Fleet operators make 5-10% of our EV sales: Tata Motors exec
The statement from Tata Motors amid the slowing EV sales to fleet operators after the government turned focus to electrifying commercial vehicles as opposed to passenger cars.
Tata Motors, which offers four-wheeler electric vehicles including Nexon EV, Punch EV, Tiago EV, and XPRES-T EV (rebranded from Tigor EV), is currently seeing an average of 5-10% of its sales coming from fleet operators, according to Vivek Srivatsa, Chief Commercial Officer at Tata Passenger Electric Mobility.
The statement comes as the Indian government refocused electrification of commercial vehicles under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme, which offers no subsidies for four-wheelers.
The PM E-DRIVE scheme, which was rolled out in September, replaced the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme, which had allocations for supporting the demand for 55,000 four-wheeler passenger EVs.
According to a The CapTable report, following the government doing away with FAME II in March last year, EV sales to fleet operators also collapsed.
Srivatsa, at a media briefing, also talked about the challenges facing the country's charging infrastructure. He added that Tata Motors is also partnering with charging providers and has already digitised its charging infrastructure, allowing drivers to track charging stations on a specific route.
“Battery technology is evolving extremely rapidly and in the next two years, the speed of charging will undergo a dramatic improvement. That would be a game-changer. You will probably be able to fill about 50-60% charge in your car—the same time that it takes to fill your tank with gasoline or diesel. So, suddenly range, anxiety, as well as time to charge becomes on par with ICE,” he said.
Amid the rising adoption of EVs, Tata Motors is looking to bolster its marketing strategy and has appointed Bollywood actor Vicky Kaushal as its new brand ambassador for both its ICE and EV lineup.
However, Srivatsa dismissed that the company’s appointment of a brand ambassador is a response to rising competition in the EV market, with Tesla looking to enter the space. “I wouldn't link it (marketing efforts) to any competitor company. We have our own agenda.”
Edited by Kanishk Singh