VALUE PUNCH

Cheaper, sharper and smarter than before, the Tata Punch.ev proves that going electric no longer means paying a premium

- By Kurt Morris Photographs Swapnil Dhawale

With the ICE Tata Punch still fresh in memory as one of India’s most successful compact SUVs, it was inevitable that attention would shift to its electric sibling.

Tata Motors has been riding the Punch wave for a while now — a car that reshaped the entry SUV segment — and with the updated Punch.ev, the company is clearly sharpening its electric push.

The biggest talking point is the price. At ₹ 9.69 lakh (ex-showroom), the new Punch.ev enters the market aggressively. Add Tata’s Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) subscription model, which lowers the upfront purchase cost further, and EV ownership suddenly looks far more accessible. In certain configurations, the updated Punch.ev is nearly ₹ 1.5 lakh cheaper than the outgoing version — which naturally raises the question of how Tata has managed such a drop.

The answer lies in smart engineering rather than obvious compromise. Some changes are visible: rear disc brakes have been replaced by drum brakes, and ambient lighting has been removed. On paper, that brake downgrade might raise eyebrows, but in practice EVs rely heavily on regenerative braking. During our drive, there was no noticeable shortfall in stopping power, as regen handles a significant portion of the deceleration before the mechanical brakes even step in.

The larger cost savings come from underneath. Battery cell prices have fallen globally, and Tata has taken advantage of that shift. Interestingly, the battery pack itself hasn’t been downsized. Energy density has improved while the packaging remains largely unchanged, which means better efficiency without sacrificing range.

There’s also a new 6-in-1 integrated controller that combines several high-voltage components into a single unit. This reduces semiconductor usage, simplifies manufacturing and lowers overall system costs while improving efficiency. It’s careful optimisation rather than corner-cutting.