Tata Tigor Electric sedan production flagged off by Ratan Tata at Sanand Factory

Tata Motors has produced the first batch of the Tigor electric vehicle. Ratan Tata, ex-Chairman of the Tata group, flagged off production of the Tigor Electric at the company’s Sanand factory in Gujarat. The compact sedan is meant for the Indian government, which has procured 350 units of the car through EESL (Energy Efficiency Services Limited), one of the government’s subsidiaries set-up to promote adoption of electric vehicles in India.

Tata won the contract to supply 7,000 units of the Tigor Electric to EESL. Mahindra, another bidder who managed to match Tata Motors’ bid price, is now eligible to supply 3,000 electric cars. Mahindra has already supplied 150 units of the eVerito electric sedan to EESL, just a few days ago.

Talking of the Tigor Electric, the compact sedan is a five seater. It is powered by an electric motor that produces 40 Bhp of peak power. It will have a range of 120-150 kilometers on a full charge. The batteries support a fast-charging method, which allows the batteries to charge up to 80 % in just 90 minutes.

Currently, the Tigor Electric is mainly meant for the Indian government. However, Tata Motors has hinted that the EV may also be offered to private car buyers in India if enough demand exists. Mahindra is the only car maker that sells electric cars to private buyers. The E20, E20 Plus and the eVerito are 2 such cars available to purchase in the market.

Coming back to the Tigor, the car that’s currently sold to private buyers comes with 2 engine options – 1 1.2 liter, 4 cylinder petrol and a 1.1 liter, 3 cylinder turbocharged diesel. Both engines offer 5 speed manual transmissions as standard. Tata also offers a 5 speed AMT option on the petrol engined Tigor. The Tigor is most affordable compact sedan in India. Prices start from Rs. 4.65 lakhs. To put things into perspective, the Tigor, at this price, is a full 35,000 rupees cheaper than the Maruti Swift hatchback.