Tata Punch EV To Be Sent For Bharat NCAP Crash Tests

Following the Harrier and Safari's impressive showing, the Tata Punch EV, too, will be sent for Bharat NCAP crash testing in the time to come. The plan to have its latest electric vehicle tested under the country's new passenger vehicle safety programme was confirmed by Shailesh Chandra, MD, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles & Tata Passenger Electric Mobility during a virtual media round table following the launch of the Punch EV.

Also read: Tata Punch EV Launched In India; Prices Start At Rs. 10.99 Lakh

Speaking to the media, Chandra said, “ (The combustion engine) Punch is already tested and has a robust structure which delivers a five-star safety rating. The Punch EV is possibly more robust in the way it has been designed. Also, as a pure EV architecture, there is no doubt that we have designed this car for meeting that kind of a safety requirement and there is every intention of submitting this for Bharat NCAP testing also. We can only talk about safety rating when we get the final result but the answer is yes, we will be offering this for BNCAP.”

Also Read: Tata Motors Begins Production At Sanand Plant

Tata recently launched the Punch EV in India with prices starting from Rs 10.99 lakh (ex-showroom, introductory). The Punch EV is based on the new Acti.ev platform, which Tata says is designed to help models achieve five-star safety ratings, and will spawn a number of new Tata EVs over the next two years including the much-anticipated Curvv and Sierra SUVs.

It will be interesting to see how the new EV platform performs in the crash tests, bearing in mind the internal combustion Punch was awarded a five-star Global NCAP rating. The internal combustion Tata Punch is based on the ALFA architecture that also underpins the Altroz hatchback, but Tata maintains the Punch EV's architecture is totally different.

The Punch EV has been launched in two derivatives – medium and long range. Buyers can opt for the medium range variant, which comes with a 25 kWh battery pack giving the SUV a claimed range of up to 315 km (MIDC) and the long-range variant featuring a larger 35 kWh battery and up to 421 km of range. The Punch EV is offered in three trim levels – Smart, Adventure and Empowered, with the higher variants offered with the option of a sunroof.

Also Read: Tata Punch EV Unveiled: Debuts 'Acti.ev' Platform; Two Range Options On Offer

In terms of design, the Punch EV gets a fascia more in line with the new Nexon EV. The EV gets a model-specific bumper, new LED signatures including a lightbar and redesigned headlamps. The SUV however retains the same profile and rear-end design as the internal combustion model.

The Punch EV will go up against the likes of the Citroen e-C3 in the Indian market while drawing buyers wanting an electric SUV but not having the budget for the more premium Nexon EV.