With the launch of the Tiago EV, Tata Motors says it has now completed the first phase of its three-step electrification journey, and thus, the Tiago EV will be the last Generation-1 EV from the firm.
- Gen-1 means quick EV conversions of existing platforms
- Four Gen-2 products in the works
Speaking to Autocar India at the launch, Shailesh Chandra, managing director of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles division, says, “This [the Tiago EV] will be the last Gen-1 product. Now, we enter Generation-2.”
In Tata parlance, Gen-1 refers to quick conversions of the company’s existing platforms and fitting battery packs as cost effectively as possible. As Chandra puts it, "Our strategy has been to evolve with electrification, so at the start, with the low market size, we have ICE conversions to profitably deliver products at lower volumes." For example, the Tiago EV features a custom split-battery pack nestled in the fuel tank space and boot floor, but leaving no space for the spare tyre.
On the other hand, Generation-2 is all about “taking ICE architecture but extensively modifying it to create orthogonal spaces for a bigger battery pack.” So, expect things like a flat floor in Gen-2. Gen-3 would ultimately be the born-electric vehicles.
While Chandra did not elaborate what the next Gen-2 product will be, he did go so far to say, “Some of them would be from the current nameplates, while some of them will be new; we have shown concept Curvv as an example.”
He also added that there will be four Gen-2 products, thus it’s very likely we will see the Altroz, Punch, Sierra and the Curvv being the four EVs, which is in line with our earlier reports.
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Shailesh Chandra on the launch of the Tiago EV