Tata Motors increases production capacity of Punch EV

Production Capacity: The Mumbai-headquartered automaker Tata Motors has increased its production capacity to accommodate the demand uptick of its electric vehicle (EV) Punch. Punch is the first offering from the company's e-vehicle architecture known as acti.ev.

Punch.ev, which was introduced in January at an introductory price of Rs 10.99 lakh, has a separate offering for longer ranges. The vehicle’s price can go up to Rs 14.49 lakh depending on the personas. 

The car has a top speed of 140 kmph and a battery pack of 25 kWh, which offers a range of 315 km, whereas the longer-range Punch.ev has a battery pack of 35 kWh that offers a range of 421 km.

Shailesh Chandra, MD of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, said: "Punch is a solid product giving a 400-kilometer range. It was expected to create a lot of demand for us and that is what we are seeing. Very strong demand and bookings that we have received for the product, and we are ramping up our capacity. 

"Can not share the numbers because we have not been sharing booking numbers for the simple reason that that should not create any kind of concern for the customers in terms of their waiting period and all. The idea is that we take into account the bookings that have come and ramp up the production as fast as possible,” he said, during the company’s earnings call.

The Punch.ev Long Range (LR) is available with the option of a 3.3 kW and a 7.2 kW AC fast charger that can be installed either at home or at the workplace.

Tata Motors, which has the largest market share in EVs, will be introducing two more models in CY24. The Curvv and Harrier models are expected to be introduced soon.

“This calendar year will see three electric vehicle launches, one Punch EV, which happened in January. The second would be Curvv, which will come in the second quarter of the financial year 2025. And the third would be Harrier EV. The ICE Curvv would get launched, say, three to four months after the launch of the EV version,” said Chandra.

Further, the company stated that they are not observing any cannibalization among its products due to distinct segments and price points. Nexon.ev which offers a range of 450 kilometres is available between ₹18- 19 lakh, whereas the Punch.ev falls under the bracket of less than ₹15 lakh.

EV vertical

The automaker has adopted a micro-market focus to increase its penetration of electric vehicles.

“We will be working on driving the penetration and expansion of the electric vehicle market and there are specific initiatives that we have taken to fundamentally expand this industry through micro-market focus. We are focusing on about 15 to 20 cities and also leveraging the expanded range of products," he mentioned.

With Punch launch, we have now four promising products in the personal segment so we’ll be utilizing that,” added Chandra.