The Tata Nano electric will be launched in India on November 28, 2017. However, the car will not be manufactured by Tata Motors. In fact, it won’t even have a ‘Tata’ badge anywhere on the outside or inside. Confused? Read on to find the real reason behind this!
The Nano electric will essentially be launched as the Jayem Neo. It will be manufactured by Jayem Automotives, which is a Coimbatore-based modifier and customising company. Hence, the Nano’s body shell will be supplied by Tata Motors, though the Jayem Neo electric will be manufactured by Jayem Auto at their independent production facility.
It is worth noting that Jayem and Tata Motors have been working in collaboration for a pretty long time. JA Motorsports had earlier developed the insane Super Nano that developed a whopping 230 BHP. The two companies had also recently signed a joint venture partnership to closely work on developing high-performance versions of existing Tata cars for the passenger market.
The powertrain for the Nano electric will be sourced from Electra EV, which specialises in the design and development of electric powertrains. At the heart of the Tata Nano electric (Jayem Neo electric) will be a 48-volt electric system that will be developing around 17 kW, which equates to around 23 bhp. Considering the Electric Jayem Neo will weight around 800 kg, the said power output figures look satisfactory enough for a car of this size. The Neo is expected to have a driving range of 140-200 km on a single charge.
Another important point to note is that the Jayem Neo (Tata Nano electric) will be available only for taxi operators at the moment. Hence, private buyers won’t be able to get their hands on it yet. However, a more powerful version is expected to be introduced at a later date for private buyers. Moreover, Tata Motors too is planning to come with its range of electric vehicles in the near future, including the Nano electric, which will be sold to the general public as well.
The Jayem Neo is expected to be launched at an event in Hyderabad by the Prime Minister of India – Sh Narendra Modi. The company will be delivering 400 units of the Neo electric to Ola Cabs.
Source: Autocar India