New foundations
Acti.ev is Tata Motor’s Gen 2 electric platform that will underpin all of its future EVs, starting with the Punch EV
THE ACTI.EV IS AN ALL-NEW EV-only platform that forms the base of the new Tata Punch. This new skateboard architecture style platform will also underpin future models like the electric Curvv, Sierra and Harrier. Why is this being done? A better user experience, more storage, better battery packaging, more range, faster charging and fewer constraints than ICE imposes.
With the Punch EV, the top hat is the same as the ICE car but the underside is completely revamped. Anand Kulkarni, chief product officer, TMEP said, “On the underside, there is very little commonality. But because the form factor on top has to mate with the underfloor, there’s a lot of commonality on the top. Of course, the top has also undergone significant changes because some part of the crash impulses and the weight and durability expectations have to be managed by the top structure as well.”
For starters, this platform will use wider orthogonal-shaped battery packs which will allow for 10 per cent better volumetric efficiency, meaning that they will be able to pack in more battery cells in the same amount of space. This platform is also modular and can have FWD, RWD or AWD setups along with multiple body styles. The skateboard design allows for better space optimisation — a flat floor, larger boot space and a frunk.
Side sill and lateral structures are reinforced, while a generous use of ultrahigh strength steel should ensure 5-star safety. Active safety-wise, the platform will ship with Level 2 ADAS and is also ready for Level 2+. The final piece of the puzzle is made up of the software and cloud computing aspects of a car that include 5G connectivity. The platform is also capable of adapting to third-party apps to make the user interface that much better.
The Acti.ev platform is an important step in Tata Motor’s electric journey. It is the first Indian carmaker to get to market with its EV-only platform, and the Punch EV is the first iteration. There’s plenty more exciting EVs to follow!