Advertisements lead us to believe EVs can have a green impact on our polluted air. For this impact to be significant they need to get adopted at a mass-market scale. However, India's current EV stable caters only to the luxury segment (Mercedes Benz EQC, Jaguar I-PACE, Audi e-tron: all costing around INR 1 crore) and premium buyers (the INR 24 lakh Hyundai Kona, the INR 20 lakh MG ZS EV). Tata Motors took the first step towards affordable green mobility with the launch of the Nexon EV at INR 13.99 lakhs. And now, there's an even more affordable alternative. 

The final day of August 2021 saw Tata Motors launch the Tigor EV - an all-electric compact sedan aimed at the masses. With a starting price of INR 11.99 lakhs, the Tigor EV lowers the entry point to green mobility by INR 2 lakhs. While this still might not be 'affordable' for the average middle-class Indian, it's definitely a step in the right direction.

A cleaner looking Tigor
In essence, the Tigor EV is a Tigor with all its holes and air-gaping vents sealed. The front grille gets replaced by a solid metal slab, a chrome lining up front finished in 'electrifying' blue. A similar teal blue finish is the sole colour offered, along with an option to equip a blacked dual-tone roof. Further distinguishing elements are EV badges on the fenders and the unique design for the alloy wheels. Even on the inside, blue accents are sprinkled over the dashboard, with a rotary dial replacing the gear lever.

Instant accelerating motor 
Powering the Tigor EV is an electric motor up front that gets paired to a single-speed transmission to put out 74.7 ps and 170 Nm of torque. Being an electric vehicle, power is generated instantly rather than gradually like with internal combustion engines, this results in a rapid 0-60 kmph sprint time of just 5.7 seconds.

Plugging in
Residing within the car's floor is a 26 kWh battery pack, feeding energy to the electric motors. Tata claims this lithium-ion unit complies with dustproof standards as well as IP67 waterproof ratings. The Tigor EV has a claimed ARAI range of 306 kms on a full charge, though one should expect real-world figures to hover around the 250 kms mark. While this makes it an excellent affordable city hauler, especially when considering the current fuel prices, it isn't the best vehicle to travel interstate yet. 

Part of that issue comes down to an 8.5 hours charging requirement when utilising a 15amp domestic socket. This can be brought down to about an hour if plugged into a fast charger. And there lies the issue of a scarce charging network. Even though Tata Motors has set up digital maps via an app to allow users to navigate to their nearest fast-charging stations, not enough chargers have been erected across the subcontinent. While this may not be a worrying situation at the moment with few early EV adopters, India might see much longer queues at charging stations and even power cuts when the majority of our enormous population switches to electric mobility.

Safety and Reliability guaranteed
The Tigor EV became the first electric vehicle to be tested by global NCAP, and the all-electric compact sedan passed with flying colours. Scoring a solid 4-star rating, the Tigor EV has become one of the safer electric vehicles available. It also gets safety features such as dual airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors and Corner Stability Control as standard. Furthermore, Tata Motors is also offering an eight year/1,60,000 km warranty on the battery pack and the electric motor for added peace of mind.  

India's most affordable electric car
The starting price of INR 11.99 lakhs makes the Tata Tigor EV the most affordable electric car on sale. The prices bloat till INR 12.99 lakhs for the top-spec variant, which equips the vehicle with a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, an 8-speaker sound system and Tata Motors' iRA tech with 30+ connected-car features. Hence, if you're looking for an efficient car for city runs and have a dedicated parking space within your home premises, the Tigor EV happens to be the most efficient option on sale at the moment.