Electric vehicles are usually more expensive than an equivalent internal combustion-engined car, but it is possible to make a very cheap EV today. Tata Motors adds one motor to the list of extremely affordable EVs with its new Tiago EV small hatchback that can be had in India from just over $10,000.
That's still around $2,000 more expensive than the gas-burning Tiago city car, but the new EV variant is still remarkably affordable for a real car. Think of it as a similar car to the Dacia Spring EV, which is considerably more expensive even though it has very similar specs.
Gallery: Tata Tiago EV
Two battery packs are on offer for the Tiago EV: a 19 kWh base pack that gives the vehicle a claimed range of 155 miles (250 km) and a 24 kWh optional pack that gives as much as 194 miles (315 km) on one charge. The estimated range is calculated for the (Modified Indian Driving Cycle (MIDC), which is known to be less accurate at predicting the actual range compared to the WLTP test cycle.
With the smaller battery, the Tiago EV also features a less powerful motor, with an output of 60 horsepower and 110 Nm (81 lb-ft) of torque. The long range model gets a more powerful 74 horsepower motor that also has marginally more torque at 114 Nm (84 pound-feet).
The standard rate of charge for both is 3.3 kW, although you can get an upgraded 7.2 kW on-board charger at extra cost. Tata has said that the Tata Tiago EV will support fast charging, but it hasn’t specified the actual power, only stating that 68 miles (110 km) of range can be added in 30 minutes.
The top of the line XZ+ Tech Lux trim level, which gets all the available options, starts at under $15,000. It comes with gadgets like single-zone automatic climate control, rain-sensing wipers and automatic headlights, as well as cruise control, rear parking sensors and camera. And since it is an EV, it comes with adjustable multi-mode regenerative braking.
Tata Motors will begin accepting orders for the Tiago EV on October 1 and will begin delivering the vehicle starting in January of 2023. During the launch presentation, it was announced that these prices are only for the first 10,000 customers, and that after those slots are filled the vehicle will be slightly more expensive.
