New Delhi: Tata Motors, India's leading passenger electric vehicle maker, has received two new five-star Bharat NCAP safety ratings–for its Punch and Nexon EVs.
These models are the first electric vehicles to receive the top rating under the Bharat New Car Assessment Program (BNCAP).
The rating certification was awarded to Tata Motors by minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari who also launched the BNCAP.
The BNCAP, launched in 2022 to enhance road safety and provide consumers with reliable information on vehicle safety, follows stringent testing protocols comparable to global standards.
The domestic, voluntary crash tests are aimed to encourage carmakers to produce safe and reliable electric vehicles for the Indian market.
The programme evaluates vehicles on multiple parameters, including adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, and safety assist technologies.
Tata Motors' Harrier and Safari models also boast 5-star BNCAP ratings. For original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), a strong emphasis on safety has become a unique selling proposition, attracting safety-conscious consumers and elevating industry standards for safety.
Mint reported in May that the company expects its electric vehicle segment, growth in which has slowed year-on-year, to see a significant spurt after the launch of the Curvv, a coupe-style electric SUV, and is targeting sales of over 100,000 EVs this fiscal - a milestone it had missed in FY24.
Interestingly, while Tata Motors grew its overall passenger vehicle volumes in FY24, EVs accounted for 13% of its total sales last fiscal, down from 16% in FY23 and 20% in FY22, as an initial crop of early adopters of eco-friendly vehicles dwindles, despite the launch of new electric models like the Punch EV, as well as a full-model refresh of its flagship Nexon EV.
