Tata Motors has every reason to think big on electric vehicles. In addition to the company being a leader as an Indian auto OEM, the Tata Group companies (Tata Power, Tata Chemicals, Tata AutoComp) provide a rich and powerful EV ecosystem for Tata Motors to flourish and add value to the Indian and even international electric vehicle industry.
It hence should come as no surprise that the company plans to go the extra mile to ensure that more Indian customers start making decisions to purchase more EVs in the short term.
But what could such an effort comprise? At EV Next, we feel that it should be a lot more than awareness creation, and equally important, it should be a two way street.
Let’s explain each a bit.
More than awareness – Lack of awareness about electric vehicles could be one reason for poor sales, but it is not the main reason. Rather, lack of comfort with the idea of purchasing electric vehicles with all the uncertainties attached is a more important reason. Hence, Tata Motors’ efforts should focus on providing insights and context such that the prospects are able to understand the trends in electric vehicles better and be convinced that some of the concerns that they had been worried about are perhaps not so challenging.
A two way street – Tata Motors (or for that matter, other OEMs who are attempting something similar) should realise that as much as the customer mindset might need a tweak, so do their (OEMs) strategies and plans for electric vehicles. OEMs should hence use this exercise to listen to customers and their needs and concerns better and come up with electric vehicle products that minimize – if not eliminate – these concerns.