Home-grown auto major Tata Motors on Tuesday launched the electric variant of its most-selling compact sports utility vehicle Nexon in the domestic market at a starting price of Rs 13.99 lakh (ex-showroom pan-India).
The company had unveiled the vehicle last December.
Tata Motors plans to launch four more electric vehicle (EV) models, including two SUVs, one hatchback and one sedan in the next 24 months, Tata Sons Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran announced at the launch.
The event was also attended by Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus, Tata Sons.
Powered by Ziptron technology, the electric SUV for the personal segment comes with a range of 312 km on a single charge and a high voltage system, fast charging capability, extended battery life and class leading safety features. Besides, it has 35 connected car features as well.
The Nexon EV will be available in three trim levels across 60 authorised dealerships in 22 cities, the company said at the launch.
The company is closely working with other group companies such as Tata Power, Tata Chemicals, Tata Autocomp, Tata Motors Finance and Croma to create an e-mobility ecosystem, Tata uniEVerse, for faster adoption of EVs in the country, Tata Motors said.
"E-mobility is an irreversible mega-trend and an imperative for addressing pollution and generating job opportunities in India," Chandrasekaran said.
"After 16 months of strenuous effort, we are delighted to launch India's own electric SUV, the Nexon EV. This high performance, connected vehicle is uniquely suited to address the aspirations of Indian customers, and making EVs mainstream," the company's managing director and chief executive, Guenter Butschek, said.
"We are confident that this game-changing product will further reinforce our commitment towards developing sustainable and responsible mobility solutions for India," he added.
Powered by Tata uniEVerse, consumers will have access to a suite of e-mobility offerings including charging solutions, innovative retail experiences and easy financing options, it said.
The automaker has partnered with Tata Power to provide end-to-end charging solutions at home, workplace and for captive and public charging.
Similarly, to develop the component supplier ecosystem, the company is collaborating with Tata Chemicals, which is working on manufacturing lithium-ion battery cells, exploring active chemicals manufacturing and battery recycling.
Besides, it is also working with Tata Autocomp for the localisation of battery pack assembly and motor assembly, among other tie-ups, Tata Motors said.
Photographs: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com.
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