Move over, Tata Nano; Tara's electric Tiny is now the world's cheapest car
We told you all about Tata's 1 lakh car (1 lakh=100,000 rupees), the world's cheapest car a month ago, it made a big splash on the world stage. Now, there's news of a car that claims to be cheaper and greener: the Tara Tiny! India's Tara International says it will release a four-seat electric car called Tiny that will cost just 1 rupee less than 1 lakh or 99,999 rupees (roughly 2,500 US dollars).
With its battery power, the Tiny will have a top speed of 70 km per hour (43 mph) and a range of 100 km (62 miles). The operating costs is 60 paise for every km, about one-fifth to one-tenth the cost of using gas. The Tiny is expected in the next three to five months along with three other electric cars tentatively branded: Tara Titu, Tara Micro and Tara Mini.
Tara International is working with China's Aucma, and has already ordered a 14-seat electric bus that will ship this May. Tara may even release an electric two-wheeler. It's not clear if Tara plans to release the Tiny overseas, but what is clear is that the Nano won't be the only car selling for about 1 lakh this year.
UPDATE: Tiny image added, courtesy of New Launches.
Related:
- Tata's $2,500, 59-mpg offering described as "eco-car," on display in January
- Videos: Ratan Tata responds to ctiticisms of the Nano's safety, emissions
- Watch out Tata: Bajaj to double small car fuel efficiency, Ford invests in Indian small car plant
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Mort 12:18PM (2/18/2008)
Throw in a little wind generator or pv array and voila! India is learning from our mistakes.
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rgseidl 12:20PM (2/18/2008)
You can't really compare these two cars until you know size/seats, performance, standard equipment and options and, crash test performance.
Price alone is fairly meaningless. Given that everyone else is facing huge cost issues with pure EVs, it seems unlikely that Bengal Enamel could offer a car with comparable performance at virtually the same price as the Tata Nano.
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meme 12:32PM (2/18/2008)
Now this makes me happy to hear. One thing about the Nano is that gasoline costs will easily surpass purchase price after a few years of ownership -- and throw on top of that maintenance, and you can see that the low cost of the car really isn't that low of an ownership cost. But with the Tiny, assuming its batteries are designed to last, it really could be that low of an ownership cost. This would give the Tiny a huge advantage over the Nano, which would consequently be a major selling point in a poor country like India. Not to mention that on many of their roads, you simply can't move that quickly and there's a lot of population density in the cities (hence more opportunities for charging stations and less need to go long distances), so the NEV aspect isn't that big of a deal.
I think this could be a boon for India's rapidly deteriorating environment and urban air quality, as well as helping to mainstream electric vehicles.
Not that I'd drive a Tata or Tara car of any kind until they can get their standards up, of course.
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rar 12:46PM (2/18/2008)
So Meme, what you are saying is it is ok for the people of India to drive a substandard car, but not you?
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meme 1:04PM (2/18/2008)
"So Meme, what you are saying is it is ok for the people of India to drive a substandard car, but not you?"
I'm saying that I have more than $2500 to spend, and they don't. My point is that these people are going to be buying cars made in India, perhaps China as well (which has similarly low quality standards), no matter what because that's what their budget allows for. But their budget allows even better for an NEV, and it'd be wonderful for their environment and for electric cars in general. Hopefully, in time, the quality of Indian and Chinese vehicles will improve and we in the west will be more ready to accept them.
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Mort 3:17PM (2/18/2008)
rar, the quality of these cars will improve over the years. At slower speeds they will do just fine. Our streets aren't safe because of all the battle wagons going 80 mph.
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Throwback 3:23PM (2/18/2008)
I would bad drivers are to blame for accidents in this country.
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Wildgoosechase73 4:24PM (2/18/2008)
My question is does is qualify as a "car" or an NEV? Not to discredit it but to compare apples to apples. I'd assume the Nano's top speed is more than 43 mph.
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s10 7:22PM (2/18/2008)
Meme. It is wrong to say that China and India have low quality standards. They actually have far better quality production standards than the US has if you consider the cost of production.
Immagine what an iPhone would cost if it was assembled in the US instead of China where they are assembled now.
China build some fine quality cars, for VW and BMW, but also GM.. which have the same build quality if not better than their "western world" equivalents.
But in China and India, and the majority of countries on this globe, there is a demand for the cheapest possible vehicles. Just like there is a demand for a $100 laptop....
Of course these lowcost models cannot be build for the same safety and ecological standards and don't have the luxury items and finishing we're used to.. but that doesn't mean they're low quality. They are the modern day VW Beetle, Citroen 2CV, Renault 4.
