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* It has three nuts on the wheels instead of the statutory four.
* It has three nuts on the wheels instead of the statutory four.
* It only has one side view mirror.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1887070-1,00.html Time.com article on Nano]</ref>
* It only has one side view mirror.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1887070-1,00.html Time.com article on Nano]</ref>

=== Price ===
{{Wikinews|World's cheapest car launched in India, will go on sale in April}}
Tata initially targeted the vehicle as "the least expensive [[production car]] in the world"<ref name="driving.timesonline.co.uk"/> &mdash; aiming for a starting price of 100,000 rupees or approximately US$2000 (using exchange rate as of March 22, 2009) <ref name="ibnlive.com"/><ref name="articles.moneycentral.msn.com"/> 6 years ago, despite rapidly rising material prices at the time.<ref name="motorauthority">{{cite web
| title = Materials prices could push up cost of Tata’s Nano
| publisher = Motor Authority, 7 July 2008
| url = http://www.motorauthority.com/news/hatchbacks/materials-prices-push-up-cost-of-tatas-nano/#more-6436}}</ref>

As of August 2008, material costs had risen from 13% to 23% over the car’s development,<ref name="motorauthority2">{{cite web
| author=Nelson Ireson
| title = Rising costs could eat Tata Nano’s profits
| publisher = Motor Authority, Tuesday 5 August 2008 |date=2008-08-05
| url = http://www.motorauthority.com/news/hatchbacks/rising-costs-could-eat-tata-nanos-profits/}}</ref> and Tata faced{{Fact|date=March 2009}} the choice of:
* introducing the car with an artificially low price through government subsidies and tax-breaks{{Fact|date=March 2009}}
* forgoing profit on the car{{Fact|date=March 2009}}
* using vertical-integration to artificially boost profits on cars at the expense of their materials industries{{Fact|date=March 2009}}
* partially using inexpensive polymers or [[biodegradable plastic]]s instead of a full metal-body{{Fact|date=March 2009}}
* raising the price of the car<ref name="motorauthority2"/>


=== Model versions ===
=== Model versions ===
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According to one report, [[India]] as well as other nations, such as European nations, have great expectations from the Nano and are keenly awaiting it, especially the electric version of the Nano,<ref>http://www.hindu.com/2008/09/14/stories/2008091455040700.htm</ref> making it in all probability the "world's cheapest electric car" officially on record.<ref>http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1943/69/</ref><ref>http://www.ibnlive.com/news/latest-guinness-book-celebrates-tata-nano-car/73807-2.html</ref> The car itself is expected to boost the [[Indian Economy]] as well as expand the Indian car market by 65%, according to rating agency CRISIL.<ref>http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2694186.cms</ref>
According to one report, [[India]] as well as other nations, such as European nations, have great expectations from the Nano and are keenly awaiting it, especially the electric version of the Nano,<ref>http://www.hindu.com/2008/09/14/stories/2008091455040700.htm</ref> making it in all probability the "world's cheapest electric car" officially on record.<ref>http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1943/69/</ref><ref>http://www.ibnlive.com/news/latest-guinness-book-celebrates-tata-nano-car/73807-2.html</ref> The car itself is expected to boost the [[Indian Economy]] as well as expand the Indian car market by 65%, according to rating agency CRISIL.<ref>http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2694186.cms</ref>


