Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Managing Director, Shailesh Chandra, explained that the company’s growing portfolio of EVs and the unique needs of customers necessitate separate sales outlets for EVs and internal combustion engine (ICE) models. “We need to separate outlets because there would not be enough space to keep both EVs, ICE models at the same place…So there’s a practical difficulty… we will not be able to do justice to both. So you will start seeing exclusive outlets starting slowly from the coming quarters,” Chandra was quoted as saying by the news wire agency PTI.
Tata Motors’ current EV lineup includes the flagship Nexon EV range, Tiago EV, Tigor EV, and the XPRES-T EV. The company, which on Thursday introduced all-new versions of its Nexon EV and Nexon (internal combustion engine), plans to experiment with exclusive EV outlets in select cities where EV demand has been on the rise.
Chandra noted, “We’ll start with pilot cities. I can’t disclose the locations right now. But as I said that within this financial year, we’ll start with some experiment.”
Tata Motors has recently introduced a new retail identity for its electric vehicle unit, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, and currently employs the shop-in-shop concept within its existing dealerships for retailing EV models.The demand for electric vehicles is on an upward trajectory, with the EV range accounting for 13-15 percent of Tata Motors’ overall sales, and this figure is expected to grow in the coming years. Chandra stated, “Revenue-wise it will be 18-20 percent as of quarter one. Next three to four years I would imagine this to go up to 25 percent.”Tata Motors has ambitious plans for the EV segment, with expectations that electric vehicles will make up half of its passenger vehicle sales by 2030.The recently launched Nexon EV comes with a range of up to 465 km on a single charge and offers unique features like the ability to charge other compatible EVs and power external gadgets and appliances.
Chandra emphasized that EV customers constitute a rapidly growing and discerning community with a penchant for cutting-edge technology, and the new Nexon EV aims to cater to their evolving preferences.
Additionally, Tata Motors has also introduced the Nexon with petrol and diesel engines with introductory prices starting from Rs 8.09 lakh (ex-showroom).
Chandra noted that the compact SUV segment, where the Nexon competes with popular models like the Maruti Brezza, Hyundai Venue, and Kia Sonet, has seen significant growth over the years, making it a fiercely competitive market segment.
Tata Motors has already sold 5.5 lakh units of the Nexon in India, and the company is optimistic that the updated version will further solidify its position as India’s best-selling SUV.
With PTI Inputs