Last Updated on April 9, 2022 by Anu Joy
Tata Motors is reportedly developing a new electric-only platform for its upcoming electric vehicles. Tata Motors’ electric vehicles such as the Nexon EV and Tigor EV have received a tremendous response in the Indian market. It currently holds a market share of about 90 percent in the electric four-wheeler space. Tata Motors sold over 19,000 EVs in the last fiscal year. Such is the dominance of the homegrown EV manufacturer.
Tata Motors is looking to capitalise on the lead it has taken in the electric car industry in India by adding more products to its lineup. Last year in 2021, the company raised $1 billion from private equity fund TPG for its EV unit, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited (TPEML). The firm had announced that it will invest about $2 billion to develop EVs. Developing an electric-only platform is the priority for Tata motors as they had been using heavily modified ICE car platforms for their EVs till now. The company will also be developing a skateboard EV platform like Hyundai’s E-GMP platform in the future.
Tata’s New EV Platform For Future Cars
According to a report, TPEML will be developing a new electric-only ‘Sigma’ architecture for future models, which might make its debut with the SUV based on the Tata Curvv concept. The Sigma platform will be a modified version of the ALFA architecture, which underpins the Tata Altroz and Tata Punch. For electrification, the transmission tunnel will be deleted from the ALFA platform. Also, the fuel tank area will be repurposed and the side members will be pushed towards the outer ends to make room for large battery packs.
The ALFA architecture is said to support vehicles up to 4.3-metres in length. So, expect the electric Sigma architecture for the Altroz EV and Tata Punch EV. Currently, the Nexon electric SUV is based on the X1 platform meant for ICE models. The manufacturer utilised the available space to fit in a battery pack and a motor, which may not be ideal for future long-range vehicles.
The Sigma platform will allow Tata Motors to keep the weight low and also offer an extended driving range of up to 500 kilometres. Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, has hinted that the cars based on this platform should be out in the next two years.
The largest car manufacturer in India, Maruti Suzuki, is yet to come out with an EV car. Although the company is working on one, it won’t arrive before 2025. The second-largest manufacturer, Hyundai, has only the Kona EV, which falls in a niche category. Another Indian manufacturer, Mahindra, also lacks an electric vehicle in its portfolio. Suffice to say, Tata Motors will continue to lead the EV market in India for the next two years at least.
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