India's Tata Motors unveils $2,500 car, bringing car ownership into the reach of millions

[rodeodance]

Source: ap

India's Tata Motors unveils $2,500 car, bringing car ownership into the reach of millions

By GAVIN RABINOWITZ , Associated Press

Last update: January 10, 2008 - 7:16 AM


NEW DELHI -

India's Tata Motors on Thursday unveiled the world's cheapest car, bringing new mobility within the reach of tens of millions of people and nightmares to environmentalists, traffic engineers and safety advocates.

Company Chairman Ratan Tata, introducing the Nano _ price tag $2,500 _ during India's main auto show, drove onto a stage in a white version of the tiny four-door subcompact, his head nearly scraping the roof.

With a snub nose and a sloping roof, it can fit five people _ if they squeeze. And the basic version is spare: there's no radio, no passenger-side mirror and only one windshield wiper. If you want air conditioning to cope with India's brutal summers, you need to get the deluxe version.

But it's cheap. The Nano's closest competitor here is the Maruti 800, a four-door that sells for nearly twice as much..........

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/business/13672921.html

[freedomnorth]

1. Say goodbye to Mother Earth...

[Justyce]

3. or "ta ta"... Ironic that's the name of the car company.

[saigon68]

30. I hope they have enough GAS to run millions of these

Since they have no EPA Pollution standards there I hope they have
LOTS OF GAS MASKS

</SARCASM>

[krabigirl]

40. exactly what i was thinking

[meegbear]

2. I was listening to a story about this on the Beeb ...

they said that for a given country, the average person/car owner ratio was 500 for every 1000 people. In India, the ratio is 7 for every 1000. :wow:

[TommyO]

4. Talk about the perfect opportunity to build a mass transit system

that would be the envy of the world, but instead they opt for more of the same atmosphere-destroying personal autos.

[enid602]

7. already there

Delhi, Mumbai and Kallikut alreaty have them.

[TommyO]

11. Took a look, you're right, these are great transit systems

But just like here in the US, more needs to be done to get away from internal combustion vehicles like the new Tata.

[enid602]

26. Tata

My problem with the new Tata is not that it is cheap and plentiful, but rather because it only costs $2500, you'd wonder hom much they spent to make the engine more efficient and clean burning. Probably a lawn mower engine.

[raccoon]

5. This ain't so good, but we Americans have no room to criticize.

Considering the gas our vehicles consume, and the lack of public transportation here.

[onehandle]

6. We're doomed. nt

[Toots]

8. Probably gets better gas milage than any American made car

USA USA USA "We Don't Care" .."We Don't Care".."We Don't Care"

[boricua79]

13. that's exactly what I think is shouted

when I hear "USA, USA, USA".

And then people have the nerve to ask me why I don't Pledge of Allegiance. Allegiance to what...this fundie-moron nation? Thank God there's a few rational souls to coexist and network with here...otherwise, this nation would be scary to live in.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

25. They claim 50MPG n/t

[TheCowsCameHome]

9. They'll be like India's trains, with riders hanging off the roof

(if it has a roof rack..................)

[gratuitous]

10. I'm going out and buy TWO!

What do you think of my Tatas?

[AngryAmish]

12. Nice Tatas!

<>

[guitar man]

14. Not very good marketing

Tata....nano? Doesn't nano mean like...really small?

Definetly not the word I want to see used to describe a Tata....:evilgrin:

[Sabriel]

33. Their ad slogan: "Tata...For Now" n/t

[PFunk]

15. This isn't a car. It's a overblown motorscooter

33hp!?! Pleaze!!! A hampster has more power.

[IDemo]

18. Nothing wrong with overblown motorscooters:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV4HdsDZX6c

[PFunk]

34. Okay. I'll admit that overblown motorscooter is very cool.

Hell I want one. Still that obviously a very tuned hayabusa engine pushing way more than 33 horses.

(though it's still very cool).

[JCMach1]

16. Goodbye autorickshaws... this is actually good for the planet

as it will eliminate some VERY DIRTY two stroke engines...

have you tried breathing in an Asian city recently...? Anything that will clear some of the dirtier engines off the road is a blessing.

[PFunk]

35. Oh I agree.

Still at that little horsepower it's all but useless on american highways-hell it's all but useless on american streets. They have to up the horse power greatly if they have any chance selling that thing here.

(and I know many gearheads that get their hands on one WILL find a way of putting a bigger engine in it-I smell pocket rocket platform here folks)

[Baclava]

42. 30 HP is OK when you're out-running cow-carts.

A nitrous system would get them tires a spinnin'.

