The Nano, a really small and efficient car by Tata

The Indian conglomerate Tata is launching today the world cheapest car, the Nano. For the equivalent of 1,700 € (or 2,500 USD), Tata proposes a very energy efficient car.

With a mileage of 70 miles per gallon (4 litres for 100 km), this car have a huge market potential as only seven million Indians own a car, out of the billion people in the country.

This car is tailor-made for the Indian market with its small size and has been dubbed by its creators as the People’s car and will be sold afterwards in Asia.As Mr Tata himself presents the Nano :

Today, we indeed have a People’s Car, which is affordable and yet built to meet safety requirements and emission norms, to be fuel efficient and low on emissions. We are happy to present the People’s Car to India and we hope it brings the joy, pride and utility of owning a car to many families who need personal mobility.

Concerning the engine, it is really efficient and small :

The People’s Car has a rear-wheel drive, all-aluminium, two-cylinder, 623cc, 33ps, multi-point fuel injection petrol engine. This is the first time that a two-cylinder gasoline engine is being used in a car with single balancer shaft.

The lean design strategy has helped minimise weight, which helps maximise performance per unit of energy consumed and delivers high fuel efficiency. Performance is controlled by a specially designed electronic engine management system.

Still to the press release :

The People’s Car’s tailpipe emission performance exceeds regulatory requirements. In terms of overall pollutants, it has a lower pollution level than two-wheelers being manufactured in India today.

The high fuel efficiency also ensures that the car has low carbon dioxide emissions, thereby providing the twin benefits of an affordable transportation solution with a low carbon footprint.

To me the Nano is a very good example of what western world car makers like Renault, Volkswagen or Ford could do. Indeed, do we really need a large car to go from point A to point B within towns ?

I really doubt that the Nano will never been sold in European markets, but the idea is here.

Peugeot Citroen might launch a car quite similar in size, which would be a hybrid one. For further details, check out my previous article La C-Cactus, un prototype hybride chez Citroën [Fr].

One thing worth noting to conclude is that Tata, the company behind this cars is a large Indian conglomerate that produces many different products, from steel to tea. Learn out more by reading the company’s profile on it’s website.

Source :

• Tata press release : Tata Motors unveils the People’s Car

Further reading :

• The Times of India : All eyes on Tatas’ Rs 1 lakh car ;
  

En Français :

• Le Figaro : La voiture la moins chère du monde ;
• Les Echos : Tata présente la Nano, la voiture la moins chère du monde