Tata Motors Limited announced last week that it would launch a new product in its personal electric vehicle segment in Q4 of FY 19-20.

The vehicle, called the Nexon EV, is expected to be powered by Tata’s Ziptron technology.

Shailesh Chandra, president – Electric Mobility Business & Corporate Strategy, Tata Motors, said, “We are proud to announce that Nexon EV will be available for personal buyers in India from Q4 (Jan-Mar) FY19-20. Powered by the cutting-edge Ziptron technology, Nexon EV promises to address the barriers that exist in the EV market today and will deliver thrilling on-road performance, ensuring zero-emission. We are confident that the new Nexon EV will further raise the bar for electric cars, making EVs an aspirational choice for consumers.”

The car is expected to be capable of traveling 300 km on a single charge. The Nexon EV is a sports utility vehicle that will target aspirational customers looking to buy their first electric vehicle. According to Tata, the car will be equipped with an efficient high voltage system, zippy performance, fast charging capability, battery and motor with a warranty of 8 years, and adherence to IP67 (dust and water-proof) standard.

The vehicle is expected to be priced between ₹1.5 million ($21,000) to 1.7 million ($24,000). Tata Motors claims that the Nexon EV will make EVs more accessible to Indian customers.

In June 2018, Tata Motors and Mahindra and Mahindra signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Maharashtra government to roll out 1,000 EVs in the state. These EVs will be available in both the passenger and commercial markets.

Before that, Tata Motors had announced the rolling out of its first batch of electric vehicles for the public sector joint venture Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL). The Tigor EV vehicle was produced at the Tata Motors production line in Sanand, Gujarat.

The time is ripe for new EV entrants in the market. The government has been trying to push the cause of intelligent mobility among the masses, and to do that; it has announced various incentives for the uptake of EVs as well.

At the 36^th GST Council meeting held recently, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, decided that the GST rate on all the electric vehicles be reduced from 12% to 5%. Moreover, the GST rates on chargers or charging stations for EVs have been reduced from 18% to 5%. The council also decided that the hiring of electric buses (carrying capacity more than 12 passengers) by local authorities will be exempted from GST.

However there are not enough charging stations in the country for consumers to be able to travel in EVs without range anxiety.

Anjana is a news editor at Mercom India. Before joining Mercom, she held roles of senior editor, district correspondent, and sub-editor for The Times of India, Biospectrum and The Sunday Guardian. Before that, she worked at the Deccan Herald and the Asianlite as chief sub-editor and news editor. She has also contributed to The Quint, Hindustan Times, The New Indian Express, Reader’s Digest (UK edition), IndiaSe (Singapore-based magazine) and Asiaville. Anjana holds a Master’s degree in Geography from North Bengal University, and a diploma in mass communication and journalism from Guru Ghasidas University, Bhopal.