News

Chose the Tiago EV over an electric scooter: My experience so far

19th August 2024, 09:09 by Ananth Iyer

We finalized the Tata Tiago EV XT LR in the teal blue shade. For the month of May, we were offered a decent discount totaling ₹68,000, including the exchange bonus.

BHPian HHHkumar recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I’d like to share my initial ownership review and experiences from a few long trips (400-450 km per day) with my Tata Tiago EV XT LR.

A bit about my background:

I’m an electrical engineer working in power generation, currently stationed at a coal-fired thermal power plant in the Raichur district of Karnataka

Is this my first car?

No, it’s not. I learned to drive in a 2010 Chevrolet Spark PS, which was owned by our family and recently upgraded to a 2024 Baleno Zeta AGS. The first car I purchased after starting my career was a pre-owned 2015 Chevrolet Beat, bought in 2018 with 30,000 kilometers on the odometer. Additionally, we have a 2021 Altroz XT petrol, which my wife purchased before our marriage. After we got married, the Altroz became our primary car for long drives to our hometowns, while the Beat was mainly used for local errands. We didn’t have any two-wheelers in our garage. Fast forward to 2024, and the Beat had become a true beater car with 95,000 kilometers on the odometer. Despite this, it has remained reliable, smooth, and strong.

Why was there a need to replace it?

Life took a turn when our family grew with the addition of a toddler, and my wife returned to work. Our daily routine became more complex: first, we would drop off our baby at the care center, then my wife at her office, and finally, I would head to mine. This three-part commute happened three times a day—morning, lunch break, and evening—which started taking a toll on my Beat.

We were covering around 25 km daily (5-6 km per trip), with 7 to 8 start-stops. The car was barely warming up, and its mileage dropped to 11-12 km per liter, pushing our fuel costs to about 7-8k per month. Given the situation, we decided to invest in an Ather 450X for our daily commute and booked one after watching several reviews. Additionally, I decided to sell the Beat, as it was approaching its 10-year mark.

I live in a company-owned township, and once I announced my intention to part with my well-pampered car, the word spread quickly. Offers started coming in from colleagues and other interested parties, ranging from 1 lakh to 1.5 lakhs. I kept these offers at bay, as I wanted the electric bike before selling the car. I communicated this to all interested parties, ensuring they understood my timeline.

I wanted to get hands-on experience with an electric bike and there was this newly opened experience center at Raichur, KA. We thought why not visit and test drive the Ather series, so on a Saturday with my better half and our little girl, we showed up at an Ather Experience Center. The salesperson was a young lad in his early twenties and was eager to show his skills in sales! He promptly explained all features, variants and prices and offered a 450x for a day-long test. Impressed with the bike and its convenience, I was excited to try the vehicle fully loaded, with me and my wife holding our daughter. It was here at this very moment I realized this might not be my cup of tea!

Let me explain why I felt so, I'm quite hefty at 5 '11 and tipping the scale at 95 kg and my knees were brushing the handlebars on tight turns and with our ferocious baby at the back I felt it would be quite a handful to ride and could be unsafe at times. We returned home wondering will a bike workout for us? Given the temperatures reaching 45 degrees with dusty roads and heavy vehicle traffic near our power plant area further added to our worries, with all these realities showing up and the cost of the Ather was more than the resale cost of Beat, I started to wonder is it a really good idea and interest built up fizzled out fast.

Idea of a EV four-wheeler, TD & Booking:

Later that week, one afternoon while picking up our baby girl, I casually mentioned to my wife that we could consider getting a Tiago EV—being the most affordable EV available—by taking out a loan. I suggested that the EMI could be comparable to our current fuel expenses, and since electricity costs are negligible due to our company accommodation, our running costs would be practically zero! We both agreed to proceed, and it was one of those rare moments of mutual agreement between us, especially for splurging on an automobile!

I didn’t miss the opportunity and promptly filled out a form on the Tata EV website. That very evening, I received a call asking for more details, and soon after, the local dealership's sales team and used car evaluation team arrived at my doorstep with a Nexon EV. The sales team offered a generous test drive of the Nexon EV to give me a feel for driving an electric vehicle. I was thoroughly impressed by Tata’s top-spec EV and everything it offered for the price. They also evaluated my Beat, and after some hard negotiations, the final offer was 1.2 lakhs with an exchange bonus. Everything fell into place for the purchase, and the process gained momentum quickly.

I requested a test drive of the Tiago EV before committing to a booking and exchanging my Beat. I was assured that the test drive vehicle would be available within the same week. The salesperson delivered the test drive vehicle on Saturday. It was a 2022 top-end variant with 36,000 km on the odometer. I took the car for a thorough test drive, bringing my family along. Its refinement, ride quality, and available power impressed me. My wife commented that driving it felt like operating a four-wheeled Activa—just turn it on and go. The car met all my primary requirements: it was comfortable, safe, had sufficient range for short commutes, and I estimated that three full charges would cover a month's worth of driving.

I paid the booking amount and provided the required documents for processing the loan. We decided on the teal blue shade, as we found it unique, and fortunately, my wife agreed to the color without making a fuss!

