Tata Ace EV: The ‘Futuristic’ Electric mini-truck

by Dhiyanesh Ravichandran · Published January 9, 2023 · Updated January 10, 2023

The battery-electric Tata Ace EV mini truck is priced at INR 9.99 lakhs (ex-showroom) including FAME II incentives. The EV comes standard with Tata’s comprehensive 5-year fleet management solutions.

Tata Ace EV Electric Truck — *Tata Ace EV is best suited for urban e-commerce and last-mile delivery applications.*

Tata Motors unveiled the electric-version of the popular Ace mini truck in India last year. Today, in an exclusive customer event in Delhi, the company delivered a fleet of 25 Ace EVs to various e-commerce and last-mile delivery customers in the region.

Revealing the price of the Tata Ace EV for the first time, the manufacturer has said that the vehicle will be initially available for corporate fleet buyers only. Retail sales of the EV from its dealerships will commence later, once adequate charging and service infrastructure are put in place, it added.

Also Read: Tata Super ACE, Magic, Magic IRIS Electric Vehicles revealed

Tata Motors has said that it is coming up with dedicated EV support centres in all prominent cities. The Ace EV is currently manufactured at the company’s Pantnagar plant in limited numbers. The roll-out numbers are expected to significantly increase this year to cater to the emerging demand.

Dimension and Payload

The Tata Ace EV measures 3.8 metres long, with a wheel base of 2.1 metres, akin to Tata Ace Gold variants. Although, the payload of the EV is a bit limited at 600 kgs, unlike 750 kgs in diesel/ petrol variants and 640 kgs in CNG avatar.

The EV’s maximum GVW is rated at 1,840 kgs, higher than diesel/ petrol (1,510 kgs) and CNG (1,630 kgs). Interestingly, the Ace EV bears the refreshed front fascia and interiors of the Ace HT+ model, giving the truck impressive looks, especially with Tata’s electric ‘blu-ish green’ embellishments.

Battery and Performance

The mini truck is powered by a 21.3kWh Lithium Iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack with liquid cooling system. An AC induction motor is positioned right below the cabin cowl to drive the rear axle using a single-speed gearbox. The ‘EVOGEN’ powertrain produces a maximum output of 27 kW (36bhp) power and 130 Nm of torque.

Driving range and Charging

Tata Motors assures a certified range of 154 kms in single charge for the Ace EV. In real setting, the truck is expected to offer at least 140 kms of pure electric driving range.

Tata Ace EV Digital Dashboard — *Tata Ace EV gets 21 connected features and a digital instrumentation on dashboard.*

The Ace EV boasts two separate charging ports for regular (home charging with 15A socket) and fast-charging. While the on-board regular charger takes about 6-7 hours (20 to 100 percent SoC) to recharge the vehicle, the fast-charging option does the job in just 105 minutes.

Battery Safety

Tata Motors has worked at three levels to enhance the battery safety in the Ace EV. Firstly, the vehicle drive parts are all IP-67 rated, and battery hardware are designed and tested for maximum thermal protection.

Second layer of safety is ensured using various algorithms and safety checks in software controlling the functioning of battery and related controllers. Lastly, the manufacturer claims that real-time monitoring of the EVs using connected features on various parameters ensure maximum protection.

Connected features

The e-truck features regenerative braking during coasting and downhill drives, aero deflector to reduce drag resistance, button-type drive selector, digital instrumentation console, and 21 connected features using on-board fleet management system.

Also Read: Switch EiV 22: India’s first electric double-decker city bus

The vehicles comes standard with a comprehensive 5-year ‘Tata Fleet Edge’ fleet management system that offers various functionalities including tracking and trip analysis, SoC and charging status, remote vehicle health monitoring, real-time range, efficiency, and SoC notifications, and driver behavior alerts, to name a few.