Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made EVs a
major focus for India's government, which is offering companies billions of
dollars in incentives to manufacture them locally.
EVs make up only 1 percent of total car
sales in India, however, with high battery prices and an inadequate charging
network holding back buyers and the launch of new electric models.
Tata Motors, which is India's top-selling
electric carmaker, said vehicles launched under its new Curvv design will be
based on a new architecture adapted for electric models.
Cars built on this platform are expected to
be launched in two years, and the company is working to fast track the
development, said Shailesh Chandra, managing director of Tata Motors Passenger
Vehicles and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility.
There will be room for a bigger battery and
the SUVs are expected to have a certified driving range of 400-500 kilometres,
Chandra said, adding that they will also be capable of faster and more
efficient charging.
Tata Motors, which has over 90 percent of
India's electric car market, sold 19,000 of them in the fiscal year ended March
31, up from 4,200 units the previous year.
Last year, Tata Motors raised $1 billion
from private equity fund TPG for its EV unit, and has said it will invest a
total of $2 billion to push clean car sales.
The carmaker told Reuters last month that
it faces short-term pressure after a 20 percent rise in the cost of battery
cells due to a surge in raw material prices, mainly lithium. © Reuters