Tata Punch EV launch on January 17

Tata Motors revealed the all-electric Punch in India last week, and we now have a confirmed launch date – January 17. It's Tata’s fourth all-electric model and is the first to be underpinned by the new Gen 2 EV architecture that Tata calls acti.ev (read active). Bookings are already underway for a token amount of Rs 21,000.

1. Punch EV gets two battery and charging options
2. Expected to have a range between 300-400km
3. Design draws inspiration from Nexon EV

Tata Punch EV exterior design

The Punch EV gets the most design differentiation over its ICE counterpart out of all Tata EVs. The front end is clearly inspired by the Nexon EV, and in essence, it looks very much like a scaled-down version of it. There’s a new full-width LED light bar, a split headlamp setup with trapezoidal housing for the main cluster and a front bumper with a faux silver skid plate. The side profile and rear remain relatively unchanged, but there are new alloy wheels and a dual-tone rear bumper. It is also the first Tata EV to feature a frunk.

Tata Punch EV interior, features

Tata hasn’t yet offered a proper look at the interior of the Punch EV, but there will be substantial changes there as well. It will have an all-new 10.25-inch touchscreen and digital instrument cluster, a new two-spoke steering wheel and a jeweled rotary drive selector on the centre console. A teaser image on Tata’s website also suggests an all-new HVAC control panel with toggle switches and haptic buttons, much like in the Nexon EV.

As for features, the top-spec Punch EV will get a 360-degree camera, leatherette seats, electronic parking brake with auto hold, connected car tech, a wireless charger, ventilated front seats, cruise control, sunroof and the new Arcade.ev app suite. A few of these features are first for a vehicle of this size.

Tata Punch EV battery and range

Full technical details of the Punch EV aren’t out just yet, but we know it will come in two variants –Standard and Long Range – which, as we reported, are expected to have 25kWh and 35kWh battery packs, respectively. The former only gets a 3.3kW AC charger, while the latter additionally gets a 7.2kW AC charger with support for DC fast charging.

The new acti.ev modular platform is said to deliver a range between 300-600km, depending on the model and battery. So, for the Punch EV, a range between 300-400km seems reasonable. The platform sees a notable step up from the Gen 1 architecture and gets major modifications over the ICE platform, about which you can read here.

The Tata Punch EV is squarely aimed at the Citroen eC3. It will be positioned between the Tiago EV MR and the Nexon EV MR, so prices could range between Rs 10 lakh-13 lakh, ex-showroom.