=== Potential effect on Indian economy quotes:
=== Potential effect on Indian economy ===
[[Economic Times]] quotes:<ref>http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2694186.cms</ref>
{{cquote|
Tata Nano’s launch could expand the Indian car market by 65%, according to rating agency CRISIL. The low price makes the car affordable for families with incomes of Rs 1 lakh [100,000] per annum, the agency said.
Tata Nano’s launch could expand the Indian car market by 65%, according to rating agency CRISIL. The low price makes the car affordable for families with incomes of Rs 1 lakh [100,000] per annum, the agency said.
The increase in the market is expected to push up car sales by 20% over the previous year. “The unveiling of Tata Nano, the cheapest car in the world, triggers an important event in the car market. Based on the statement by company officials, CRISIL Research estimates the consumer price of the car at around Rs 1.3 lakh. This brings down the cost of ownership of an entry level car in India by 30%,” the company said in a report.
The increase in the market is expected to push up car sales by 20% over the previous year. “The unveiling of Tata Nano, the cheapest car in the world, triggers an important event in the car market. Based on the statement by company officials, CRISIL Research estimates the consumer price of the car at around Rs 1.3 lakh. This brings down the cost of ownership of an entry level car in India by 30%,” the company said in a report.
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== References ==
== References ==
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist|2}}

== External links ==
* [http://tatanano.inservices.tatamotors.com/tatamotors/ Tata Nano - Official product page]
* [http://www.crazyengineers.com/small-talk/1-cover-story/65-small-talk-with-mr-girish-wagh-realizing-the-big-qsmall-carq-dream Crazyengineers.com, Interview with Mr. Girish Wagh]

=== Videos ===
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sZitve3SUw Tata Nano review Autocar]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSaKVUkmtmA&feature=related Tata Nano Europa]

{{Tata Motors}}
{{Tata Timeline}}

[[Category:2000s automobiles]]
[[Category:City cars]]
[[Category:Sedans]]
[[Category:Rear wheel drive vehicles]]
[[Category:Rear-engined vehicles]]
[[Category:Tata vehicles]]
[[Category:Vehicles introduced in 2008]]
[[Category:Electric cars]]

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Revision as of 04:46, 15 May 2009

Tata Nano
Overview
ManufacturerTata Motors
Also calledThe People's Car
Production2008—present
AssemblyCharodi, near Sanand-Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
DesignerGirish Wagh, Justin Norek of Trilix, Pierre Castinel[1]
Body and chassis
ClassCity car, Unlocalized, Tier 0
Body style4-door hatchback sedan
LayoutRR layout
RelatedMaruti Alto
Chevrolet Spark
Powertrain
Engine2 cylinder SOHC petrol Bosch multi-point fuel injection (single injector) all aluminium 623 cc (38 cu in)
Transmission4 speed synchromesh with overdrive in 4th
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,230 mm (87.8 in)
LengthTemplate:Auto mm[2]
WidthTemplate:Auto mm[2]
HeightTemplate:Auto mm[2]
Kerb weight580 kg (1,280 lb)-600 kg (1,300 lb)[3]
Chronology
Predecessornone

The Tata Nano is a rear-engined, four-passenger city car built by Tata Motors, aimed primarily at the Indian market. The car is very fuel efficient, achieving around 78mpg on the highway and around 92 in the city. It was first presented at the 9th annual Auto Expo on 10 January 2008, at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, India.[4] Nano had a commercial launch on March 23, 2009 and ,a booking period from April 9 to April 25, generating more than 200,000 bookings for the car.[5] [6] The sales of the car will begin in July 2009,[7] with a starting price of Rs 115,000 (rupees), cheaper than the Maruti 800, its main competitor and next cheapest Indian car priced at 184,641 Rupees.[8][9][10] Tata had sought to produce the least expensive production car in the world[11] — aiming for a starting price of Rs.100,000 (approximately US$2,000 in March 2009).[12][13]

In early 2008 the news magazine Newsweek identified the Nano as a part of a "new breed of 21st-century cars" that embody "a contrarian philosophy of smaller, lighter, cheaper" and portend a new era in inexpensive personal transportation — and potentially, "global gridlock".[14] The Wall Street Journal confirmed a global trend toward small cars, which includes the Nano.[15]

"Nano" means "small" in Gujarati[16], the language of the founders of the Tata Group. In English, the prefix "nano-" is often used to mean small. This derives from the Greek root 'nanos', meaning dwarf.

Overview

The introduction of the Nano received media attention due to its targeted low price. The Financial Times reported[17]: "If ever there were a symbol of India’s ambitions to become a modern nation, it would surely be the Nano, the tiny car with the even tinier price-tag. A triumph of homegrown engineering, the $2,200 (€1,490, £1,186) Nano encapsulates the dream of millions of Indians groping for a shot at urban prosperity." The car is expected to boost the Indian economy, create entrepreneurial-opportunities across India[18][19], as well as expand the Indian car market by 65%[20]. The car was envisioned by Ratan Tata, Chairman of the Tata Group and Tata Motors, who has described it as an eco-friendly "people's car". Nano has been greatly appreciated by many sources and the media for its low-cost[21][22] and eco-friendly initiatives which include using compressed-air as fuel[23] and an electric-version (E-Nano)[24][25]. Tata Group is expected to mass-manufacture the Nano, particularly the electric-version, and, besides selling them in India, to also export them worldwide[26][27][28].

Critics of the car have questioned its safety in India (where reportedly 90,000 people are killed in road-accidents every year[29]), and have also criticised the pollution that it would cause[30] (including criticism by Nobel Peace Prize winner Rajendra Pachauri[31]). However, Tata Motors has promised that it would definitely release Nano's eco-friendly models alongside the gasoline-model[32][33].

The Nano was originally to have been manufactured at a new factory in Singur, West Bengal, but increasingly violent protests forced Tata to pull out October 2008. (See Singur factory pullout below.) Currently, Tata Motors is reportedly manufacturing Nano at its existing Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) plant and a mother plant has been proposed for Sanand Gujarat.[34]. The company will bank on existing dealer network for Nano initially.[35] The new Nano Plant could have a capacity of 500,000 units, compared to 300,000 for Singur. Gujarat has also agreed to match all the incentives offered by West Bengal government.[36]

Design

Ratan Tata, the Chairman of Tata Motors, began development of the world's cheapest production car in 2003,[37] inspired by the number of Indian families with two-wheeled rather than four-wheeled vehicles.[38] The Nano's development has been tempered[clarification needed] by the company's success in producing the low cost 4 wheeled Ace truck in May 2005.[37]

Contrary to speculation that the car might be a simple four-wheeled auto rickshaw, The Times of India reported the vehicle is "a properly designed and built car".[39] The Chairman is reported to have said, "It is not a car with plastic curtains or no roof — it's a real car."[37]

To achieve its design goals, Tata refined the manufacturing process, emphasized innovation and sought new design approaches from suppliers.[39] The car was designed at Italy's Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering — with Ratan Tata requesting certain changes, such as the elimination of one of two windscreen wipers.[37] Some components of the Nano are made in Germany by Bosch, such as Fuel Injection, brake system, Value Motronic ECU, ABS and other technologies.[40]

The Nano has 21% more interior space (albeit mostly as headroom, due to its tall stance) and an 8% smaller exterior compared to its closest rival, the Maruti 800. Tata offered the car in three versions: the basic Tata Nano Std; the Cx; and the Lx. The Cx and Lx versions each have air conditioning, power windows, and central locking. Tata has set its initial production target at 250,000 units per year.[citation needed]

Cost cutting features

  • The Nano's trunk does not open. Instead, the rear seats can be folded down to access the trunk space.[41][42]
  • It has a single windscreen wiper instead of the usual pair.
  • It has no power steering.
  • Its door opening lever was simplified.[43]
  • It has three nuts on the wheels instead of the statutory four.
  • It only has one side view mirror.[44]

Price

Wikinews has related news:

Tata initially targeted the vehicle as "the least expensive production car in the world"[11] — aiming for a starting price of 100,000 rupees or approximately US$2000 (using exchange rate as of March 22, 2009) [12][13] 6 years ago, despite rapidly rising material prices at the time.[45]

As of August 2008, material costs had risen from 13% to 23% over the car’s development,[46] and Tata faced[citation needed] the choice of:

Model versions

At its launch the Nano was available in three trim levels:[10]

  • the basic Tata Nano Std priced at 123,000 Rupees has no extras;
  • the deluxe Tata Nano CX at 151,000 Rupees has air conditioning;
  • the luxury Tata Nano LX at 172,000 Rupees has air conditioning, power windows and central locking
  • the Nano Europa, European version of the Tata Nano has all of the above plus a larger body, bigger 3-cylinder engine, anti-lock braking system (ABS) and meets European crash standards and emission norms.

The base model will have fixed seats, except for the driver's, which will be adjustable,[clarification needed] while the deluxe and luxury models will get air conditioning and body coloured bumpers.[47]

Photographs of some Nano models at the Auto Expo 2008 in New Dehli.
  • Nano in yellow
    Nano in yellow
  • The interior of the Nano
    The interior of the Nano
  • Red Tata Nano : standard model
    Red Tata Nano : standard model
  • Rear of Tata Nano in yellow
    Rear of Tata Nano in yellow

Technical specifications

According to Tata Group's Chairman Ratan Tata, the Nano is a Template:Auto PS car with a 623 cc rear engine and rear wheel drive, and has a fuel economy of 4.55 L/100 km (21.97 km/L, 51.7 mpg (US), 62 mpg (UK)) under city road conditions, and 3.85 L/100 km on highways ( 25.974 km/L, 61.1 mpg (US), 73.3 mpg (UK)). It is the first time a two-cylinder non-opposed petrol engine will be used in a car with a single balance shaft.[48] Tata Motors has reportedly filed 34 patents related to the innovations in the design of Nano, with powertrain accounting for over half of them.[49] The project head, Girish Wagh has been credited with being one of the brains behind Nano's design.[49][50]

Much has been made of Tata's patents pending for the Nano. Yet during a news conference at the New Delhi Auto Expo, Ratan Tata pointed out none of these is revolutionary or represents earth-shaking technology. He said most relate to rather mundane items such as the two-cylinder engine’s balance shaft, and how the gears were cut in the transmission.

Though the car has been appreciated by many sources, including Reuters due to "the way it has tweaked existing technologies to target an as-yet untapped segment of the market", yet it has been stated by the same sources that Nano is not quite "revolutionary in its technology", just low in price.[51] Moreover, technologies which are expected of the new and yet-to-be-released car include a revolutionary compressed-air fuel system[52] and an eco-friendly electric-version,[24] technologies on which Tata is reportedly already working, though no official incorporation-date for these technologies in the new car has been released.

According to Tata, the Nano complies with Bharat Stage-III and Euro-IV emission standards.[53] Ratan Tata also said, 'The car has passed the full-frontal crash and the side impact crash'.[54] Tata Nano passed the required 'homologation’ tests with Pune-based Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).This means that the car has met all the specified criteria for roadworthiness laid out by the government including emissions or noise & vibration and can now ply on Indian roads. Tata Nano managed to score around 24 km per litre during its ‘homologation’ tests with ARAI. This makes Tata Nano the most fuel efficient car in India. Nano will be the first car in India to display the actual fuel mileage figures it recorded at ARAI’s tests on its windshield. According to ARAI it conforms to Euro IV emission standards which will come into effect in India in 2010.[55]

Rear mounted engine

The use of a rear mounted engine to help maximize interior space makes the Nano similar to the original Fiat 500, another technically innovative "people's car". A concept vehicle similar in styling to the Nano, also with rear engined layout was proposed by the UK Rover Group in the 1990s to succeed the original Mini but was not put into production.[56] The eventual new Mini was much larger and technically conservative. The independent, and now-defunct, MG Rover Group later based their Rover CityRover on the Tata Indica.

Tata is also reported to be contemplating offering a compressed air engine as an option.[57]

Engine: 2 cylinder petrol with Bosch multi-point fuel injection (single injector) all aluminium 33 horsepower (25 kW) 624 cc (38 cu in)
Value Motronic engine management platform from Bosch
2 valves per cylinder overhead camshaft
Compression ratio: 9.5:1
bore × stroke: 73.5 mm (2.9 in) × 73.5 mm (2.9 in)
Power: Template:Auto PS @ 5500 rpm[58]
Torque: 48 N⋅m (35 ft⋅lbf) @ 2500 rpm
Layout and Transmission Rear wheel drive
4-speed manual transmission
Steering mechanical rack and pinion
Turning radius: 4 metres[59]
Performance Acceleration: 0-70 km/h (43 mph): 14 seconds
Maximum speed: 120 km/h (75 mph)[2]
Fuel efficiency (overall): 20 kilometres per litre (Template:L/100km)[3]
Body and dimensions Seat belt: 4[60]
Trunk capacity: 15 L (0.53 cu ft)[3]
Suspension, Tires & Brakes Front brake: drum[61]
Rear brake: drum
Front track: 1,325 mm (52.2 in)
Rear track: 1,315 mm (51.8 in)
Ground clearance: 180 mm (7.1 in)[3]
Front suspension: McPherson strut with lower A arm
Rear suspension: Independent coil spring
12-inch wheels[62]
Supplier [63] Product [63]
Bosch Gasoline injection system (diesel will follow), starter, alternator, brake system
Continental AG Gasoline fuel supply system, fuel level sensor
Caparo Inner structural panels
HSI AUTO Static sealing systems (Weather Strips)
Delphi Instrument cluster
Denso Windshield wiper system (single motor and arm)
FAG Rear-wheel bearing
Ficosa Rear-view mirrors, interior mirrors, manual and CVT shifters, washer system
Freudenberg Engine sealing
GKN Driveshafts
INA Shifting elements
ITW Deltar Outside and inside door handles
Johnson Controls Seating
Mahle Camshafts, spin-on oil filters, fuel filters and air cleaners
Saint-Gobain Glazing
TRW Brake system
Ceekay Daikin/Valeo Clutch sets
Vibracoustic Engine mounts
Visteon Air induction system
ZF Friedrichshafen AG Chassis components, including tie rods
Behr HVAC for the luxury version
Dürr Lean Paint Shop

Speculated variants

Besides the regular and conventional petrol-variant,[33] the following variants are also expected:

Diesel

Wheelsunplugged.com reported that an anonymous source claimed a diesel variant would be available in September 2009.[64]

Compressed-air engine

Tata Motors is working with a French firm on using compressed air as an energy source.[52] The company has tied up with Moteur Development International (MDI) for this purpose.[33]

Electric drivetrain or electric-version

Tata is also believed to be making an electric version of the Nano, called the E-Nano (reportedly with attached or sideby solar panels as well)[24][65] which might well turn out to be the "world's cheapest electric car"[66] which is more eco-friendly and has many enthusiasts and media for its support.[67] It's supposed to be as cheap as the conventional gasoline version. Tata is making the Nano compliant with export market regulations[68] and plans to export such a car worldwide, particularly to the UK and the rest of continental Europe,[69][70] the US,[71] and Australia.[72][73][74][75]

Economic Times reported[76] that the "electric Nano" "would still make good sense for economic, clean and green personal mobility in countries around the world." According to the Hamburg-based newspaper, Auto Bild, the E-Nano would be built in cooperation with the Norwegian electric car specialist, Miljøbil Grenland AS.[77] [78][79][80]

Hybrid

Leftlanenews reported that "a hybrid version [of Tata Nano] is also likely, although it is not yet known whether the electric motor will be paired with a gasoline or diesel version."[81]

Nano Europa

Tata Motors unveiled a version of the Nano mini-car called the Nano Europa at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. The car will be coming to mainland Europe and the UK.[82] and will have a number of improvements over the standard nano. The Nano Europa has an increased wheelbase, a new engine and improved interiors and exteriors. The Nano Europa will be more expensive than the standard Nano with prices said to be around the US$ 6000 mark.[83]

