📅 Jun 12, 2025ET Now World10 MIN209 VIEWS20 SEGMENTS · 2 SPEAKERS
In this video, Ankur Taneja interviews Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited. They discuss Tata Harrier EV technology and share key insights into the Tata Harrier EV. watch the full video — and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe!
Welcome to Times Drive, get ready to explore the world of Cars, Bikes, and EVs with us! From First Look to Car & Bike Reviews, Comparisons and in-depth analysis of the hottest trends and news in the automobile industry. We cover it all for you and keep you up-to-date and informed with every Auto related information.
Su...
Questions asked in this interview
5
0:37Could you share some of the added features that make it stand apart?
4:01How was that figured out, and what was the thought process behind providing the best segment features while maintaining cost?
5:47What learnings came from those earlier electric vehicles, and what has been implemented in the Harrier EV in terms of drive dynamics or overall technology?
7:23Do you think there are still two or three key customer concerns that needed resolution and have now been addressed in the Harrier EV?
9:53My last question: if you had to define the Harrier EV in one word—evolution or revolution—what would it be?
Hello and welcome to Time Drive Adda once again. Today, we have a very special guest with us, Mr. Shailesh Chandra, who is the MD at Tata Motors. We will talk to him about Tata's latest electric SUV, the Harrier EV. Let's get started. First of all, Shailesh, thank you so much for joining us, and congratulations on the launch of the new Tata Harrier EV.
My first question is regarding its technology. What new technology and features are included? Compared to the competition, it feels like certain features are a level above. Could you share some of the added features that make it stand apart?
In the high SUV segment, this car has completely changed the experience for a consumer by taking quantum leaps in every aspect. Let me go one by one. First is the performance itself. Typically, you get around 350 Nm of torque in this segment, but in this car, you get 500 Nm of torque, which enables 0 to 100 km/h acceleration in just 6.3 seconds. That performance and thrill is number one.
Second, the comfort is also on another level. We have provided a very special suspension called the Ultra Glide suspension. Taking the frequency from the road, it judges how to dampen it. When you sit inside, it completely gobble up all the undulations on the road. This feature takes comfort to the next limit. Talking about technology, for the first time, we have provided a Samsung QLED screen. Generally, you wouldn't see QLED in cars. Along with that, there is Dolby acoustics. You can sit with popcorn because it gives you a proper theater experience.
Regarding other new experiences, as you saw during the launch when I arrived in the car, I was sitting in the back and there was no driver. It comes with Summon Mode, so you can move the car out using a remote. There is automatic parking and a 540-degree view. You hear about 360-degree cameras in cars, but 540 means you can even see underneath the car because it has off-road capability. If you are parking and there is a dog or cat there, you can see that something is present and avoid harming them. There are many such features. So if you look at performance, comfort, and immersive experience through technology, it is on a different level.
Regarding the electric architecture: although the top hat is the Harrier because it is a very popular and widely accepted brand and body style, the underpinnings have completely changed. This is a pure EV architecture that we call acti.ev+, where we accommodated 4x4 and provided a flat battery pack to fit a 75 kWh battery pack delivering a 500-plus km real-world range. That architecture has completely changed. It is also a software-defined vehicle, which means you can continually provide cloud updates to enhance features over time. A vast array of features are coming because it is a software-defined vehicle, so technologically it has advanced significantly.
Offering a lot is one thing, but the cost factor also adds up since feature lists can be endless. You announced a base price of 21.5 lakh rupees. Packaging all of this is a massive hurdle. How was that figured out, and what was the thought process behind providing the best segment features while maintaining cost?
This is the result of five to six years of hard work. We focused heavily on localization and reviewed component design at every stage to see how it was being optimized globally. For instance, in power electronics, there was significant compactness—moving from 3-in-1 to 5-in-1. We reduced costs in power electronics through design. Cell costs were decreasing, but we also worked extensively on cell-to-pack cost. We optimized costs across every element. Furthermore, regarding the PLI requirement of having more than 50% domestic value addition, this vehicle's localization level is very high. All of this went into managing the cost.
Number two, there is government support. The GST on this is 5%, whereas in the ICE world, GST for such a car is between 45% and 50%. We utilized that entire benefit to provide advanced technology and a larger battery size. That is why, despite offering so many features, we have been able to maintain price parity with automatic ICE cars. That is how it was made possible.
7 more exchanges in this transcript
Sign in free to read the rest of this interview. No card required.
Chandra, S. (2025, June 12). Interview with Shailesh Chandra Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited [Interview transcript]. ET Now World. CEOInterviews.AI. https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1315625/
MLA
Shailesh Chandra. "Interview with Shailesh Chandra Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited." ET Now World, 12 Jun. 2025. Transcript, CEOInterviews.AI, https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1315625/.
BibTeX
@misc{chandra2025_1315625,
author = {Shailesh Chandra},
title = {Interview with Shailesh Chandra Managing Director, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited},
howpublished = {Interview transcript, ET Now World. CEOInterviews.AI},
year = {2025},
month = {jun},
url = {https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1315625/},
note = {Speaker-attributed transcript with timestamps}
}
