A significant event happened on Tuesday when an ACE electric car made by Tata Motors and driven by Bluwheelz, a newcomer to the Indian electric logistics market, caught fire without warning. According to Autocar Professional, Bluwheelz CEO Chanpreet Singh Sethi disclosed that Tata Motors is looking into the incident and plans to release a detailed report by the end of the next week.
The well-known compact commercial vehicle from Tata Motors, the Ace EV, was introduced in May 2022 as an electric version. It has the company’s cutting-edge EVOGEN powertrain and a certified range of 154 kilometers. Arriving in January 2023 to major companies like Amazon, Amplus EV, Delhivery, DHL, FedEx, Flipkart, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health, MoEVing, Safexpress, and Trent Limited, the model was first ordered by Tata Motors from a variety of businesses, including e-commerce. Its excellent clientele has recently expanded to include Bluwheelz.
Bluwheelz is an expert in offering fleet-as-a-service options, with an emphasis on electric cars. Leading brands like Big Basket, Delhivery, Porter, Zomato, and Compass are among its clientele. It has also started pilot projects with businesses like Britannia, Coca-Cola, Unilever, Swiggy, Cremica, HT, ITC, and others. Since its founding in January 2023, Bluwheelz has grown quickly, operating in over 17 locations, overseeing a fleet of 1,100 electric cars, and providing services to over 40 customers. Securing $1 million in bridge finance from a group of investors, including Venture Catalysts, supported this growth trajectory.
Tata Motors has deliberately shifted its focus from depending exclusively on government incentives to driving demand through a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) in anticipation of the FAME II government subsidy scheme’s expiration in March 2024. Recently, the business unveiled a new 1-ton version of the ACE electric SCV, which delivers a 30% reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO) despite costing 17% more than its FAME-subsidized predecessor. In a recent conference call, Tata Motors Executive Director Girish Wagh stated that the company was launching an attractive line of products in preparation for this post-FAME scenario. When it comes to electric four-wheeler goods vehicles, particularly those in the N1 category like the Ace, Tata Motors holds the distinction of being the first in India to get the PLI certificate.
