[ferrarirules]

Originally Posted by Bonemechanic

Tata PUNCH.ev range test by gaadiwadi.com

Based on this review, you can easily achieve 300 kms at highway speeds. Keeping 20% margin, that is easy 240-250 kms before you need to find a charging stop. Which according to me is pretty convenient for 500 km journey. One breakfast or lunch or dinner break and you are good to go.

Based on the range test numbers, this is car will be cheaper than Nexon for per km cost as well. For electricity at 8 rs per unit and run of 300 km you will be having a running cost of less than 1 Rs per km.

[fiat_tarun]

The Punch EV looks like a great package and I like the direction Tata is taking with the EVs. It has to be premium and bare basic EVs will not sell. I am truly surprised with the amount of kit they have thrown in there.

Since most EVs today are 2nd / 3rd cars in a household, I see the Punch EV eating into a chunk of Nexon EV sales. This does everything a city car needs to do and unless one needs the extra space, the Nexon EV over this does not really make sense.

[Omkar]

Originally Posted by enj0y_ride

One question on the architecture. Is it 400V or lower ?

The Acti.ev is a 400V architecture. The Avinya platform will be an 800V architecture.

Originally Posted by dmaheshkumar

Hope the space you are mentioning the passenger side of the car.
In the image shown, the space is very less in Driver side rear and it will be little more reduced space if you sit on back of the driver compared to passenger side rear.

Both the front seats were adjusted to my driving position. I think it's the angle of the picture that makes it seem like the driver's seat is slightly behind.

However, do note that my feet are tucked under the front seat and I'm sitting upright.

Originally Posted by King_Julien

1) Is Frunk is a dealer fitment, which means it is an additional accessory that needs to be purchased separately? I am not able to find the availability and price of Frunk.

2) I am looking to purchase the Punch LR version. I have already seen the Empowered Oxide color on the demo vehicle, but I would like to check out the Seaweed green as well. However, no demo vehicles are available in this shade. How does this color look in person?

1. As of now, what we were told was that some variants will have it as standard, and some won't. For the variants that don't have it, the frunk will be available as an accessory.

2. The Empowered Oxide colour is a pearl shade and it looks really nice in person. Not sure I would say the same about the Seaweed green. IMO it looks a bit dull and I'd have preferred a slightly lighter shade of green.

[Excaliber_007]

This is an excellent Review. Very Detailed. Thank you! I have booked the Empowered + LR persona on 5th January. I was eagerly awaiting the team-bhp drive review. The review has for sure raised my expectations from the car. Looking forward to the delivery and drive experience.

[Shishv]

Originally Posted by Contrapunto

Lovely package. I do hope this does well in the market. This can be perfect urban car for long boring commutes. Quite a number of offices now provide wall sockets for trickle chare, some even provide 7.7 watt chargers in collaboration with a Charging Point Operator.

However there is one rant, and not specific to the Punch.ev either - its the missing spare wheel. This is a worrying trend across cars of all price segments. The roads across India are still in a bad state of repair- barring a few exceptions in every city. Construction debris is all over the place, small nails and other sharp objects abound. I, for one, will not be able to let my wife or kid drive around town in a car without a spare wheel. What if they get a damaged tire late in the evening ?? In India, often tyres are damaged in ways that can't be fixed with a "repair kit".

Anyone else thinks government needs to make this inclusion mandatory under law? I am OK with a low speed doughnut tire, but please put a spare wheel.

I think Tata motors is just trying to protect Nexon EV here. They treat ICE Punch in step motherly way by not giving the 1.2 L turbo charged version of the Revotron Engine. It might cannibalise Nexon Petrol sales. Similarly, they want to keep Nexon EV as the more premium and more practical option in comparison to Punch EV.

[guptad42]

Originally Posted by SoumenD

This will solve the biggest gripe people had with Punch, the 1.2NA engine & AMT gearbox. Should be smooth & fast like all other EVs

So now TATA has EVs right from ~8.5L all the way till 20L. The pricing as well is such that there's minimal overlap. Tiago.EV(8.7L - 12L), Punch.EV(11L-15.5L) & Nexon.EV(14.75-20L). Will be interesting to see if Punch beats Nexon numbers now as am sure this will sell pretty well.

