Tata Motors, one of the largest electric car companies in India, has taken a big decision to discontinue some variants of the Punch EV. The company took this decision when it realized that due to too many variants, customers get confused in choosing the car of their choice. Especially when it comes to electric vehicles, people are already a little confused about the features and charging options. In such a situation, Tata has taken this step to make its EV portfolio more clear and simple.
Why were ACFC variants discontinued?
The strategy of Tata Motors is now gradually changing. Earlier the aim of the company was that every customer should get the variant according to his need, so they used to offer many variants within the same model. But more options sometimes prove to be harmful instead of beneficial, especially when the customer cannot decide which variant to take. To reduce this confusion, Tata has decided to discontinue all ACFC variants of Punch EV.
ACFC means AC Fast Charging, in which a 7.2 kW charger was given. This charger used to charge the battery very fast, but this option was confusing to the customers as this option was not available in all variants.
Which variants will no longer be available?
The first 6 variants of Tata Punch EV used to come with AC Fast Charging, which have now been discontinued. These variants were –
- Adventure LR ACFC
- Adventure S LR ACFC
- Empowered LR ACFC
- Empowered S LR ACFC
- Empowered+ LR ACFC
- Empowered+ S LR ACFC
All of these used to have a 7.2 kW charger, which would charge the battery from 10% to 100% in just 5 hours. At the same time, its normal charger version takes about 13.5 hours to do the same job.
Will these variants now be completely removed from the market?
These variants have been discontinued for new bookings, but the dealerships which already have their stock will still sell. That is, if someone wants a variant with AC Fast Charging, then it will be available only on the condition of “as long as stock lasts”.
How much was the difference in the price?
The ACFC variants were priced around ₹ 50,000 more than the normal variants, as it had the facility of fast charger. However, now that these variants have been removed, there has been no change in the price of the remaining variants.
Battery options and performance of Punch EV
Tata Punch EV is offered in two battery versions:
1. MR (Mid Range) – It gets a 25 kWh battery, which gives a range of up to 265 km. It gets 80 bhp of power and 114 Nm of torque.
2. LR (Long Range) – It has a 35 kWh battery which gives a range of up to 365 km. It gets 120 bhp power and 190 Nm torque. This version accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 9.5 seconds.