Behind the scenes: A look inside Tata Passenger Electric Mobility manufacturing facility in Sanand, Gujarat
On 12 January, 2024, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, a subsidiary of Tata Motors, commenced manufacturing its cars. Located in the industrial hub, GIDC Sanand, Gujarat, Tata had taken over this production facility from Ford India, on 10 January, 2023 - a year before commencing the production. The plant is spread across 460 acres and is Tata Motors' second plant in the state to make ICE and EV cars. It has four main sections: stamping, body construction, paint and final assembly - all sections featuring advanced robots. To reduce dependency on coal-fired power, Tata has installed 50kW solar rooftop, plus this is a water neutral plant and will be water positive by the end of this year.
We recently visited this plant in Gujarat and witnessed how the Nexon ICE and Nexon EV are being made on the same production line. Currently, the plant produces about three lakh units per annum, but has a capability of manufacturing 4.2 lakh vehicles every year.
In this massive 460 acres of land lies a building designed and dedicated to up-skill employees working at the facility. To be precise, it offers more than just technical knowledge or mere crash courses.
When Tata acquired this plant from Ford, it had offered jobs to everyone working at the factory. After scaling up and installing required machinery and robots, Tata revamped a building for study and is called Nalanda. It has a college-style classrooms. And 100 per cent of the workers have enrolled for higher studies.
For this, Tata Motors has partnered with Ganpat University, where the students go every weekend for practical and lab. With this one-of-its-kind initiative, the employees cannot only study full-time diploma and degree, but also get a degree mark sheet like a regular student. In fact, there is also a provision for university professors to visit the plant and teach the students. All Tata employees take classes after their shifts are completed. Any worker can take an admission for any desired course free. Notably, they do not have to sign contracts or bonds with the carmaker.
Coming back to the manufacturing facility, the process of production begins from stamping and press shop comprises about 80 per cent automation. A laser-equipped machine scans each panel to check defects. Then, the panels are taken to a weld shop, where jigs and robots weld these panels together. For this, Tata uses aero weld gun to ensure each panel has been welded properly. In this process, the brand has achieved close to 100 per cent automation. The outcome of putting together all the panels is a complete frame structure and is called body in white.
Going forward, each body in white, tagged with an RFID, moves to the paint shop, where a temperature between 28 and 30 degrees is maintained throughout the year with 65 per cent humidity - all necessary to safeguard paint process. This section also claims to have a unique conveyer for robots. Before actual colour is applied to a body in white, they go through an electrodeposition coating process where a rust-resistant layer is applied. Then, one layer of primer, 2 layers of base coat, 2 layers of colour coat, and lastly one layer of clear coat are applied. In its overall journey inside the paint shop, consists spending 30 minutes in wet conditions and 45 minutes in baking. In the end, corrosion- resistant wax and underbody coats are applied.
The painted vehicle now advances to final assembly shop, where all essential components from engine or battery pack, interior materials, window glasses, mouldings, and seats are installed before it moves further. Since all mechanicals are fitted, workers top up all fluids. Wait a moment! The Nexon is not ready to be dispatched yet.
After the final assembly, the Nexon goes for the last stage for an in-depth inspection and then goes for a spin around 2km in-house test track. Phew! Now, the Nexon is ready to be dispatched across the country to the dealers and ultimately to their owners.
Although Tata currently makes Nexon at the Sanand factory, its future models, such as the Avinya EV, Safari EV, Harrier EV, and others, will be manufactured here. With this, there is a potential that it would be made an EV-only production hub for Tata in the future.