P.S: Hope their ASC & QC issues get corrected on war-footing. That seems to be the only Achilles heel as of now.

Tata is trying to establish drive range and price brackets with their EVs, but their drive range in lower/MR variant of each Tata EV feels too less for the vehicle category and price. With battery prices having fallen so much, I wonder if it would have been better to keep:
1. the 25KWH category to tiago.ev,
2. 35KWH for Punch.ev.
3. 45 KWH for nexon.ev (i.e. update the nexon battery to at least 45KWH)
4. and keep Harrier / Safari 55KWH and above.

Consider stopping the 19KWH tiago, 25KWH punch, 30KWH nexon.

Punch LR's 250-270km real range is particularly good for a small car. It gives you 220 km usable range on a daily basis, if you restrict yourself to 10%-90% state of charge on most days for battery durability.

Punch rear seat has less space and seat width, natural for a small car. It is difficult to buy it as a family SUV like a Brezza automatic or Elevate CVT. Punch.ev may be best suited as a good daily commuter with just 1-2 people in the car, which is a common scenario. But, the LR variants that have this range are as expensive as Brezza and Elevate automatics.

Tata Motors may have priced Punch.ev too high. Battery costs have fallen, and there is a big tax benefit on EVs. Petrol Brezza and Elevate pay some 45% GST, Punch.ev pays only 5%. and Punch.ev saves costs for engine, clutch, gearbox, fuel storage and pumping system etc. Options like sunroof can remain a major extra charge, as these are impractical for most people. It will still be popular, but I suspect it may start seeing large discounts like tiago.ev after the initial 10-12 month of sales to people waiting for an electric punch.

[Shresth_EV]

Originally Posted by enj0y_ride

Excellent review. Punch EV sure is going to cannibalise Nexon EV sales.
One question on the architecture. Is it 400V or lower ?

It’s same as the 320V architecture in Nexon, Tiago and Tigor acc to TeslaClubIN on X

[fiat_tarun]

Originally Posted by Contrapunto

...

Anyone else thinks government needs to make this inclusion mandatory under law? I am OK with a low speed doughnut tire, but please put a spare wheel.

It was the law till recently when it was changed to allow the omission of a spare tyre if the vehicle is equipped with a TPMS system and a tyre puncture repair kit.

Honestly with tubeless tyres and city running, I think this is fine. Everytime I have had a puncture I just top it up with my 12v compressor and get it fixed when I have the time. Since the space anyway exists, one can always buy the spare for additional piece of mind.

[Sunderdeep]

Another fantastic, detailed review as always, accompanied by some excellent pictures!

I got a chance to attend the official drive event in Bengaluru too and was truly impressed by the off-roading experience of this front-wheel-drive vehicle. However, there are some noticeable drawbacks, such as the absence of a spare wheel, missing rear AC vents, no 45W charger like in the Nexon ev, lack of soft fabric/padding on the doors, exposed sunroof screws, and budget-grade plastic quality that might make it challenging to justify spending 14.50 lakhs on this car, despite Tata's genuine efforts to load it with features and offer an LR variant with a 421 km range, unlike the Tiago/Tigor.

The additional Rs 50,000 for the 7 kWh charger could be a deal breaker for some too.

[Santy19]

Its a great review as always….Thank you!!!

First about the Company:-
I remember Tata executives explaining their road maps in regards to their EV lineup, their list goes as follows:

• GEN 1 : Which were to be based in existing ICE platforms like X1, X0 which were to be modified to accommodate EV components and this will spawn cars like the EV version of Taigo, Tigor and Nexon
• Gen 2 : This being a new platforms which was developed primarily for ICE vehicles but has provisions for electrification and this platform being the Alfa platform which has spawned ICE cars like Punch and Altroz and will spawn more in future like the Curvv and a MPV (ertiga rival) and now the EV version of Punch.
• Gen 3: This being a skateboard platform which will spawn BEV vehicles like Avinya and EVision, and this was supposed to be high tech platform to match or beat global standards.

