Tata Motors’ most affordable electric hatchback, the Tata Tiago.EV has no competitor which comes any closer. The electric car is one of the most affordable, efficient and practical cars in its segment. In this test review, we put the Tata Tiago.EV through its paces on a daily use case test run. To do this, we drive the Tata Tiago.EV hatchback in peak hour Mumbai traffic.
Now, I stay in Thane, a Mumbai suburb and we will be driving the Tata Tiago.EV to Colaba in Mumbai. On our way we will talk about how much savings you can expect while commuting in a Tiago.EV and also how easy and effortless it is to drive the electric hatchback.
The Tata Tiago.EV comes with a starting price tag of INR 7.99 lakh ex-showroom. The 5-seater family hatchback is based on the 4-star rated platform and comes with a structurally strong body shell and modern active and passive safety features to keep you and your family safe.
One major concern for electric vehicle owners is the charging infrastructure. However in the case of the Tata Tiago.EV the brand installs a home charger for you. This home charger is setup at your parking spot with no extra cost and is connected to your home electricity meter. When you charge your car the residential meter is billed and you pay the electricity provider as usual.
Thanks to this, you do not need to line-up and waste time at a public charging station. Simply, put the vehicle on charge every night and find it completely full every morning. Tata offers four charging options with the Tiago.EV – this includes 3.3 kW AC wall box, 7.2 kW AC wall box, DC fast charging or you can even connect any 15 Amp plug point.
That Tata Tiago.EV can be charged from 10-100% between 6.9 hours to 8.7 hours on a slow charger. But on a DC fast charger, 10-80% SOC can be achieved in just 58 minutes. And depending on the variant the Tiago.EV offer a range of 250 km on a single charge on the Medium Range Tiago.EV and 315 km on a single charge on Long Range variant.
Assuming you drive 70 km a day and the cost of petrol in Mumbai is INR 105 / litre in a span of 5-years you will save around INR 7.05 lakh. Also your equivalent CO2 reduction will be close to 857 full grown trees. And because this is an EV with less moving parts the maintenance cost will also be lower than conventional ICE vehicles. Don’t worry, Tata also offers the Tiago.EV with 8 years or 1.6 lakh km warranty on the battery pack & motor and 3 years or 1.25 lakh km warranty on the vehicle.
The Tata Tiago.EV features a calm and composed cabin experience. The electric vehicle does not have a gas guzzling, environment polluting engine and hence no vibrations or sounds creeping inside, allowing for a stress free drive. A drive back home after a long day at work with no music, fan blower on low settings, one can enjoy their drive time as meditation, and this Tiago.EV will activate your zen mode & mood every single time.
The EV is also effortless to drive and easy to understand. The drive selector is just a simple rotary knob and off you go. With a two-pedal drive, even in long traffic snarls, you won’t feel the fatigue. However, the Tiago.EV is not just a boring commuter, in sport mode, you can sprint from 0-60 kmph in just 5.7 seconds. The EV also has enough power to overtake vehicles even on the highway.
Tata has also tuned the suspension on the Tiago.EV according to the Indian terrain. Even over speed breakers, with 3-4 on board, there is no worry about the ground clearance. The small turning radius also allows making U-turns even in tight city lanes effortless.
The Tiago.EV also comes with a 240-litre boot space so even if you car pool with your colleagues at work, let me tell you, it is spacious for everyone, their bags as well as tiffins. And if you plan to do an intercity road trip, like Mumbai to Pune, there’s enough space for your luggage.
Electric cars are no longer the future. They are here now, and they are here to stay.