Narendra Modi to launch the Tata Nano Electric (Jayem Neo) hatchback

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the electric version of the Tata Nano – to be known as the Jayem Neo henceforth – on the 28th of November, 2017. The Jayem NEO EV will compete with the Mahindra E2O. However, don’t get your hopes high. You can’t buy one, at least for now. This is because the Jayem Neo electric hatchback will be a cab-only model initially, supplied to cab aggregator Ola. 400 units of the Jayem Neo EV will be inducted into the Ola fleet as a part of the first batch.

What does Tata Motors have to do with all this?

Tata Motors will supply the body shells of the Nano to Coimbatore-based engineering company Jayem Automotive. Tata has entered a joint venture with Jayem for the Neo EV.  Jayem will source the electric motor for the Neo from another company called Electra EV and assemble the final electric car, which will then be supplied to Ola. The Neo EV will not feature any Tata branding.

The Jayem Neo electric car will feature a 48V battery pack, putting out about 23 Hp. The EV is said to weigh about 800 kilograms, which makes it significantly heavier than the 636 kilo Nano Petrol. The weight of batteries is said to be reason for the additional weight.

This much power could be adequate for the Neo EV to function as a city cab though. Autocar’s sources add that the car will be able to do nearly 200 kilometers per full-charge of its batteries. With 4 people aboard and the AC functioning, effective range per charge is said to dip to 140 kilometers.

Jayem Automotive could launch a higher powered version of the Neo EV for private car buyers. However, the launch timeframe remains unknown for now. More details about this electric car are likely to surface in the days to come. For now though, the Indian government seems pretty serious about shifting over totally to electric vehicles by 2030. PM Modi launching the Jayem Neo EV seems to indicate just that.

Via AutocarIndia