50,000 and counting! Tata Motors MD looks back at the EV journey so far 

Tata Motors’ foray into the electric vehicles segment has been a journey full of discovery and surprises. Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited MD Shailesh Chandra looked back at the company’s journey so far since Tata Motor’s 50,000th electric vehicle was rolled out today. 

Chandra said in a LinkedIn post, “Our first personal segment EV, the Nexon EV, has become the default choice in the EV category and is immensely loved by our customers. Sales volumes have multiplied dramatically, and today we sit at a memorable mile-marker in our journey- 50K EVs on Indian roads. This achievement reminds us of how far we have come, but, most importantly, it lights up the way ahead to show how much farther we can go!”

Chandra also noted that once the company got the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) tender for electric vehicles, they conceived one for personal mobility and harnessed the Tata Group’s power to create a dedicated ecosystem known as the Tata UniEVerse. 

He further mentioned that the ecosystem resolved the “chicken-and-egg problem of EV adoption” and helped in providing simple and cost-effective solutions besides overcoming consumer grievances related to charging, safety and accessibility. 

Tata Motors MD also said that the EV vertical has executed product development, manufacturing, sales and service infrastructure within “timelines that were unimaginable.”

“The EV journey has been the most satisfying for me personally and has given me renewed belief in the power of embracing tasks which seem difficult but are important transitions to be led for the future. We reached a milestone, but we’re only just getting started. India, it’s time to evolve to electric,” Chandra said while signing off.

Tata Group chairperson Natarajan Chandrasekaran also talked about the challenges that the company faced while on its journey to make electric vehicles. Chandrasekaran said these questions pertained to acceptable range, cost structure and the price that customers can afford to pay. 

Explaining the rationale behind venturing into EVs, Chandrasekaran underscored, “There is no EV ecosystem in India but we had to start because I had the conviction that pivoting to electric vehicles is the right thing for Tata Motors, the industry as well as for the nation.”

Commenting on Shailesh Chandra’s role, he mentioned that Chandra and his team engaged with customers as well as potential customers to understand their needs in terms of range, price and cost structure. He also noted that early adopters, or customers who believed in the EV movement, played an important role as they gave valuable feedback. 

Earlier in the day, Tata Motors rolled out its 50,000th EV from the Pune facility. The company attributed better ride and handling, attractive cost of ownership, favourable policy environment, positive word of mouth from customers and practical product options as the factors that helped it achieve this feat ahead of target. 

“Celebrating 50,000th EVs in India is a strong testament to how our portfolio is resonating with people across the country. EVs are offering a practical solution to problems of rising fuel price and worsening pollution. Customers are now ready to welcome EVs and we are thrilled to witness the transition from early adopters to now EVs becoming a mainstream choice for Indian customers,” Chandra was quoted as saying in a company release.

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