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Karen Pease 8:05PM (2/18/2008)
"But in China and India, and the majority of countries on this globe, there is a demand for the cheapest possible vehicles. Just like there is a demand for a $100 laptop...."
I think that's a fair assessment.
"Of course these lowcost models cannot be build for the same safety and ecological standards and don't have the luxury items and finishing we're used to.. but that doesn't mean they're low quality. They are the modern day VW Beetle, Citroen 2CV, Renault 4."
I don't remember the VW Beetle wrecking like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kQGAK550LE
It instead looks like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEA8GnqhLlg
Still not pretty, but with a lot less of the whole "driver smashing" involved.
Here's a Citroen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kkujq__Zklg
Can't find a Renault crash test vid. That Chery wreck is gruesome, no?
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John Rowell 2:49AM (2/19/2008)
Wow! A $2500 electric car that will nearly reach highway speeds and have a 60-some-mile range :0 I wish Tara could sell some Tiny's here in the US, I'd buy one for sure. Except that it probably doesn't meet DOT standards.
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Manu Sharma 5:22AM (2/20/2008)
I've seen a picture of this in the papers - it's a piece of crap. There's no way it can pass a crash test. They really shdn't be allowed to call any metal box with a motor in it an electric car.
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Raj Pillai 12:19AM (3/02/2008)
Hope Tata makes the Autorickshaw version of Tiny, Tara or whatever its called. India needs to ban the petrol/diesel ie: fossil fuel versions of autorickshaws (3 wheel "taxis") with an electric version. OR maybe Electrotherm (an Indian company)needs to revive the electric autorickshaw which was to cost Rs 1.25 lakhs ie: $3000 USD which it abandoned because the Nano costs Rs. 1.0 Lakh ie: $2500 USD. Read: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2706224.cms
The other good news is that the latest Indian Govt budget reduced the excise duties for the Reva car (the Indian electric car) from 8% to 0% and reduced the Hyrid car excise duties from a whooping 24% to 16% which benefits Honda's Hybrid Civic which was facing high taxes. While the budget gave all fossil fuel small cars another tax break from 16% to 12% (including Nano) which is bad from a environmental perspective ie: no incentive to get rid of fossil fuel while protecting the India's Oil companies/lobby. None of small Indian cars like Nano would pass the US DOT crash tests BUT it would reduce the pollution in India.
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Tomthat 6:33PM (3/10/2008)
Having lived in India and experience the driving sense, I am more worried about how many people in the car would actually survive a collision rather than how many people can fit comfortably in the car. :)
May be this is the a covert population control measure by the secretive government.
Either way, I would rather take the bus.
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stewie81 8:54AM (3/19/2008)
Is it just me, or is that the Zap Xebra with an extra front wheel? Dashboard switches, center console, seats, ignition switch and overall construction seem identical. Top speed is advertised a little higher in the US.
There’s no need in India to fall into the motorcycle exemption for crash testing, etc. My guess is that this is the original, and the front end was modified for US imports as the Xebra.
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stewie81 9:00AM (3/19/2008)
Oops...actually the top speed matches as well. I saw a lower speed listed for the Tara on another site.
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vishal 6:57PM (7/25/2009)
After the miserable failure of India's family planning initiative (because of corruption and bureocratic apathy), these cars are the latest innovation by the indian goverment to check the growing population. The suicidal attitude of indian drivers coupled with these tins on wheels - may yet achieve what millions of dollars of family planning spending could not achieve :-).
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carlo 7:21PM (6/11/2008)
where i can order one of this cars...some body knows
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carlo 8:45AM (6/12/2008)
that's a nice ride ,,, where can i order it
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JIM RUSSELL 2:23PM (6/17/2008)
IF THESE LITTLE CARS ARE SO DEADLY, MAY I SHOULD THINK ABOUT STARTING A FUNERAL HOME BUSINESS. JUST LEAVE ALL THE DEAD IN THE SMASHED UP CAR AND BURY THE WHOLE SHOOTING MATCH AT A BIG DISCOUNT!
AND IF YOU A WRECKER BUSINESS YOU COULD JUST DRAG THE WHOLE THING OUT TO THE GRAVE YARD AND DROP IN INTO THE HOLE AND BE DONE WITH IT.
MAYBE DRAY IT BY A HOSPITAL AND SEE IF THEY CARE TO BUY SOME BODY PARTS REAL CHEAP. AND I AIN'T SPEAKING ABOUT AUTO PARTS!
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