Tata Punch EV Real-world Fast Charging Test: This Is How Long It Takes

We performed the charging test on the long-range variant of the Tata Punch EV, which is equipped with a 35 kWh battery pack

The Tata Punch EV was launched in January 2024 as the first electric offering based on Tata’s new Acti.ev architecture. It comes with two battery pack options – 25 kWh and 35 kWh – with claimed ranges of 315 km and 421 km respectively. Recently, we had the long-range variant (35 kWh) of the Punch EV with us, and we performed a real-world charging test to see how long it would take to top up the battery from empty.

Charger Used

While the long-range variant of the Tata Punch EV supports up to 50 kW DC fast charging, we tested it at a 120 kW charging station. It's important to note that the EV will only charge at the charging speed for which it is rated or designed. Here’s the result of the charging test:

Key Takeaways

• We plugged in the Tata Punch EV when it was at 0 percent state of charge (SOC) as indicated on the digital driver’s display. Initially, the charging rate was 18 kW for the first 5 percent, then it increased to 25 kW. The Punch EV continued to charge at this rate until it reached 95 percent.

• The charger was disconnected at 95 percent SOC. It took the Punch EV a total of 78 minutes to charge from 1 percent to 95 percent, i.e., more than 1 hour.

• After reaching 95 percent, the charging rate dropped again to 18 kW, and it was likely to drop further for the last 5 percent of charging and was expected to take around 15 to 20 minutes. 

• Taking everything into account, we expect the total charging time to charge the Punch EV from 1 to 100 percent to be more than 1.5 hours.

• For reference, the claimed charging time for the long-range variant of the Punch EV (from 10 to 80 percent) using the DC fast charger is 56 minutes. In our charging test, it took the same amount of time to reach 80 percent from 10 percent SOC.

Disclaimer: The charging time may vary depending on vehicle condition, ambient temperatures and flow rate from the chargers.

Also Check Out: 3 New Cars Expected To Launch In May 2024

Why Is Charging Speed Reduced?

The main reason charging speed reduces for most EVs after reaching 80 or 90 percent is because the battery pack starts to heat up, which is not good for the battery's health. To prevent overheating and damage, the charging speed decreases as the EV reaches a higher state of charge. This is perhaps why EV-makers will recommend you to keep the car’s SOC in the optimal range of 10 to 90 percent, and avoid letting the battery drain to 0 percent or always charging it to a full 100 percent. Some EVs, like smartphones, also have a setting that allows you to control what battery level the EV should stop charging when plugged in overnight.

Tata Punch EV Long Range Powertrain

Tata Punch Long Range Price

The Tata Punch EV LR (Long Range) variants are priced between Rs 12.99 lakh and Rs 15.49 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). It takes on the Citroen eC3 electric hatchback, while it can also be regarded as an affordable alternative to the Tata Nexon EV.

Read More on : Punch EV Automatic