To be positioned above the Tiago EV, Tata Punch.ev will rival the likes of Citroen eC3 and upcoming Hyundai Exter EV
Tata’s early foray into the EV segment with products like Nexon EV has turned out to be a spectacular success. The company currently commands more than 70% market share in EV space. With new products like Punch EV and upcoming Harrier EV, Safari EV and Curvv EV, Tata will be looking to maintain its dominance.
Punch.ev off-roading capabilities revealed
A recent Instagram post uploaded by Tata reveals the off-roading capabilities of Punch.ev. The mind generally perceives electric cars as relatively fragile in comparison to their ICE counterparts. However, as revealed in the video, Punch.ev is seen conquering a wide variety of extreme off-road tracks. Punch.ev easily drives across the uneven track test, articulation test and mud and gravel dirt track. Punch EV also aces the water crossing test, dispelling any doubts that people may have about the safety of electric cars.
Unlike other Tata electric cars like Tiago EV, Tigor EV and Nexon EV that are largely ICE to EV conversion projects, Punch EV is based on an entirely new pure EV architecture named ‘acti.ev’. Many of the off-roading capabilities that Punch EV has could be made possible with this new EV platform. Acti.ev is designed with focus on performance, technology, modularity and space efficiency.
It uses an orthogonal, high density battery pack for optimal space utilization and performance. The battery pack cells have been tested in compliance with advanced global standards. The acti.ev platform can support various body styles, offering a range of 300 to 600 km. All three propulsion options, FWD, RWD and AWD, can be accommodated. The platform supports up to 150 kW fast charging. Users will be able to add around 100 km in just 10 minutes.
Punch EV will be available in Standard and Long Range versions. But the exact range is yet to be revealed. As Punch has a pure EV architecture, its range could be higher than its siblings and rival offerings.
Punch EV new interior details revealed
Punch EV’s equipment list has several components borrowed from Nexon EV. For example, dual 10.25-inch displays will be available with the Empowered+ variant. The Empowered variant will have a single 10.25-inch infotainment and a 7-inch digital instrument console.
The dashboard has been refreshed and there’s a new touch sensitive AC control panel. Just like Nexon EV, Punch EV also gets the new 2-spoke steering wheel with backlit Tata logo. Other details revealed include new dual-tone upholstery. It is likely that Punch EV will have more interior theme options based on the variant.
Punch.ev is expected to be launched by the end of this month. Initial offer price could be around Rs 12 lakh. In comparison, Citroen eC3 starts at Rs 11.61 lakh. It will be interesting to see how Hyundai responds with the Exter EV that is scheduled for launch later this year.
Source: Electric - rushlane.com
