TGY to supply batteries to Tatas Motors' Rs 1 lakh car

Tata AutoComp GY Batteries (TGY) will supply battery solutions to Tata Motors' Rs 1 lakh car, to be launched next year.

Yogesh Dhawan, chief executive officer, said, "We have already developed a special mould of the battery which would be fitted in the one lakh car to be commercially manufactured by Tata Motors next year".

Dubbed as the 'people's car', it would be produced at the Singur plant in West Bengal.

The rear-engine four-seater car, powered by a 30bhp engine, is expected to debut by the end of next year.

The company has thus far not yet disclosed the source from where it would get the engine for the car but industry experts believe that Fiat, its joint venture partner would be that source.

Meanwhile, in an effort to foray into the automotive retail business, TGY has introduced Tata Green range of environment-friendly car batteries for passenger and utility vehicles in the country.

The batteries will be produced at the company's Pune facility, which can produce 2 million units annually with an investment of Rs 100 crore.

The company intends to produce batteries for commercial and farm vehicles and also for two-wheelers in the following months.

For the moment, the company will import batteries to cater to the two-wheelers industry from GYIN's manufacturing facilities based in either Indonesia or Thailand.

The JV partner is the global leader in supply of batteries to the two-wheeler industry. The JV will go into commercial production next year.

The company claims that the batteries do not require top-ups or even maintenance for the first one lakh kilometres and the battery also helps minimises water loss, reduce self discharge and increases storage time.

The product also has shelf life (more than 90 days) compared with traditional batteries.

The company will introduce it in all the key markets in the country over the next six months in phases.