Expectations

According to one report, India as well as other nations, such as European nations, have great expectations from the Nano and are keenly awaiting it, especially the electric version of the Nano,[84] making it in all probability the "world's cheapest electric car" officially on record.[85][86] The car itself is expected to boost the Indian Economy as well as expand the Indian car market by 65%, according to rating agency CRISIL.[87]

Potential effect on Indian economy

Economic Times quotes:[88]

Tata Nano’s launch could expand the Indian car market by 65%, according to rating agency CRISIL. The low price makes the car affordable for families with incomes of Rs 1 lakh [100,000] per annum, the agency said. The increase in the market is expected to push up car sales by 20% over the previous year. “The unveiling of Tata Nano, the cheapest car in the world, triggers an important event in the car market. Based on the statement by company officials, CRISIL Research estimates the consumer price of the car at around Rs 1.3 lakh. This brings down the cost of ownership of an entry level car in India by 30%,” the company said in a report.

Place in history

Some news sources have compared the Nano with Henry Ford's Model T that coincidentally was built around a century ago. Livemint said:

Ford Motor Co. is rich because Henry Ford used the assembly-line to produce the Model T in 1908. Ratan Tata is a late entrepreneur, making the Nano in 2008. India is 100 years behind. But we are waking up to the possibility of catching up. I just hope our planners wake up soon.[89]

Times of India also compared the Nano to the Model T:

This raises the question: How have the Tatas accomplished such a task? Pursuing this question a fascinating story unfolds that reminds one of Henry Ford's Model T that was built exactly one hundred years ago (September 1908). Ford wanted to make a car for the multitude, not for the elite, with the best material and the best design that the technology of his time could devise, and he wanted to make it, above all, at a price that was affordable. This is the example that Ratan Tata has followed with determination. When he announced the price of his car in an interview to the Financial Times during the Geneva Motor Show, his colleagues were 'aghast', but he had set his goal.[90]

The Nano, though not yet in production, has already been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's cheapest car.[91]

Singur factory pullout

After much speculation, Tata Motors announced on May 19, 2006 that it will be manufacturing Tata Nano from Singur, West Bengal.[92] However, within a week protests were started by a few farmers in the area against the acquisition of their lands by Tata.[93] The cause was taken up by Mamata Banerjee, the leader of Trinamool Congress.[94] The situation escalated with Tatas threatening to pull out,[95] and disruption of compensation for farmers who had volunteered to sell their land by anti-acquisition activists.[96] This was followed by a state-wide bandh by Trinamool Congress in October.[97] The government banned political parties from holding meetings or processions at Singur and installed a huge police force there.[98][99] There was widespread violence in the clashes between the police and the farmers on December 2, 2006.[100]

On December 4,2005 Mamata Banerjee entered into a hunger strike. A 48-hour strike was later called by her to protest the death of Tapasi, a Save Farmland Committee campaigner, whose burnt body was found at the Nano plant site in Singur.[101] Two CPM activists were later convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder.[102]On the 24th day of her strike, Banerjee was given oxygen support and finally called off her fast after appeals from the then President Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.[103]

As the protests over the land continued in 2007,[104] Ratan Tata accused that the competitors had a role in the controversy.[105] The acquisition of land was initially criticised in February 2007, but later approved by the Calcutta High Court in 2008.[106] [107]As political unrest and rains hampered the construction, Tata Motors delayed the launch of Nano to September 2008.[108]

Violence continued throughout 2008 [109][110][111] and on September 2,2008 Tata Motors announced that they have suspended work at Singur.[112] On October 2 ,2008 Tata Motors announced that they are pulling out of Singur. [113] On October 7 2008, it was announced that the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi had signed an MoU with Tata Motors for allocating land for Nano factory in Sanand in Ahmedabad district of Gujarat.[114]

Criticism, issues and problems

Questions of safety

The Times says[115]:

India has 8 percent of the world’s vehicle fatalities and less than 1 per cent of its cars, with more than 90,000 people killed on the country’s roads every year. Introducing a million Nanos into the mix may bring more – and unwelcome – headlines.

