Tata starts production at Sanand plant purchased from Ford

Tata Passenger Electric Mobility (TPEM), the electric vehicle (EV) subsidiary of Tata Motors, recently announced the commencement of production at its new facility in Sanand, Gujarat.

In 2023, Ford India acquired the Sanand plant to produce internal combustion and electric vehicles. According to reports, Tata Nexon EV is the first model to be introduced at this plant, which is the beginning of a new era.

The new EV facility, which is spread over 460 acres, was acquired from Ford India on January 10, 2023 and Tata was able to upgrade the plant to meet its needs in just 12 months. The plant has four main shops: stamping, body construction, paint and final assembly. The automaker claims that each shop is equipped with advanced automation and technology to ensure precise manufacturing.

“It is a proud moment for us to see the launch of the first car from the new TPEM facility in Sanand. Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director (MD), Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Limited, said, “We have successfully repurposed the factory in the shortest period of 12 months, to accommodate a wide range of existing products and future new models.” Taken to a new level. According to a press release, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd. The presser says he is confident that this facility will play an important role in taking Tata Motors, especially TPEM, to greater achievements.

“Tata Motors Passenger and Electric Vehicle business has witnessed tremendous growth in the market over the last few years. With our strong pipeline of future-ready “New Forever” products and active investments in electric vehicles, we have strong plans to maintain this momentum,” says Shailesh Chandra, MD, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd. He further said, with the existing capacities approaching saturation, this new facility will provide additional state-of-the-art manufacturing capacity of 300,000 units per annum, which can be expanded to 420,000 units per annum.

Tata’s Sanand plant: Details here

The new facility required extensive retooling and technical upgrades, including the installation of new dies to stamp the critical skin panels in the press shop. The weld shop needed to modify all the lines with new grippers, robots and fixtures. The paint shop requires handling system modifications, external robot programming, and internal robotic painting and waxing setup, while the assembly shop requires handling and end-of-line system modifications.

Tata’s new EV plant currently employs over 1,000 people, including workers and technicians, and the company plans to create another 1,000 jobs in the region within the next three to four months. The carmaker also intends to invest in upskilling its employees by offering Diploma, Bachelor of Engineering and Master’s degrees as per requirement.

The Sanand plant has also been upgraded to be more sustainable, with a 50 kW solar roof and a water-neutral plant that is expected to become water-positive by December 2024.