BYD Seagull vs Tata Punch EV

Tata Motors from India, has made one fantastic EV, that can challenge the BYD Seagull, in three crucial attributes. First is the performance. The Punch EV is available with a 121 hp motor. That is an impressive, sixty-three percent more powerful, than the Seagull. It is three and a half second quicker, to 100 kph, than the Seagull. Afterall, life is too short, to waste years of your limited driving life, in an underpowered vehicle, isn't it? No wonder then, that Tata Motors has been dominating the Indian EV Market, with a sixty percent market share in 2024. Also, the little Tata Punch with an IC engine, was India's bestselling car last year, with a sales tally of two hundred thousand units. It is still no match to the Seagulls sales performance of almost half a million units, of course. But the point is, this comparison is a battle of giants. Don't judge these little runabouts, based on their tiny footprints! The only problem with the Punch EV, is that it is considerably more expensive than the Seagull. The cheapest variant of the Punch EV, starts at eleven and a half thousand US dollars in India. But it has a tiny, 25 kilowatt hour battery, and an 80 hp motor. It is no match to the top-end variant of the Seagull, and is simply not worth considering, at all. However, the penultimate variant of the Punch EV, has just as much features as the range-topping Seagull. The only concern being a four thousand dollar higher price tag. That does place it in the region of Seagull's bigger sibling, that is the Dolphin's price range. But even then, it is the low powered, 94 hp models of the Dolphin, which compete with the Punch, head on. The higher powered variant of the Dolphin is not available below eighteen thousand dollars. That means, the Punch EV, nicely fills up the gap, in BYD's portfolio! Even in terms of size, it is three inches longer, one inch wider and four inches taller than the Seagull. The Punch definitely has more interior space than the Seagull. Plus it's taller seating position provides better under-thigh support as well. Even its boot space is a good hundred liters bigger than the Seagull. Punch EV's ground clearance is also 40 mm higher than the Seagull. Even it's tyre width is 20 mm more than the Seagull. That makes it better suited for emerging markets. That being said, for developing markets, reliability matters more than anything else. And this is where BYD's track record trumps Tata Motors, so far. Seagull's electrical architecture is also more advanced than the Punch. This is evident, in Seagull's fast charging capability. It can add roughly a hundred kilometers of range in 25 minutes. The Punch on the other hand, takes a painfully long time to charge, even at a DC fast charger. Adding a hundred kilometers of range to the Punch, will take a minimum of 45 minutes!