An EV derivative of the Tata Safari is set to go on sale in India by the festive season of this year. The Safari EV will take the mantle of Tata’s flagship electric car, which is currently held by the Harrier EV, and will also be the Indian carmaker’s first three-row EV.
- Safari EV will share underpinnings and powertrains with Harrier EV
- Minor visual changes expected, new TiDAL architecture to enable more features
- Production slated to commence in August, will rival the Mahindra XEV 9S
- Tata’s current electric SUV line-up to be completed once Safari EV launches
Tata Safari EV platform and powertrains
Leverages Harrier EV's acti.ev+ architecture
Internally codenamed ‘Tayrona’ (not to be confused with the Volkswagen Tayron), the Safari EV will be underpinned by the same acti.ev+ platform as that of the Harrier EV – it’s worth noting that this is an ICE-to-EV conversion, not a born-EV.
AWD option expected
The Safari EV is expected to retain the Harrier EV’s battery and motor configurations, specifically 65kWh and 75kWh units with a single rear motor (RWD) as standard. To that end, a dual-motor AWD layout is anticipated to be offered for the Safari EV too, since it's available with the Harrier EV’s 75kWh battery option.
As for range, the Harrier EV delivers an ARAI-claimed 627km for its 75kWh RWD powertrain, 622km for the 75kWh AWD, and 538km for the 65kWh RWD. Since the Safari is larger and heavier, expect its EV derivative to sport slightly lower claimed range figures. Support for up to 100kW DC fast charging is also likely for the Safari EV.
Other enhancements the Safari EV is expected to carry over from the Harrier EV include an expanded set of terrain modes – Normal, Snow/Grass, Mud-Ruts, Sand, Rock Crawl, and Custom – and a multi-link rear suspension with frequency-dependent dampers for improved ride comfort.
Tata Safari EV exterior and interior
In line with other Tata EVs, the Safari EV is anticipated to sport minor styling changes, such as a closed-off grille section, slightly revised bumpers, EV-specific badging, and aero-optimised alloy wheel designs. Dimensionally, the Safari EV will most likely be identical to its ICE counterpart.
Similarly, the interior layout of the Safari EV is expected to remain unchanged from the ICE version too. However, the Safari EV will reap the benefits of the TiDAL (Tata Intelligent Digital Architecture Layer) E&E architecture that was introduced with the Harrier EV.
In the Harrier EV, TiDAL enables features like OTA updates, a 540-degree surround view function, better-calibrated Level 2 ADAS, auto park assist, low-speed cruise control (Off-road Assist), a UPI-based in-car payment system (DrivePay), a summon mode to remotely extricate the car from a tight space, and more.
Tata Safari EV launch details and price estimate
Tata is expected to commence production of the Safari EV by August 2026, ahead of the electric SUV’s planned festive season launch. Sharing its internals with the Harrier EV has allowed a quicker turnaround for the Safari EV. Notably, this will be the second powertrain addition to the SUV’s line-up in 2026, with the Safari petrol having launched earlier this year.
1000-1500 incremental sales expected
The Safari EV will also round out Tata’s electric SUV portfolio. Once it launches, every current Tata SUV will be available with both ICE and EV powertrains. The Safari EV is also likely to bring in 1000–1500 units of incremental sales for Tata.
As for rivals, the Safari EV will primarily lock horns with the Mahindra XEV 9S, and could therefore be priced in the Rs 22.5 lakh-30 lakh ballpark. For reference, the Harrier EV price range is Rs 21.49 lakh-28.99 lakh (excluding charger costs and Stealth Edition cosmetic packages).
With inputs from Ketan Thakkar
All prices are ex-showroom, India.
Uday Singh
Suraj Viswanathan
Dhruv Dhaka
Glenn Noronha
