Tata’s Tiago EV is one of the cheapest electric cars in India, and that has led to its rapid popularity. However, it is not just the price that makes it a crowd pleaser, the umpteen number of features it offers is something unusual for a regular small car.
Like the electric versions of the Nexon and Tigor, the Tiago EV also looks similar to the petrol models.
Though it is not a specially designed platform for an electric car, the company has managed to incorporate the battery and motor into the Tiago very cleverly. It has a 19.2kWh battery pack model with a claimed range of 250km and a 24kWh battery pack model with a claimed range of 315 km. Around 60–70 per cent of the sales are for models with larger batteries. This model is available in five variants, so the choices are endless.
Also, there are four charging options available — a standard 15 amp power plug, 3.3kw AC charger, 7.2kw AC charger and a DC fast charger. After driving the EV with a 24kWh battery for a week, I found that it is a car for daily normal needs. A range of 200 km is usually not difficult to achieve.
It has three regeneration modes to regulate the amount of electrical charge restored in the battery during braking and deceleration. When it is at its highest level (3), the speed approaches zero as soon as the accelerator is released. Thus, the vehicle can be slowed quickly without using the brakes, and the wear and tear of the brake pads is less. This is an added benefit.
There is a normal drive mode and a sport mode. The range is the lowest if the regeneration level is zero and the drive mode is Sport. I could achieve the maximum range with regen level-3 in normal mode. This works best in city traffic.
The compact proportion coupled with the manoeuverability of it makes driving easy. I loved features like projector headlamps, auto headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, rear washer and wiper, connectivity and infotainment system with Harman audio too.
Tiago EV’s price ranges from Rs 8.69 lakh to Rs 12.04 lakh. The average cost of electricity is Rs 1.25 per km. The fuel cost of a similar sized petrol car will be around `8. One can easily calculate the difference in running costs and decide which one suits one’s usage. If our daily commute is 30 km, we will save at least Rs 5,000 every month on fuel costs if we use the EV, in place of a petrol car.
The writer is a freelance auto expert who hosts TV shows and anchors the YouTube channel ‘CARKADUVA’