Quick reads
- Tata Motors will no longer be relying on Jaguar Land Rover’s EMA platform for the upcoming Avinya premium EV lineup, moving to the Freelander architecture from the Chery-JLR (CJLR) joint venture.
- This allows Tata to significantly reduce development costs and leverage China’s advanced EV supply chain.
- The first production model is expected to be the Avinya X, which could be launched in 2027
- Initial manufacturing will take place at the newly inaugurated TMPV-JLR facility in Panapakkam, Tamil Nadu
- Tata Avinya Models will feature battery packs ranging from 65 kWh to 80 kWh.
A change of strategy comes to the Avinya line of premium electric vehicles by Tata Motors. The carmaker is altering the technological roadmap for the model to achieve greater price competitiveness and sooner market readiness.
While the Avinya range of EVs was initially planned to be based upon the Jaguar Land Rover’s Electrified Modular Architecture (EMA), Tata Motors is now shifting gears to utilise the Freelander platform sourced from the Chery-JLR (CJLR) ecosystem in China.
This change in vehicle development planning is primarily driven by unit economics and the need for early launch. For the volume expectations that the Avinya lineup brings, the premium EMA platform just couldn’t justify its case completely from a business standpoint. The Indian automaker will leverage the Freelander architecture, which was born out of a 50:50 joint venture between JLR and Chinese automaker Chery.
The Avinya X And The China Advantage
Internally codenamed as the P2 programme, the first production model under this new strategy will be the Avinya X. While the mechanical base will be drawn from the CJLR ecosystem, Tata Motors has cleared its intention of greatly reworking the electronics, software, and localised vehicle systems to align with Indian market requirements. Engineering prototypes are expected to hit the roads later this year, keeping the aggressive 2027 market launch timeline intact.
The decision to tap into the Chinese EV supply chain provides a massive advantage. China currently leads the global automotive industry in battery technology, software integration, and raw supply-chain scale. The Freelander platform uses a sophisticated Exeed E0X architecture developed by Chery, giving Tata a ready-made suite of advanced features without the steep capital investment of ground-up development. Future Avinya models are expected to be based on battery packs ranging from 65 kWh to 80 kWh, enabling long-range touring capabilities.
Localising the Premium Avinya Experience
The decision to adopt the Chery-JLR Freelander platform is a sensible move by Tata Motors. And while the technology originates from the CJLR joint venture, manufacturing will remain strictly local. The Avinya X will be assembled at the state-of-the-art TMPV-JLR manufacturing facility in Panapakkam, Tamil Nadu. Early units may be shipped from China, but Tata Motors has already initiated aggressive localisation efforts to ensure long-term cost competitiveness.
