Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Tata Motors, recently confirmed that there are alternative plans for its flagship low-cost small car, Nano. He also hinted at a Nano with the electric powertrain. Both Tiago and Nano electric versions may become the initial models of Tata Motors' EV launch plan.

In the electric CV scene, Tata Motors went a step further by starting a pilot run for its electric bus. Tata Motors in association with Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) and Chandigarh Transport Department has started the process of introducing electric buses under its Smart City plan. Tata's electric bus, christened Ultra Electric, is nine-metre long and has a capacity of 31 seats.

The bottom line is Tata Motors is ready to embrace electric vehicle future of the automobile industry. Will the company launch a new brand exclusively for electric vehicles?

Source: moneycontrol