Now when the punch EV has launched their press materials say its based on Acti.EV platform which is new platform and it will spawn vehicles of various configuration like single motor, dual motor lengths ranging from under 4mtrs to upto 4.5mtrs (harrier size), which seems ironic considering its the same 400V architecture like their Gen 1 vehicles and if a Harrier EV is launched on Acti.EV arch it should actually be a Gen 1 vehicle as it will be using the same D8 platform which was never electrified before.

Now my question is what is Acti.EV?,

Is it a new platform which happens to be similar to ALFA or OmegaArc so they can spawn vehicles with dimensions similar to their existing ICE cars,
Or its a New manufacturing technique which can applied on existing ICE platforms to make it electric, with lego like components to modify the battery capacity and different motor configuration to make it pertinent to existing model names
Or is it just a marketing ploy to differentiate their “old gen” cars from their “not so new gen” cars

Now coming to the Car:-
Its a great little city car, to my perception buyer of these cars are looking for city car and serve them as their 2nd or 3rd, which makes them the affluent class,
The companies targeting such audience should try to offer them upper segments features like one touch windows, backlit window switches rear AC vents and other such features
Its not a deal breaker, but it would become evem more desirable IMO

[Omkar]

Originally Posted by shyampsunder

Tax benefits under section 80EEB can be claimed until the end of the loan tenure but the car should have been registered on or before March 31, 2023. Since we are well past that point, this point can end up confusing prospective buyers and it would be great to remove it.

Hey shyampsunder,

Thanks for pointing it out. Has been removed.

This is an extremely misleading claim by Tata Motors in the brochure which has been verbatim repeated in several reviews but the devil is in the details as always.

Given that the LR version of the car has 35 kWh battery, the car adding 70% charge (80% - 10%) in its peak charging curve zone means that it is adding 24.5 kW of energy in 56 minutes. The max could be around 28 kW.

Now, the benign reason for why Tata Motors is referring to 50 kW DC charger could be that they just picked the next most common DC charger rating above 25 kW and went with it but even that reason is suspect because Tata Power has 30 kW DC chargers.

The more nefarious reason is that it positions in customer's minds that this car can make full use of 50 kW DC chargers when in reality it cannot even fully use a 30 kW DC charger.

This often translates into Tata EV owners plugging into the 50 kW DC chargers even when 24/30 kW DC chargers are available. The results:

1. It ends up costing these owners more because 50 kW DC chargers charge a premium.
2. It blocks other cars that can take full advantage of the 50 kW DC charger
3. It results in suboptimal throughput for charging station operators having multiple DC guns in the same location.

The slow DC charging by Tata EVs is the number one reason for why I don't recommend them to friends and family who plan to drive long distances on them. It's something Tata is well aware of but refuses to change even on so called Gen 2 platform.

That's a bold claim, but IMO it's more to do with the real-world application as well. I think what the company is trying to do is that they want people to know that the car can accept a 50kW DC fast charger. Some people might hesitate to plug into a 50/60 kW DC fast charger if the brochure mentions 30kW only (A Tigor EV owner had called me up from the charging station).

I was speaking to one of the owners of a Tiago EV who uses fast charging regularly. The charge drop is faster when the car is charged with a fast charger and what he was told is that the sensors don't keep up with the level of charging which is why the indicator shows that the battery is fully charged whereas it's only charged probably ~80%.

Tata also claims that "the Gen 2 architecture has been widened in order to provide orthogonal battery packs with 10% and higher volumetric efficiency on the energy content"

How much of an effect that will have on real-world charging, we'll wait for some ownership reviews to shed more light on this.

Regarding the charging ports being occupied - Definitely. I guess with EVs on the rise, fights over ANY charging port are inevitable over long weekend drives.

Originally Posted by Santy19

Now when the punch EV has launched their press materials say its based on Acti.EV platform which is new platform and it will spawn vehicles of various configuration like single motor, dual motor lengths ranging from under 4mtrs to upto 4.5mtrs (harrier size), which seems ironic considering its the same 400V architecture like their Gen 1 vehicles and if a Harrier EV is launched on Acti.EV arch it should actually be a Gen 1 vehicle as it will be using the same D8 platform which was never electrified before.

