Who is Punch EV meant for? Tata Motors explains where the SUV fits in

Tata Motors on Wednesday introduced the Punch.ev at a base price of ₹11 lakh (ex-showroom). This places Punch.ev between Tiago.ev, and the Tigor.ev. Interestingly, the Punch.ev's price makes it one of the most affordable EVs (electric vehicle) on the market while also being technologically advanced than many of its rivals.

Punch.ev may have the potential to be the company's best-selling EV given the success that the Punch ICE (internal combustion engine) has witnessed. Vivek Srivatsa, Head of Marketing, Sales, and Service Strategy, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility (TPEM), however told HT Auto during a recent conversation that each model in the portfolio has a unique role.

While not picking a favourite, Srivatsa explained the power of choice helps customers. "I think each car in our portfolio has a very specific role to play. It has already played out on the ICE side and we are repeating it on the EV side. But the difference is that we are addressing the customer needs of the EV consumer who have a tech-oriented outlook than ICE customers," he said.

The TPEM head of marketing claimed that while the Punch.ev is priced in between the other two EV products and overlaps them, it will bridge the previously existing pricing gap as well as help to fill the gap in terms of consumer needs. While the Nexon. ev remains the flagship EV from the Indian carmaker, the Tiago. ev remains a car for first time buyers. Interestingly around 30 per cent of the Tiago.ev customers are first time car buyers, stated Srivatsa.

With the Punch.ev, the idea is to offer a versatile EV. Srivatsa explained that market research suggests that Indian customers have a want for a single vehicle at home which can suite multiple use cases, weather travelling within a city or going for intercity travel. This is where the Punch.ev fits in, says Srivatsa. The product is offered with either a 25kW battery pack or a 35kW battery pack with a claimed range of 315 km and 421 kms, respectively.

That said, the company is still confident about prospects of its other EV products. Srivatsa explained that while the Tiago.ev gets more features than its ICE counterpart, it still lacks in features when compared to other Tata EV models. However, "it is not about horizontal comparison but about replicating the segment of ICE in a segment of EV," he added.

Bullish about Tigor.ev

Sedans as a segment has seen a massive fall in the recent times with the body type currently holding around 9 per cent of the total Indian car sales. Added to this is the fact that EVs in itself is only 2 per cent of the total Indian passenger carmarket in India. So where does the Tigor. ev stand?

Srivatsa believes that there is a market for EV sedans which is where the Tigor.ev fits in. He stated that there is a set of Indian consumers who are looking for electric vehicles with sizable boot space and a reasonable range. In view of this he explained that the company is committed to make the technological advancement to the Tigor.ev that are being seen in the current line up EV products like the Punch.ev and the Nexon.ev.