Tata Passenger Cars Electric Vehicles recently launched a new brand identity, TATA.ev, which the company has also integrated into the facelifted version of the Nexon EV. The company has incorporated “gadgetization” and digitalization into the new Nexon EV. Gadgets 360 had the opportunity to sit down with Vivek Srivatsa, Head of Marketing, Sales and Service Strategy, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, to gain insight into this development and the company’s future plans. Some responses have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Gadget 360: Tata Passenger Electric Mobility has announced a new brand identity for its electric vehicle (EV) business, called TATA.ev. Why do companies feel the need?
Vivek Srivastava: This is a vision for the future because our electric vehicle customers have clearly told us they want a radically different experience. Our community is very important to us. They want to have a positive impact on the environment and, of course, expect a high level of technology in both the product and the overall customer experience. So, we thought it was time to offer them this new experience through Tata.ev.
The brand name Tata.ev and the new brand design will be applied to various touch points, products and services in the future. One small element of this transition is the renaming of Nexon to Nexon.ev. But you’ll notice significant design changes on the exterior and interior of the car, all designed to deliver a more premium and electronic experience, which is what we’re trying to drive. The change in brand design and name sends a signal to ourselves that we must be ready to provide our customers with an exceptionally high-quality and advanced experience.
Gadgets 360: As the company’s automotive portfolio continues to expand, will you be opening a new showroom called Tata.ev exclusively for selling electric vehicles?
Vivek Srivastava: As of now, there are no plans to do so, but we do recognize the need to do so as our portfolio continues to grow in both areas. To justify such a broad product portfolio, very large showrooms or stand-alone stores would certainly be required. So we haven’t confirmed this yet, but there’s a definite need and it’s a possibility in the future.
Gadgets 360: How do buyers of electric vehicles differ from buyers of internal combustion engine vehicles?
Vivek Srivastava: It’s clear that EV customers are very different from internal combustion engine vehicle buyers. Their mentality is similar to technology and gadget lovers. First, they expect a very high level of customer experience, and second, they expect companies to be responsive. Their expectation is that the company should listen to them and accept feedback to improve products and services. This should be a case of constant communication between the company and its customers.
In the traditional internal combustion engine industry, it was believed that the less customers communicated with the company, the better the vehicle performed on the road. But in the EV industry, customers now want forums to discuss the pros and cons with companies. We take this issue very seriously and are in ongoing dialogue with our community of owners. We also continue to host online programs and offline events for the community. Our current community is an important part of our future growth.
Gadgets 360: How important is technology in boosting electric vehicle sales?
Vivek Srivastava: You know the Nexon EV is very mechanical and digital. We give away a lot of electronics in the car. We have larger touch screens with built-in app support, Arcade.ev, modern music systems, and exterior illuminated signage is also inspired by technology. The welcome message, farewell message and exterior car charging indicator all feature unique lighting features, all inspired by the technology industry. We integrate all these capabilities to meet the needs of our electric vehicle customers. Software upgrades will be available via over-the-air (OTA) updates. We firmly believe that the electric vehicle industry will thrive when customers have access to digital experiences.
Gadgets 360: What challenges remain for the growth of electric vehicles in India? What are you doing to achieve this goal? What kind of support do you need from the government?
Vivek Srivastava: The challenge clearly centers around charging infrastructure. One aspect is highway tolls, which are never enough no matter how much we build. Customers will require predictable or frequent charging infrastructure. Ideally, wherever there is a petrol pump there should be a charging point. Kudos to the oil companies for deciding to get into this business and install at least one or two charging stations at every petrol pump. They have this intention, but the pace of building charging stations is not yet visible, so it is a big challenge.
The second challenge is that people in cities have huge parking problems, and home charging is useless in this situation. However, we are developing community charging solutions that can provide 8 to 10 charging points in one location, effectively serving the residents of an area or complex. In my opinion, having a charger for every vehicle is redundant since most people only need to charge their vehicles twice a week and the rest of the time it’s free. In this case, community chargers are not only efficient for customers, but we are also able to make the best use of resources. If our community charging point scheme is successful then we are sure to see huge growth in the electric vehicle industry.
Gadgets 360: How many EV sales has the company made so far? What are the company’s goals and plans for this fiscal year?
Vivek Srivastava: We recently celebrated the milestone of 100,000 electric vehicle sales, and so far that number has probably increased by about 3,000 to 4,000. Nexon accounted for 53% of these sales. Our goal is to have at least 10 vehicles in our portfolio by 2025. For electric vehicles, our goal is to achieve 25% penetration in our product portfolio by 2025 and 50% by 2030.
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