While European, East Asian, and American EVs get a lot of attention, we have to remember that there’s a wider world out there, and there’s a lot of room for environmental improvement. While wealthy nations’ citizens tend to have very high per capita emissions, the sheer number of people in India presents a unique global challenge. Not only do we (at least those of us who care about people) want India’s citizens to have a higher standard of living, but we also want to stop the harmful effects of climate change from getting any worse than they have to. It’s a real “Catch-22.”
But, as Henry J. Kaiser said, “Problems are only opportunities in work clothes.”
With cleaner technologies coming earlier in India’s development curve, they have a great opportunity to “leapfrog” wealthier countries and not make the mistakes we did (at least from my American perspective). By leapfrogging, I mean they can go straight to the best technologies available instead of using older technology.The mobile phone is an excellent example of how “leapfrogging” happens. Much of the developing world skipped fixed-line technology and went directly to 21st century mobile technology. By leapfrogging, it’s possible that these nations will escape the hazardous stages of development evident in industrialized societies, at least to some extent.
Two recent press releases by Tata Motors, a leading Indian automotive company, shows that this could be reality.
Taking Rideshare Straight To Electric
In order to further expedite the transfer to sustainable transportation, Tata Motors signed an agreement with Evera a few days ago. Evera is one of the first ride-hailing platforms in Delhi NCR that focuses exclusively on EVs. The 2,000 XPRES T EVs that have been ordered by Tata will be added to the existing fleet of its vehicles present with this aggregator.
“With the XPRES-T EV Sedan we have created a new benchmark in the fleet market, and it is heartening to see renowned fleet aggregators joining the green mobility wave with us. Evera has been associated with us since a long time, and we are delighted to further strengthen this tie-up, by signing an agreement of delivering 2000 EVs to them,” said Mr. Shailesh Chandra – Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd. “X-PRES T EV offers enhanced safety, fast charging solution, a premium interior theme along with dynamic performance at an affordable price. We hope to continue our association with Evera and jointly work towards offering greener and safer mobility options to our customers.”
In July 2021, Tata Motors launched the XPRES electric sedan. This vehicle comes with 2 range options – 213km and 165km (ARAI certified range under test conditions). It packs a high energy density battery of 21.5 kWh and 16.5 kWh and can be charged from 0- 80% in 90 mins and 110 mins, respectively, using fast charging or any 15 A plug point that is easily available.
The Tata comes with many features that set it apart from other cars on the market. These include zero tail-pipe emission, single speed automatic transmission, dual airbags, ABS with EBD as standard across variants. The premium black theme interior with standard automatic climate control and Electric Blue accents across its interior and exterior will give it a differentiated presence from other Tata cars.
“We are glad to announce our collaboration with Tata Motors. This association aligns with the Government of India’s National Electric Mobility Mission Plan and demonstrates our commitment to provide eco-friendly yet most efficient, comfortable, and sustainable mobility solutions to the customers,” said Mr. Nimish Trivedi, Co-founder & CEO, Prakriti E-Mobility, Parent Company of Evera. “With this fleet of Tata Motors’ EVs, our start of the airport services at the Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, is around the corner and will propel us further towards this goal. We are also looking to expand to other cities to fast-track the EV adoption in the country by creating an end-to-end ecosystem. This collaborative approach with Tata Motors, shall further our vision and allow consumers to access a network of safe-mobility solutions across the country. We will continue to lead shaping the EV fleet industry with more such strategic partnerships.”
Today, Tata Motors says it’s revolutionizing the Indian automotive market and leading the charge on e-mobility. With a commanding 89% share of the market (YTD), over 45,000 EVs on road to date in personal and fleet segments, “we are committed to making EVs even more accessible to everyone through our EV ecosystem called ‘Tata uniEVerse’.” This includes working closely with other Tata Group companies like Tata Power, Tata Chemicals, Tata Auto Components, etc.
An Electric Bus Deal
Leapfrogging ridesharing to electric doesn’t mean that it isn’t still important to electrify existing transportation systems running on fossil fuels, too.
In another recent press release, Tata that it won the electric bus tender for Jammu and Srinagar, announced by Jammu Smart City Limited. As part of an initiative by Housing and Urban Development Department to establish a sustainable network of public transport, Tata Motors will be deploying electric buses in the twin capital cities of Jammu & Kashmir.
The Government of Jammu & Kashmir has commissioned Tata Motors to provide it with 150 9-meter and 50 12-meter electric buses as part of their initiative for more environmentally friendly public transportation. For the next 12 years, it will be Tata Motor’s responsibility to operate and maintain these Starbus electric buses.
“With a major paradigm shift towards clean public transport, the citizens of Jammu and Srinagar need a green mobility solution,” said Shri. Arun Mehta, Chief Secretary, Govt. of Jammu & Kashmir. “We are happy to reinstate our association with Tata Motors for our public transportation needs. These electric buses will not only be a medium to commute, but will also be an enabler towards creating an eco-friendly Jammu & Kashmir.”
Tata Motors’ 40 electric buses have been running in Jammu & Kashmir since 2019. In India, they have supplied a total of 715 electric buses to multiple cities. These buses have driven more than 40 million kilometers and had an uptime of 95%.
Tata Motors has received orders for 1,500 electric buses from Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), 1,180 electric buses from West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) and 921 electric buses from Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) as part of a tender floated by Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL). Tata Motors’ state-of-the-art research and development facilities have steadily worked to engineer innovative mobility solutions powered by alternate fuel technology, including battery-electric, hybrid, CNG, LNG and Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology.
Featured image by Tata Motors.
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