Post-booking experience:

We finalized the Tata Tiago EV XT LR in the teal blue shade. For the month of May, we were offered a decent discount totaling ₹68,000, including the exchange bonus. The sales rep was calm and understanding when I informed him that I would be purchasing insurance separately. On Monday, he informed me that the variant we booked was in transit and shared its VIN details. It was a freshly manufactured vehicle from May and was to be unloaded in Bellary. I asked him to have the car delivered to Raichur, and he promised it could be made available there within the same week.

PDI Experience:

We booked the car on Saturday, and it was in their yard the following Saturday for the PDI. The salesperson called me to come over for the PDI before invoicing the vehicle. With the help of the Team-BHP checklist, I thoroughly inspected the car and found it generally acceptable. The only issue was that the car had MRF tires manufactured in 2023. I raised this concern with the sales representative, the sales manager, and even the area manager. They all stated that the vehicle had been unloaded and driven to Raichur for PDI and invoicing with a transit pass, and that the old tires were from the factory. The sales rep even offered a Tiago manufactured in April in a different color if I was not satisfied with the tires.

After giving it some thought, I decided to proceed with the car, as I found the sales rep's responses genuine and made peace with the situation.

We decided to take delivery on Thursday, 30/05/2024. The final amount came to approximately 10.20 lakhs, which included insurance, a 2-year extended warranty, and some basic accessories. Along with our close friends, we arrived at the showroom and completed the delivery process within 30 minutes, which included a simple cake-cutting ceremony and a pooja. What began as a search for an electric bike ultimately led us to purchase a Tiago EV, all within a span of just three weeks.

Likes:

The vehicle is compact and spacious at the same time; it is a comfortable car for both city driving and occasional long trips.
The electric drive resonates with the electrical engineer in me, and I love the smooth performance that this electric rotary drive provides when compared to the reciprocating drive of a typical ICE.
The ride quality is impressive, and the car feels well-planted on the road.
The ground clearance is excellent; I haven't scraped any of the massive speed bumps in rural North Karnataka.
The refinement levels are exceptional, making city driving a pleasure, especially since there's no need for constant gear changes.
After upgrading from the Beat's dull and boomy 1.2 petrol engine, this car in sport mode reminds me of the first-generation diesel Swift’s acceleration. It’s quite handy for quick overtakes and leaves those honking diesel bullies eating dust on open roads.
I'm currently getting a realistic range of 200 km at 25% battery with the AC off within city limits (85 Wh/km) and 180 km at 20% battery in ECON mode on longer drives (100 Wh/km).

Dislikes:

The interior feels very dated, like something from a decade ago. The plastics are cheap, and surprisingly, even my outgoing Beat had slightly better quality materials.
The seating position is quite high—you feel like you're sitting on the car rather than in it. Since the XT variant lacks seat height adjustment, the seat height feels awkward, especially for taller drivers.
The AC controls are integrated with the head unit (HU), which I find quite odd, as it limits the overall functionality of the system. On one occasion, the HU got stuck in a boot loop, and although the AC controls were still working, there was no way to check the temperature set point or the status of the auto on/off feature. A simple indicator LED on the AC control buttons would have made the system more robust and foolproof.
Since we own an Altroz, I'm accustomed to its HU, which has an exhaustive trip computer providing data on drive time, efficiency, acceleration, and harsh braking for each start and stop, along with two trip computers. It even includes a built-in scoring system, all at no extra cost! In contrast, with the Tiago, I have to log into an app just to access these basic details.
The horrendous Tata Z Connect app, which becomes a subscription service after the first year, feels like a really poor attempt by Tata, and the exorbitant pricing is a practical joke on buyers.
The TPMS feels like a half-hearted attempt. It notifies you of any change in pressure, but even when you top up the tyres, the warning light stays on, requiring a manual reset every time.
Range estimator is an absolute comedy, maybe it hints the real-world ranges of the newly launched Tata Curv EV.

Concerns:

The EV is an excellent choice, but I find that the battery is the only weak link in the package. The horror stories about Tata's post-sales experience are definitely a cause for concern.

Although Tata offers a generous 8-year warranty on the powertrain and battery, the process that follows if the battery or any crucial component fails remains uncertain due to the inconsistent nature of Tata's service.

Looking 10 years ahead, I'm concerned that the technology in current EVs may become obsolete, with limited support or upgrade options from third parties, similar to what happened with the Mahindra E20. Additionally, there are few options for powertrain or battery modifications from other market players.

Although the power electronics in the car are robust, they could be susceptible to failure due to harsh weather and dust in the Deccan area.

Rants of charging infrastructure:

The ecosystem of CPOs (Charging Point Operators) is very cluttered, with multiple operators each having their own fancy apps and separate wallets. I currently have 10 apps installed on my phone, and there’s a desperate need for an aggregator with a common wallet.

I wish there could be cash-based charging without the need for an app. If the dream of EV mobility is to spread to the general public, this would make it far easier for everyone to use.

While writing this post, I realized that I haven't taken a single decent picture of my car. So, it's time to whip out my old DSLR and take some shots. I’ll also provide an update about the long trips from Raichur to Shivamogga, then to Dharwad, and back to Raichur in the next post. Thank you!

Here are a few pictures taken so far: