According to the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) Global Automaker Ratings 2025, Tata Motors and Mahindra have emerged as the world's most energy-efficient electric vehicle manufacturers, outperforming global giants such as Tesla and BYD.

The two Indian automakers topped the rankings by building electric vehicles that consume significantly less electricity than those of their global rivals to travel the same distance. The recognition marks a major milestone for India's EV industry and could strengthen the global standing of both manufacturers as they expand their international presence.

Tata Motors takes top spot

The list evaluated 22 of the world's largest manufacturers in its 2025 Global Automaker Ratings. The report measures several aspects of each company's transition towards electric mobility. These include EV sales performance, manufacturing decarbonisation, feature readiness, and battery electric vehicle (BEV) efficiency.

In the comparison of energy efficiency, Tata Motors secured the top position globally. The ICCT highlighted that its adjusted energy consumption figure of 106 Wh/km was the best among all manufacturers. Mahindra Automotive followed closely in second place with 113 Wh/km.

Indian EV makers outperformed global leaders such as Tesla and BYD in energy efficiency, with Wh/km figures well below the global average of 131 Wh/km. Lower energy consumption per kilometre means vehicles use less electricity, improving efficiency while reducing both power usage and running costs for owners.

The report attributes the strong performance of Tata Motors and Mahindra to the type of vehicles they sell. Unlike many global manufacturers that offer larger, heavier, and more powerful electric SUVs and sedans, the Indian brands have focused on crossovers, prioritising efficiency, affordability, and everyday usability.

According to the report, models such as the recently launched Tata Sierra EV and Mahindra BE 6 have been designed to deliver lower energy consumption rather than outright performance. As a result, even with smaller battery packs, these lighter vehicles have been optimised to achieve impressive efficiency figures.

The ICCT obtains each manufacturer's official test-cycle data and converts it into comparable Wh/km values, after which it calculates the average across the entire battery-electric vehicle portfolio. The rankings do not evaluate acceleration, charging speed, or pricing. Instead, they measure only how much electricity each vehicle consumes while travelling a fixed distance under standard laboratory testing conditions.

The road ahead

Despite their leading global efficiency rankings, the report notes that Indian manufacturers still have room for improvement. The ICCT highlighted that Tata Motors ranks among the weakest manufacturers in terms of charging speeds. Its driving range rankings are also lower compared with several international competitors.

This means that although Tata's EVs consume less electricity, they still trail some global rivals when it comes to fast-charging capabilities and long-distance usability. Currently, electric vehicles account for less than 5% of new passenger vehicle sales in India, compared with around 25% globally.

The government aims to achieve an ambitious target of 30% EV penetration by 2030.

Data for India in the ICCT report has been sourced from Segment Y.