“We’ve done a lot of work in the last six months,” says Anand Kulkarni, chief products officer, TPEM ltd., addressing the quality concerns that have plagued its cars
We spoke with Anand Kulkarni about the engineering challenges TPEM has faced and the steps it’s taking to improve the overall quality of its EVs;
The world of EV’s is rapidly evolving and quality concerns can make or break customer trust. Tata Motors has faced its share of challenges, with initial hiccups that left buyers frustrated and questioning the reliability of its EVs. However, in a recent conversation with Anand Kulkarni, chief products officer, TPEM ltd., he sheds light on the concerted efforts the company has made over the past six months to address these issues. Kulkarni discusses the engineering hurdles, particularly in electrical systems, that the brand has been able to resolve to ensure a smoother, more reliable experience for customers moving forward.
On electric vehicles and their complexity
“Quality issues can arise for multiple reasons,” says Kulkarni. “With electric vehicles, what we’ve observed is that they are more prone to certain assembly issues.” He explains that even minor electrical problems, like a disconnect in the CAN network, can lead to the car shutting down unexpectedly. “Whenever there is an electrical disconnect, or whenever there is a fall in the CAN network, you can face issues, although there is nothing wrong with the car. Because then it just sets off a trigger of a series of protection mechanisms, and that can actually shut down the car. The moment that is rectified, it goes off.”
This has been a recurring source of frustration for customers. It irritates them, Kulkarni says candidly. “There is nothing wrong with the car, but there is irritation. And that irritation leads the customer to get a little discouraged, demotivated. So, I think we've done a lot of work in the last six months, specifically in the last six months.”
On improving electrical systems
According to Kulkarni, the solution lies in tightening up the electrical aspects of assembly. “In the old days, we were focused on mechanical issues like torquing and tightening bolts in the right way,” he explains. “But now, our focus has shifted to ensuring electrical connections are perfect, that the CAN network is stable, and that all earthing points are absolutely impeccable.”
He points to significant progress in the last six months. “We’ve seen a significant improvement. For example, if you recall, there were cases of drive-to-neutral, up early in the initial vehicles. All of that has been taken care of now. It’s all gone. No longer do people today have any D-to-N issues or things of that sort. Therefore, there is a significant improvement.”
Minor issues like LEDs not working
Even smaller issues, like malfunctioning LEDs, have been addressed. When asked about LEDs not working on one side, Kulkarni says, “That, unfortunately, is not a high-voltage side issue. But yes, there were error states.” He further clarified, “When you have software enablement happening, and feature enablement through software happening, one error state somewhere can actually affect a whole chain of aspects. So, all of that has also been resolved now.”
Overall, Anand Kulkarni confidently states that customer complaints are getting addressed and solutions are being worked on. It remains to what extent is Tata able to solve these issues and when they will get the customer support back.