Tata Motors launches two EV stores in Kochi

India’s largest electric carmaker, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility (TPEM) today unveiled two EV-exclusive retail stores in Kochi, Kerala.

“As the leading market for electric mobility in the country with 5.6% EV penetration, the people of Kerala have led the way in adopting future facing technologies, making it a clear choice for us to inaugurate our next set of premium Tata.ev stores in the state," says Shailesh Chandra, managing director, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility and Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles.

The carmaker currently displays one or two EVs at its ICE showrooms. Having separate showrooms for EVs is expected to help the automaker showcase more electric cars as it expands its EV portfolio.

This also comes eight months after India’s largest electric carmaker launched its two EV-exclusive showrooms in Gurugram.

As electric vehicle adoption grows in the country, consumer buying behavior is also undergoing maturity and evolution. An EV customer now expects the brand to offer a unique experience through the purchase journey, from the product to its ownership cycle, the company says.

"We have seen how the discerning EV consumer has matured and demands a premium ownership experience. To cater to this archetype, Tata Motors is committed to continue democratising EVs for the mass market,” says Chandra.

Tata Motors will soon open a set of five exclusive EV service centres across key cities in Kerala, says Chandra. “For us, creating an upscale purchase and ownership experience through Tata.ev stores and service centres is an important cog in India’s electric revolution. These are critical milestones as we move firmly towards the inflection point for EV adoption in the country,” Chandra adds.

Tata Motors’ market share in the country’s EV segment is over 70%. EVs account for just 2% of overall car sales in India.

“Setting up EV showrooms depends on a lot of factors such as good location. We plan to cover a majority of towns where EV penetration is going up,” Vivek Srivatsa, chief commercial officer, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, told Fortune India earlier.

In cities, where the carmaker starts exclusive EV showrooms, ICE dealers would stop selling EVs. This, according to Srivatsa, will ensure uniform experience while buying EVs.

“We feel that as long as EVs are sold in traditional outlets, both ICE and EV growth gets limited because of limited display space. Tomorrow, we will have new EVs coming up, where will we put those cars? If you don’t put the car, you don’t sell. If you put the car, it may come at the cost of ICE sale. So this gives breathing space to both the businesses,” said Srivatsa.