Tata Motors Signs MoU With Lithium Urban Technologies: Bags Order For 5,000 Xpres-T EVs

These 5,000 new electric cars deployed across India will be specifically used to transport employees.

Since 5,000 units of Xpres-T EV sedans are a large order, these vehicles will be handed over to Lithium Urban Technologies in a phased manner and the target cars will be delivered before the end of 2023.

In addition to that, Tata Motors is currently dominating the Electric Passenger Vehicle segment in India and enjoys an unprecedented market share of 87 per cent in FY22. Apart from that, more than 24,000 Tata electric passenger vehicles are on the road in India.

Moreover, Xpres is the sub-brand of Tata Motors specifically created for fleet operators and the first EV from Xpres is the Tata Tigor based Xpres-T EV.

However, unlike the recently updated Tata Tigor EV, the Xpres-T EV will be only sold for commercial purposes and cannot be registered as a private vehicle in the country.

Speaking about the differences, the Tata Tigor EV comes with a 26kWh battery pack, the Xpres-T EV comes with two choices for the battery pack, both of which are 37 and 17 per cent smaller in capacity at 16.5kWh and 21.5kWh, respectively.

Another difference between the Tata Tigor EV and Xpres-T EV is the powertrain. While Tata Motors has opted for a more advanced 350V Ziptron EV system, the Xpres-T-EV uses the older 72V electrical architecture.

The difference further extends to the electric motor, where the Xpres-T EV uses a simpler 70V, 3-Phase induction motor with 39.4bhp of peak power and 105Nm of peak torque as opposed to the Tata Tigor EV's 74bhp and 170Nm electric motor.

In terms of charging, thanks to the more advanced electrical architecture, the Tigor EV can charge from 0-80 per cent in just 65 minutes using suitable DC fast chargers. On the other hand, the same feat takes 90 minutes for the Xpres-T EV equipped with the 16.5kWh battery pack and 110 minutes for the 21.5kWh Xpres-T EV.

Using this powertrain system, the Xpres-T EV equipped with a 16.5kWh battery pack can cover 165kms on a single charge, whereas the Xpres-T EV equipped with the larger 21.5kWh battery pack can extend the claimed range to 213kms.

However, these claimed range figures are somewhat lower compared to the Tata Tigor EV's ARAI-certified 306kms.

Design-wise, the Xpres-T EV carries a near-identical silhouette of the Tata Tigor EV. However, Tata Motors has made subtle revisions to keep the cost down. These changes include a pair of simple single-pod reflector type headlight units instead of projector headlamps, and a gloss-black grille devoid of any graphics.

Moving on to the inside, the Xpres-T EV misses out on the digital instrument cluster, and the stylish rotary drive selector is replaced by a conventional lever. Safety features on the Xpres-T EV sedan include 2 airbags, ABS, EBD and a few more.

Thoughts About Tata Xpres-T EV

On paper, the Xpres-T EV may seem like a step-down from the Tata Tigor EV. However, it more than meets the requirements of fleet operators in India. In addition to that, an order of such a massive scale would also extend Tata Motors' dominance in the EV sector in India.