Tata Motors Moves Delhi High Court Against Delhi Government

Tata Motors has reportedly appealed to the Delhi High Court, against the Delhi Government's decision to temporarily suspend the subsidy offered on the Nexon EV. The decision came in earlier this month, on March 1, following consumer complaints against the carmaker stating that the electric SUV failed to offer the promised range on a single charge. The Delhi Transport department said that a 3-member committee has been constituted to verify claims of the complainants. Now, Tata Motors has challenged the decision in the Delhi High Court, stating that the government took the extreme step based on an isolated complaint by a disgruntled and unsatisfied consumer.

Confirming that a writ has been filed, a Tata Motors spokesperson said, "It is unfortunate to receive this order from the Delhi Transport Commission. We will continue to engage constructively to protect the interests of our customers. The Nexon EV is the only personal segment EV available in the market today that meets the stringent FAME norms."

Also Read: Delhi Government Suspends Subsidy On Tata Nexon EV

Delhi govt has decided to suspend subsidy on a EV car model, pending final report of a Committee, due to complaints by multiple users of sub-standard range performance. We r committed to support EVs, but not at the cost of trust & confidence of citizens in claims by manufacturers pic.twitter.com/R81S3kH6vT

— Kailash Gahlot (@kgahlot) March 1, 2021

Sharing the Delhi Transport Department's order on social media, Kailash Gahlot, Cabinet Minister for Transport has said, "Delhi government has decided to suspend subsidy on an EV car model, pending final report of a Committee, due to complaints by multiple users of sub-standard range performance. We are committed to support EVs, but not at the cost of trust and confidence of citizens in claims by manufacturers."

Also Read: Tata Motors Supplies Nexon EV To Haryana Renewable Agency

The Delhi Transport department said that a 3-member committee has been constituted to verify claims of the complainants

The Tata Nexon EV comes equipped with a permanent magnet AC motor, which is powered by a 30.2 kWh Lithium-Ion battery pack. The company claims that the SUV can offer a maximum range of over 312 km on a single charge. However, one of the plaintiffs had stated that his Nexon EV, registered on December 3, 2020, failed to provide the specified range. In fact, he also stated in his complaint that "a range of more than 200 km could never be achieved by the model".

The Nexon EV, which comes with a 30.2 kWh Lithium-Ion battery pack, is claimed to offer a range of over 312 km on a single charge

However, Tata Motors has said that the Nexon EV's claimed range of 312 km on a single charge, is based on the certification received from the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). The company had also stated that the actual range achieved in EVs is dependent on AC usage, individual driving style and the actual conditions in which the vehicle is driven. The spokesperson also added, " The range achievement is also a function of familiarity with the new technology, and customers report improvements upwards of 10% within 4-6 weeks of familiarity. We have been receiving several positive testimonials from our customers and are encouraged to see them exploring new places with Nexon EV and sharing their experiences."

Under the Delhi Government's EV policy, which was announced in August 2020, the government offered an incentive of Rs. 10,000 per KWh of battery capacity on an electric four-wheeler (subject to a maximum incentive of Rs. 1.5 lakh per vehicle). This was for the owners of the first 1000 e-cars to be registered in Delhi after the issuance of the policy, and the Nexon EV was eligible for the subsidy.

Source: ET Auto