[krabigirl]

41. I see, I didn't realize they were replacing those. That's good.

[Art_from_Ark]

43. I've tried breathing in Tokyo

and it's not too bad recently, after they banned certain diesel engines

[Massachusetts]

17. Ta ta for now, I need to go to another post...

[MilesColtrane]

19. Time to buy some beachfront property in Memphis.

[Fierce]

20. Boy, that looks safe.

Nothing like lowering the bar.

[Tesha]

21. Compared to the motorscooter/motorcycle it will replace, it's a big step up in safety. (NT)

[Fierce]

22. Is it?

How do you figure? Maybe there's a test?

[Tesha]

23. Why do you think E.R. nurses refer to motorcycle riders as "Organ Donors"? (NT)

[Fierce]

24. Hey, I know motorcycles are dangerous.

I'm just wondering how getting in a toy and driving it can be any safer.

[priller]

48. My brother (the doctor) calls them "Donor cycles"

[Acadia Blue]

27. They do not mention gas milage? Emissions? It would be great

to have a clean, super milage, emission clean vehickle that is affordable. I hardly drive anymore to conserve fuel.

[indio55555]

28. .

They say it far exceeds European emmision standards. 50 mpg. Not bad for a kickover car:sarcasm:

[BearSquirrel2]

29. My guess ...

My guess is that car ownership in Dehli will be like car ownership in NYC. It will be faster to travel by bicycle.

Who this would really help are rural folks who actually do need to travel larger distances.

[OhioChick]

31. Sweet Mercy....

Wonder what those safety ratings are?

[Jimbo S]

32. It's as if a Hummer took a crap

and out came a Tata.

[lonestarnot]

36. I read about a car whose protype was engineered in France I think

today while waiting for an appointment. Article said it runs on compressed air. Has to have some gas every 500 miles, but that's about it. 2 4 & 6 cylinders will be available.

[AlphaCentauri]

37. Any effect in the oil price?

:smoke:

[Lisa]

38. thanks so much for posting!

I teach an environmental science course, and I've been trying to start off each lecture with an amusing story (so the students won't get too bummed out about the material). Granted, there are a bunch of negative impacts, but as others have mentioned in this thread, the pollution from two-stroke* scooters and the gas consumption of larger cars are things to take into account -- if this is the type of vehicle that gained acceptance worldwide rather than trucks, SUVs, or muscle cars, it might be the least worst option. And how can anybody not smile at the thought of "Tata" as a company name? I'm really not mature enough to be trusted with this kind of material.


*one of the extra articles says that this car has a 2-cylinder engine. Hope the emissions aren't too bad.
http://www.startribune.com/business/13681276.html

[diane in sf]

39. Sadly, given Indian driving habits a lot of them will end up squished on

the highway when they try to pass 5 trucks on a blind curve and then head on with an ox cart, ambassador car, bus or truck. I spent 6 months in India and was always relieved to be on a train instead of a road.

[fujiyama]

44. While I would certainly prefer mass transit

both here and in major urban centers abroad (though I believe Mumbai and Delhi have decent public transportation available and Bangalore is in the process of building one), this could potentially be a positive, both environmentally and in terms of safety.

In India, many families basically ride on scooters, with a male, his wife, and a child or two in front. It's absolutely ridiculous and idiotic. This is definitely much safer than that.

And I think these will be a lot cleaner than the autorickshaws.

But those would never succeed in the west. Though, I'm curious how this compares to a smart car.

[daleo]

45. Fifty miles per gallon

On the plus side, the mileage is excellent, thus potentially decreasing greenhouse gases.

On the minus side, it will bring car ownership to a lot of people that can't afford it now, thus potentially increasing greenhouse gases.

Given the ridiculous waste of gas by North Americans (unnecessary long commutes, poor public transit, gas wasting SUVs), we aren't in much of a position to criticize, ecologically speaking.

[hayu_lol]

46. This vehicle will not have any safety gear, may not have safety glass...

in which case, heads will literally roll.

For comparison:

1958 VW Deluxe Sedan

36 HP
80mph
38mpg/highway
4 cylinder 4 stroke
$1500 delivered in San Francisco

The TaTa cars will be for internal sale only unless I am mistaken. They could not possibly comply with the West's safety requirements.

The TaTa makes the Yugo look and drive like a limo.

[daleo]

47. If all the SUVs (and other heavy vehicles) were off the road

This would be a safe car, even in the west. We have turned our highways into a jungle, so people have a motivation to buy big, heavy, gas wasting vehicles.

Not that I expect this to be legal in North America for some years. Eventually we will have to drive vehicles like this, though. Take your pick:

- peak oil.
- global warming.
- loss of middle class jobs.