Now my question is what is Acti.EV?,

Is it a new platform which happens to be similar to ALFA or OmegaArc so they can spawn vehicles with dimensions similar to their existing ICE cars,
Or its a New manufacturing technique which can applied on existing ICE platforms to make it electric, with lego like components to modify the battery capacity and different motor configuration to make it pertinent to existing model names
Or is it just a marketing ploy to differentiate their “old gen” cars from their “not so new gen” cars

That is a good question because the Acti.ev platform can have an AWD configuration as well. I guess we'll have to wait for the Harrier EV to know the exact details of the mechanical platform.

[shyampsunder]

Originally Posted by Omkar

That's a bold claim, but IMO it's more to do with the real-world application as well. I think what the company is trying to do is that they want people to know that the car can accept a 50kW DC fast charger. Some people might hesitate to plug into a 50/60 kW DC fast charger if the brochure mentions 30kW only (A Tigor EV owner had called me up from the charging station).

I was speaking to one of the owners of a Tiago EV who uses fast charging regularly. The charge drop is faster when the car is charged with a fast charger and what he was told is that the sensors don't keep up with the level of charging which is why the indicator shows that the battery is fully charged whereas it's only charged probably ~80%.

Tata also claims that "the Gen 2 architecture has been widened in order to provide orthogonal battery packs with 10% and higher volumetric efficiency on the energy content"

How much of an effect that will have on real-world charging, we'll wait for some ownership reviews to shed more light on this.

Thanks for your response and updating the review.

If the objective of Tata Motors was to ensure that customers know that the car can charge on any DC charger, there are many ways to do it including mentioning it in the brochure.

Among the high-speed DC chargers prevalent in India, it is the 60 kW DC charger that is the most prevalent thanks to Jio BP's extensive network. Won't the same doubt of whether this charger is compatible with my car come up in the minds of the user on these chargers with the existing statement by Tata Motors since it refers to 50 kW?

It's not a theoretical problem, CPOs are struggling against EV owners who don't understand what their car is capable of. The problem only gets compounded when such misleading statements by OEMs are printed on brochures. Here is an example of a CPO trying to educate Tata EV owners.



Irrespective of what Tata Motors intends to convey with its statements, my suggestion/expectation from a portal like TeamBHP is to go a step beyond the claims of the OEM and provide objective information to its readers.

The KMs of real-world range added in a 30-minute DC charging session is a critical piece of information for most EV long drives because it is very normal to take one break in a long drive whether ICE or EV. Including information on the maximum charging rate is also trivial, all it needs is one DC charge session on a compatible charger to know the answer.

This could also be a part of the pros and cons section for EV reviews which is currently quite repetitive in nature.

Thanks again for the detailed review and appreciate the response.

[Jaggu]

Sorry got held up by work that I missed the thread so far. Omkar awesome turn around, you deserve a perfect 5 star

Personally I LOVED the car (my previous experience with EV's was Kia EV6, so I assume my standards are set right). This is just the perfect vehicle if you are looking for a city run around and maybe for day trips on highways. Does not mean it can't do long drives, but keeping it very pragmatic.

I am so used to big engined vehicles in real life (read 2.4 Petrol and 3 Liter diesel) and it was always challenging to do a fair evaluation of a small engined car, to say if it has sufficient oomph. Having 2 super fast bike's complicate the matter further. But this small lil EV did not disappoint at all! It is fun fun fun from the word go. Even the least powerful eco mode is fast for regular use. In fact I even told Omkar that it can be a dangerous car with a newb or folks who get excited and confused (viral parking accident videos on social media types).

Another aspect is its handling and it is such a hoot! The low CG plus architecture and "near 50:50" split is spot on. I did a lot of thrashing around on bad roads, even on katcha approach to the carting track it drove brilliant. Dare I say, Jimny has a challenger. The Offroad capability that electric motor and traction aids brings is another level all together. The track was set by folks who set RFC track, though there were only 3 actual Offroad challenge, the car came through without a fuss. I intentionally tried crawling on some crazy incline to push the limits of traction control, but sadly power to one set of axles is a limiting one. Add one motor to rear and I am game to friendly runs against Jimnys!

