Ratan Tata leaves an unfulfilled dream behind: The Nano electric vehicle

In 2015, Tata thought about creating a low-cost EV, which gave birth to a product called the Neo EV. It was jointly developed by Jayem and Tata Group

From Tetley Tea to Jaguar Land Rover and Air India, Ratan Tata has checked off almost every item on his bucket list. However, one that remains unfinished is the electric version of his small car, the Tata Nano. A concept entrusted to Coimbatore-based Jayem Automotives (Jayem Auto) is still on the shelves, despite nearly 400 cars being launched, primarily due to Covid-19 and new crash norms.

On Thursday, Ola founder Bhavish Agarwal, who considers Tata his hero, recalled this dream project on the X platform, claiming how Tata himself took him to Coimbatore to give him a glimpse of his pet project. They even drove the car together on a test track, an experience that later inspired Agarwal to launch Ola Electric.

“One day in 2017, I got a call from him asking me to come to Mumbai. He just said, ‘Bhavish, I want to take you somewhere and show you something exciting’. We flew in his plane to Coimbatore to see his personal project of making electric vehicles (EVs) out of the Tata Nano! He was so passionate and excited about EVs. He even drove me in one on a test track and then pointed out such detailed improvements to the engineers. That was the day Ola Electric really got started,” Agarwal said.

In 2015, Tata thought about creating a low-cost EV, which gave birth to a product called the Neo EV. It was jointly developed by Jayem and the Tata group.

The Jayem Neo EV, or the electric Tata Nano as it is often referred to, was engineered and developed by Jayem in close partnership with Tata, under the supervision of Emeritus Chairman Ratan Tata.

According to media reports, two versions were planned: a 48-volt version and a more powerful 72-volt version. The project gained momentum in 2018 when Jayem produced a batch of 400 cars, supplying them to Ola Cabs for use in Hyderabad and Bengaluru at the onset of the pandemic. 

“I don’t want to talk about the EV project. Why should we discuss a project that didn’t succeed due to many government regulations? Covid-19 and the new crash regulations affected the expansion of the project,” said Jayem Auto Managing Director J Anand. “We still have a good relationship with the group,” he added.

According to an Autocar India report, Neo EV was never put on sale due to several factors, one being that engineers were still working to reduce the costs of the 72-volt version.

In addition to the pandemic, stringent crash test norms also contributed to the project’s downfall. Currently, Jayem Auto is a joint venture between Anand’s company and the Chennai-based Murugappa Group-promoted Tube Investments of India (TII). Through its subsidiary, TI Clean Mobility, TII acquired a 50 per cent stake in Jayem Auto last year.

At present, Jayem Auto is designing, developing, testing, and manufacturing a wide range of automotive components, systems, and prototypes, with deep expertise in EVs. Anand said he has no plans to revive the project.