Tata, which has the only crash-test facility in the country, said that the Nano "exceeds current regulatory requirements". And while it is not a deathtrap – it has crumple zones, seat belts and strong seat anchors – it is worth bearing in mind that total vehicle crash testing (rather than just frontal impact), airbags and antilock braking systems are not mandatory.

Without these, the Nano would not even be considered for approval in Britain. Adding them would double its price in India, which is why they have been omitted.

Tata Motors will offer a version of the Nano with these safety-features, including an airbag system in its electric version[citation needed]. The Nano has an all sheet-metal body made from Japanese and Korean steel[116], with safety features such as crumple zones, intrusion-resistant doors, seat-belts, strong seats and anchorages, and the rear tailgate glass bonded to the body. Tires are tubeless.[117]

Mass motorization

As the Nano was conceived and designed around introducing the automobile to a sector of the population who are currently using eco-friendly bicycles and motorcycles, environmentalists are concerned that its extraordinarily low price might lead to mass motorization in countries like India and therefore possibly aggravate pollution as well as increase the demand for oil.[118] The ecology focused German newspaper die tageszeitung feels that such concerns are "inappropriate" as the Tata Nano has lower emissions compared to the average Volkswagen, and that developing countries shouldn't be denied the right to motorized mobility when industrialized countries should be looking to reduce their emissions and usage of cars.[119] Die Welt reports that the car conforms with environmental protection, and will have the lowest emissions in India.[120]

In crowded metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Ratan Tata has conceived a scheme to only offer the Nano to those individuals who do not have an automobile already. The Nano will also replace many overloaded and worn-out two-stroke polluting vehicles, both two and three-wheeled. According to Anumita Roychowdhury, associate director of the Centre for Science and Environment in New Delhi, "the low-cost cars will be disastrous" in the current policy and regulatory framework.[52]

Used car market effects

The Nano is alleged to have severely affected the used car market in India, as many Indians opt to wait for the Nano's release rather than buying used cars, such as the Maruti 800 (a rebadged Suzuki Alto), which is considered as the Nano's nearest competitor. Sales of new Maruti 800s have dropped by 20%, and used ones by 30% following the unveiling of the Nano. As one automotive journalist summarises; “People are asking themselves – and us - why they should pay, say, 250,000 Rupees for a Maruti Alto, when they can wait and get a brand new Nano for less in a few months’ time, a car that is actually bigger”.[121]

Competitors

Rival car makers including Bajaj Auto, Fiat, General Motors, Ford Motor, Hyundai and Toyota Motor have all expressed interest in building a small car that is affordable to more middle-class consumers in emerging markets. The bulk of demand there is for small cars because people are much more sensitive to fuel prices.[122]

Honda and Toyota are leading the way on so called cleaner gasoline-electric hybrids, and some environmentalists argue getting prices down on these technologies is where efforts should be concentrated.[122]Inexpensive and eco-friendly electric-cars like Tara Tiny, Oreva Super (both reportedly even cheaper than Tata Nano) and REVA[123] pose even more significant danger to Nano. There are also rumors of Maruti Suzuki introducing a lower priced version of Alto to counter Tata Nano.[124]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tata Nano.

References

  1. ^ "Specifications of Tata's Nano". cardesignnew.
  2. ^ a b c d "Specifications of Tata's Nano". indiatimes.com. 2008-01-10. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Nano Mania". Autocar India. February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
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  95. ^ Tata threatens to pull out of Singur project
  96. ^ Chaos reigns at Singur
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  98. ^ Security blanket on Singur
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  100. ^ 80 injured in Singur flare-up
  101. ^ Singur protester found dead
  102. ^ Life for CPM Singur activists in Tapasi murder case
  103. ^ Mamta decides to end fast
  104. ^ Fresh violence erupts in Singur
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