Tata Motors to Begin Electric Vehicle Production at Sanand Plant
Tata Motors is set to initiate the production of electric vehicles at its Sanand plant, acquired from Ford India, in April this year, according to a senior company official. Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd, a subsidiary of Tata Motors, acquired the facility for Rs 725.7 crore in January last year. "We are planning to commence electric vehicle production at Sanand with Nexon EV from April", stated Shailesh Chandra, MD of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles. The company has already started producing internal combustion engine-powered versions of Nexon at the plant, which has an installed capacity of 3 lakh units per annum.
Tata Motors plans to expand the Sanand plant's capacity to 4.2 lakh units per annum. Shailesh Chandra, MD of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, stated that the company aims to manufacture upcoming models at the facility, with the Curvv EV anticipated in the second or third quarter of this year. Chandra added that the Harrier EV and the internal combustion engine version of Curvv are also in the pipeline for a potential launch by the end of this year. Regarding the sales outlook for the next fiscal, he mentioned an anticipated 5% growth in the passenger vehicle industry.
"We have several launches planned, aiming for growth surpassing the industry", Chandra expressed. He emphasized the importance of extending FAME benefits to personal electric cars in the Budget to accelerate electrification growth, citing successful sales increases in states like Maharashtra and Gujarat due to incentives. Addressing the inverted duty structure issue in EVs, Chandra highlighted the company's request for resolution. Regarding talks about concessions for a US-based EV major, he clarified, "Our stance is straightforward; we welcome any player willing to invest in localization or charging infrastructure development in the EV space".