I am planning to drive from Hyderabad to Chennai on a trip in a Tata Punch EV 40 kWh variant. Is this trip feasible in the Punch EV? Also, approximately how many charging stops would I need to make along the way?

Autocar India

•1d

Opting for an EV seems like a better bet, as that safeguards you from the uncertainties around higher ethanol-blended fuel in the future. With an Rs 11 lakh budget, you can pick the Tata Punch EV. It is an excellent, well-rounded option. However, go for an EV only if you can arrange for home charging. Relying solely on public charging for an EV isn't ideal.If you can't account for home charging, you could consider a Hyundai i20 IVT instead. It is a smooth, refined, and spacious car.

Tata Punch EV

Hyundai i20

Autocar India

•2d

If you're referring to the Kia Syros EV, it may be worth waiting if you're not in a hurry. Given what we've already seen with the Syros ICE, the Syros EV is expected to offer significantly more cabin space and practicality than the Punch EV. In fact, the Syros is closer to the Nexon in terms of overall size and interior room, so the EV version is likely to appeal to buyers looking for a more spacious family car.The trade-off is that the Syros EV will almost certainly be more expensive than the Punch EV and is expected to be positioned closer to the Nexon EV in terms of battery size, range and pricing.For your usage of office commutes and occasional road trips around Bangalore, the Punch EV facelift is already a very well-rounded product. It is well priced, easy to drive in the city and offers enough range for most use cases.

Kia Syros

Tata Punch EV

Tata Nexon EV

Tata Nexon

Autocar India

•3d

The Tata Punch EV Long Range is a meaningful upgrade from the Tiago EV LR. You get significantly more real-world range, a more spacious cabin, better ground clearance and a much richer feature list. If range anxiety on highway trips is the main reason for upgrading, the Punch EV addresses that far better than the Tiago EV.As for resale, EVs currently depreciate faster than equivalent petrol cars, with the steepest drop occurring in the first three years. A large part of that depreciation has already happened on your Tiago EV.Looking at current used-car listings, 2023 Tiago EV Long Range examples with mileage similar to yours are generally advertised in the Rs 6.5 lakh range, depending on variant, condition and city.Since you bought the car for Rs 11.4 lakh and have already completed 25,000km, this is actually not a bad time to sell if you are certain about upgrading. Waiting another two or three years will give you more value out of the car through usage, but it is unlikely to significantly improve the percentage of value retained. In fact, as newer EVs with better range continue to arrive, older EVs tend to face greater depreciation pressure.

Tata Punch EV

Tata Tiago EV