Regen brakes! love it again. I managed to drive about 40 kms, ranging from stop go city to fast highway and used the Brake pedal just 3-4 times. Once you get used to it, it's a good OCD game play and range extend challenge. Oh and this car flies to pretty illegal speeds and I did touch claimed top speed in one open stretch without realising it, in a very short duration.

Caution: Those low resistance tyres are dangerous. They snap out of grip and are very unpredictable. We saw someone on the go kart track experience it. I could feel it when I was taking uphill on Nandi Hills and warned Omkar and he also got to experience a lil. So ditch that range and go for one size wider and normal road tyres if you want to have fun with the car.

Originally Posted by ashvek3141

Quick Question though: Why are major manufacturers moving away from chrome lately? Hyundai, who was a strong advocate of chrome sometime back has all it's latest offerings devoid of chrome!

Originally Posted by ergon_9700

Primarily from what I understand is sustainability goals. Chrome making process is not environment friendly from what I recall. So manufacturers are slowly moving away from chrome and adopting sustainable methods to improve design aspect of cars.

Originally Posted by ZenMaster

The Acrylic Emblem would most probably cost much less than a Chrome plated emblem.

You are right, corporate messaging is sustainability but overall non chrome is easier to find vendors, QC and cost.

Originally Posted by Contrapunto

However there is one rant, and not specific to the Punch.ev either - its the missing spare wheel. This is a worrying trend across cars of all price segments.
=====
Anyone else thinks government needs to make this inclusion mandatory under law? I am OK with a low speed doughnut tire, but please put a spare wheel.

I completely agreed and shared the feedback with Tata team, as a Bangalorean if I need to commute at night a Spare tire is a must have safety net. A sidewall cut cannot be handled by small compressors and calling road side assistance is not practical at that hour.

Originally Posted by King_Julien

1) Is Frunk is a dealer fitment, which means it is an additional accessory that needs to be purchased separately?

They mentioned "for some models" so I guess the lower end models, it would be dealer option. Whereas top end models it will come standard.

How does this color look in person?

Looks overall ok and if you want the car to look compact, the lighter shade on the other hand makes it definitely bigger than it seems and closer to Nexon.

Originally Posted by neofromcapone

Excellent and crisp review.
The joy of reading a review and listening to some "expert's" video, I can read it in my own voice.
====
A user experience that makes a buyer aware of such minute details.
Kudos @Omkar

Another quirk, the amount of pressure on brake pedal if not sufficient it may not shift to R to D. Same pressure it moved to R but from then on I was scraching my head and then press the brake pedal harder for it to shift. Happened multiple times when I was positioning the car for Omkar to take pics.

Originally Posted by shamanths3

I have been driving a Nexon Max from last 1.5 years with the similar gear knob and honestly it gets easier as days go by as you learn its tricks.

Man you should have posted this earlier!! Thanks, really helpful tips.

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

It was the law till recently when it was changed to allow the omission of a spare tyre if the vehicle is equipped with a TPMS system and a tyre puncture repair kit.

It has only a low pressure warning, that can be reset at fill. Not the precise one which shows live pressure reading. I am not really comfortable with those as TPMS.

[govind_kaniyath]

Originally Posted by enj0y_ride

Excellent review. Punch EV sure is going to cannibalise Nexon EV sales.
One question on the architecture. Is it 400V or lower ?

It's still 320V (same as ziptron)

[Contrapunto]

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

It was the law till recently when it was changed to allow the omission of a spare tyre if the vehicle is equipped with a TPMS system and a tyre puncture repair kit.
.

I did not know this- thanks for clarifying. However, I was under the impression that a lot of new gen cars are being designed "by default" with no cavity for spare tyre (e.g. MG4, EV6, EV 9 etc) - so even if you want to , it has to come as a heavy, ugly, space grabbing and possible unsafe (if not anchored correctly) extra accessory that you have to buy.

I would love to know what owners who have a similar car think..