Tata partners with China’s Chery for premium EV lineup
In a major strategic shift to get its luxury electric vehicle plans back on track, India’s top EV maker, Tata Motors, is planning to license an automaking platform from Chinese auto giant Chery Automobile.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the partnership will directly power Tata’s upcoming premium "Avinya" EV lineup. Tata aims to build at least two premium electric models locally using a platform derived from the Chery-Jaguar Land Rover (CJLR) joint venture ecosystem—specifically the "Freelander" architecture, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The move marks a significant pivot from Tata’s original roadmap. The Avinya range was initially slated to utilize Jaguar Land Rover’s expensive Electrified Modular Architecture (EMA). However, insiders note that the EMA platform proved too costly to sustain the vehicle's target market positioning and volume.
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By tapping into Chery's architecture, Tata Motors dramatically lowers its development costs and gains instant access to a highly scaled, mature supply chain. Global automakers are increasingly looking to China’s dominant EV ecosystem to speed up production timelines and integrate advanced battery technology.
What this means for buyers: While the core mechanical platform and battery architecture will come from the Chinese ecosystem, Tata Technologies engineering teams across India, the UK, and China are entirely reworking the software, connectivity, and electronic systems specifically for Indian road conditions and consumer preferences.
The technical overhaul pushes the brand's premium timeline back slightly. The first vehicle under this revised partnership—the SUV-coupe styled Avinya X—is now scheduled to hit the market in 2027, with engineering prototypes hitting the streets later this year.
By Aysel Mammadzada
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