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Nano: Tata's $2000 People's Car

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  • Nano: Tata's $2000 People's Car

    The much anticipated Nano has now been unveiled.

    Nano: Triumph of Indian ingenuity

    23 Mar 2009 [BBC] India's Tata Motors has launched Nano, the world's cheapest car. Hormazd Sorabjee, one of the first journalists to test drive the car, says it feels more expensive than it is.

    I have to admit I had a nagging fear that the Tata Nano wouldn't live up to the media frenzy that's been surrounding it.

    It's been the most awaited car in the world and the delay in putting it on the road - due to the relocation of its production facilities - only increased the sense of anticipation.

    Now, 14 months after the Nano was unveiled to a reception fit for a rock star, the moment of truth has come for the world's cheapest car.

    There's been an apprehension that Tata's self-imposed price target of 100,000 rupees ($1,979, £1,366) would make the Nano an apology of a car and sceptics expected a glorified golf cart.

    However, after driving the Nano in the western Indian city of Pune - home to Tata Motors - on the highway and rural back roads, it's turned out to be quite the opposite.

    The Nano feels significantly more expensive than it is and a car you certainly won't be ashamed to sit in. ...

  • #2
    considering a country where scooters and tri-porters are used that way, well Nano seems to be a winner at least in his country...
    Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none; be able for thine enemy rather in power than use; and keep thy friend under thine own life's key; be checked for silence, but never taxed for speech.

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    • #3
      Horrible little thing, and I thought the world was supposed to be going GREEN!

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Chaobam Armour View Post
        Horrible little thing, and I thought the world was supposed to be going GREEN!
        This is a difficult consideration that has to be thought through carefully.

        On the one hand, there are now millions of heavily polluting scooters, motorcycles, passenger carrying three wheelers and rebuilt jeeps on the road in India and so many developing countries. So the Nano will slowly replace them.

        On the other hand, the Nano will accelerate the demand for fuel consuming cars in this part of the world, thus increasing the carbon emission.
        Last edited by Merlin; 24 Mar 09,, 04:15.

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        • #5
          Still a horrible little car, they could have made it electric.

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          • #6
            All you doing there is shifting the emissions from the tail pipe to the smoke stack.

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            • #7
              It all depends on how advanced the engine is and how good the exhaust system is. A 600cc engine in the Nano just might be less polluting than a 50cc 2-stroke engine powering a tiny scooter.

              Shek posted a riddle asking just this question. How is it that we achieve higher gas mileage while polluting the air more than before?
              "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by gunnut View Post
                Shek posted a riddle asking just this question. How is it that we achieve higher gas mileage while polluting the air more than before?
                Because the "ecologists" who make up the numbers just change the numbers around to suit their wet dreams.

                If THEY want to be green, live in a cave so no lumber is cut for a house. Don't know how they are going to keep warm as they want to outlaw open campfires, fireplaces, wood stoves, etc. If they think animals are too precious to kill for food and leather, they will have to go naked.

                And there are some of them I DON'T want to see naked.
                Able to leap tall tales in a single groan.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by gunnut View Post
                  It all depends on how advanced the engine is and how good the exhaust system is. A 600cc engine in the Nano just might be less polluting than a 50cc 2-stroke engine powering a tiny scooter.
                  I got these technical specifications about the Nano car.

                  According to Tata Group's Chairman Ratan Tata, the Nano is a 33 PS (33 hp/24 kW) 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 (25.97 km/L, 61.1 mpg (US), 73.3 mpg (UK)). ...

                  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] ...
                  The above are taken from here. Tata Nano. It is from Wikipedia but there are many references quoted there.

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                  • #10
                    People who drive a scooter (600-800$) will have to spend 1200-1400$ more.

                    People who drive motorcycles (800-1500$) will still have to spend 500-1200$ more.

                    People who drive two wheelers which are between 1500-2500$ do so because they prefer a motorcycle. Even the good old Royal Enfield gives 35-50km/ltr.

                    The autorickshaw (three wheeler commercial city transport) is much cheaper than this car and runs on CNG which gives a amazing mileage (money per kilometer), and that is what keeps the people using the autorickshaws.

                    The argument that this car is going to increase the traffic volume in cities is pure BS, this is India, and i can get anyone a real decent second hand car in 2000$ fixed on CNG/LPG which will probably drive faster than the NANO, don't see that having a big impact.

                    The people from center for science and environment are making too big of a deal about this car, perhaps in recent times due to the economic problems they are feeling a bit left out of the spot light, they should do what they know, which is releasing reports on bio diesel or fertilizers levels in coca cola.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Chaobam Armour View Post
                      Still a horrible little car, they could have made it electric.
                      Will make it more expensive. The car was built for the demand in the market.
                      Probably they will make the European version electric.

                      Another Tata car Indica is been tested with electric engine for Europe.

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                      • #12
                        Question: has anyone seen any specs of the car's safety standards: crash tests, airbags, etc? Cause a couple of years ago some really cheap 4-wheel drive chinese cars showed up in Europe, and I saw some crash tests of those and... omg... complete destruction at speeds of 30-50kph

                        Cheap isn't everything. I'm not gonna ride something that's liable to crumble if someone sneezes at it...

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                        • #13
                          Looks like a golf cart.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by jlvfr View Post
                            Question: has anyone seen any specs of the car's safety standards: crash tests, airbags, etc? Cause a couple of years ago some really cheap 4-wheel drive chinese cars showed up in Europe, and I saw some crash tests of those and... omg... complete destruction at speeds of 30-50kph

                            Cheap isn't everything. I'm not gonna ride something that's liable to crumble if someone sneezes at it...
                            motorcycle, its all open 360 degrees, but its real fun.

                            With the weight of the car and the restraint of keeping the costs down it will be difficult to match a larger and more expensive vehicle in terms of crash safety (is a very complex thing).

                            Cheap is important when money is limited.

                            Looks like a golf cart.
                            It kind of does
                            Golf carts: you know the games for old folks when you see one.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by gunnut View Post
                              It all depends on how advanced the engine is and how good the exhaust system is. A 600cc engine in the Nano just might be less polluting than a 50cc 2-stroke engine powering a tiny scooter.

                              Shek posted a riddle asking just this question. How is it that we achieve higher gas mileage while polluting the air more than before?
                              This engine is also 2-Stroke, it will be noisey as hell.

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