Tata’s electric vehicle (EV) portfolio would include the Punch compact crossover, scheduled for launch on 20th October with a single internal combustion engine.
Since the Punch uses Tata’s ALFA architecture (already used by the Altroz), it can be fitted with an electric powertrain which will likely use the Ziptron technology.
President of Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors, Shailesh Chandra, has stated that the company has been “contemplating different options (for the Punch) whether it’s diesel or EVs.”
He also disclosed the fact that the development of the Tata Punch EV is currently underway. “We are working towards the EV, it’s a work in progress, but it will take some time,” said Chandra.
When it gets introduced, the Punch EV will be positioned below the 2022 Tigor EV which recently gained a larger 26 kWh Lithium-ion battery pack, 306 km claimed range and a 74 HP motor.
The exact specifications that the electric compact crossover will have can only be speculated for now, but it might get a bit less range than the electric compact sedan.
However, before gaining an electric powertrain, the Punch will receive a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol motor option, which could be tuned to produce less power than the Altroz iTurbo, which has 110 PS and 140 Nm.
As for the diesel engine option, although technically the ALFA architecture can house Tata’s 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder diesel motor, the Punch has a smaller engine bay, which might make things tricky.
Tata could choose to dust off its 3-cylinder, 1.05-litre diesel engine, which was axed before the BS6 emissions regulations came into effect and use it to power the Punch, but that possibility seems highly unlikely, given the costs associated with making a motor BS6 compliant.