Tata Harrier.EV's e-Valet Features Explained [Video]
Tata Motors has launched the much-awaited Harrier.EV in India with prices starting at Rs 21.49 lakh, ex-showroom. There are five variants available- Adventure 65, Adventure S 65, Fearless+ 65, Fearless+ 75 and Empowered 75 (available in both RWD and AWD). The top-spec variant is packed with features and technologies and Tata has kitted each of these variants rationally. A standout feature on the range-topping Empowered 75 variant is the e-valet- essentially an automatic and remote parking suite. Tata Motors has now released a video that details the e-Valet system and its features.
e-Valet Explained
The Harrier.EV comes with three radars and seven cameras. In addition to these, there are 12 proximity sensors as well. In the video, we get to see the various functions the vehicle can do with the help of this hardware.
The e-Valet suite comprises features like parallel park-out, perpendicular park-in, angular parking, reverse assist, and forward summon mode. To be honest, it is difficult to find this level of automation in this segment. It also comes with a Transparent mode for an improved trail experience.
The video starts by showing the 'Parallel park-out' feature. The driver is seen engaging the park assist button. The vehicle uses its camera feeds to project the surroundings on the 14.5-inch central screen. It further uses radars and proximity sensors to detect nearby obstacles and compute the distances to them. Accordingly, the Harrier.EV steers out of the parallel parking course. The steering, throttle and brake inputs seem to be fully automated in this.
Then we get to see how the perpendicular parking works. The driver engages the park assist and uses the central screen to select the desired parking slot. The vehicle uses its camera feeds, sensors and radars to move safely into the selected space.
Next, we see how the summon feature works. If for some reason, there isn't enough space for the driver to get in, when the vehicle is parked in a perpendicular slot, the key fob can be used to move the Harrier.EV forward and backwards. The carmaker calls this the 'Summon' mode.
A similar function is also seen on the Mahindra BE6 and XEV 9e as well. The driver needs to be near the vehicle for this function to work. Once the EV is summoned, he/she can unlock and drive away like on a normal day.
The Harrier.EV is also equipped with the Reverse Assist. This feature simplifies complex reverse exits. The SUV uses its reverse camera feed and sensor/radar inputs to detect the way out and move accordingly. This can be used even for exits that aren't straight.
This feature can be very useful in real life. While reversing with the assist engaged, the driver can turn on the 540-degree camera (which is called the 'Transparent mode' on this vehicle) to get a true sense of surroundings and for better confidence.
In short, the e-Valet system feels exciting to watch and experience. It could be a great blessing in many real-life scenarios if all its sub-systems stay clear of bugs or errors. We'll have to wait to get a proper idea of this though...
Harrier.EV Specifications
Tata Motors has based the Harrier.EV on the Acti-EV+ platform. It comes with two battery pack choices- 65 kWh and 75 kWh. While the lower variants feature a 238 hp rear-mounted motor, the top-spec comes with a dual-motor setup that churns out 394 PS and 504 Nm of torque.
It thus offers all wheel drive (which Tata calls Quad Wheel Drive (QWD)) on the top-spec. The EV is claimed to do the 0-100 kph sprint in just 6.3 seconds. The larger battery pack is claimed to offer a range of up to 627 km per charge.