The Motor Vehicle Department of the state of Kerela has acquired a fleet of Tata exon EVs. Tata Motors has delivered 65 Nexon electric vehicles to the Kerela government which are on lease for the next 8 years. As a part of the ‘Safe Kerala’ programme, the fleet of Tata Nexon EVs are said to be used to manage and regulate the state’s vehicular traffic. The lease of the 65 electric vehicles is being done under the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) through the Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (ANERT).
The first lot of 45 Tata Nexon EVs have been delivered already to the Kerela MVD in Thiruvananthapuram. The vehicles are likely to be used to transport government officials and be used for official purposes. Through this collaboration, the Government of Kerela aims to mitigate its CO2 emissions by around a claimed 650 tonnes a year. Additionally, it hopes to cut down on the cost of using 2.2 lakh litres of diesel per year.
The ‘Safe Kerela’ programme focuses on enhancing road safety. It plans to achieve that by reducing traffic offences and addressing related issues. This would be done by proper training of drivers, providing safe roads, raising awareness amongst pedestrians, and ensuring effective management of vehicular traffic.
The Tata Nexon EV was launched earlier this year. The model is based entirely on the standard Nexon but uses a 30.2 kWh lithium-ion battery that is placed under the floor. It is driven by a permanent-magnet AC electric motor at the front that is capable of generating 129hp. Tata Motors claims that the Nexon EV is capable f delivering 312kms of driving range.
