Tata Nano production to start this fall, greener variants coming
Tata Motors' diminutive Nano is getting closer to Job 1. if all goes as planned (and when doesn't that happen in the auto industry?) production of the Nano should kick off early this fall. As that date approaches, a number of questions arise. As an extremely fast growing economy, India faces one of the common problems of such scenarios: high inflation. With inflation running at 10 percent right now, will Tata still be able to meet its $2,500 price target? Regardless of price the Nano utlimately sells for, what comes next? Tata is reportedly working on cleaner and greener versions of the Nano to help deal with the issues of pollution and rising fuel prices. Tata has previously licensed the compressed air car technology developed by MDI and an air car based on the Nano seems like a good possibility. Battery powered and micro-hybrid (auto start-stop) are also likely.
[Source: The Earth Times]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
meme 11:35AM (7/03/2008)
The Air Car: If you think hydrogen is too efficient, this is the vehicle for you!
(air compressors = 10-20% efficiency, and this on top of the ~30-40% efficiency of the power plant)
I'll stick with electric, thanks.
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Manu Sharma 7:57AM (7/04/2008)
MDI's compressor is a proprietary design that works at much higher efficiency. Tata's press release called it an efficient drivetrain and they tested it for two years before saying licensing the technology.
stephen 10:18AM (7/04/2008)
Air car is a good idea - the energy losses of compressing the air generates heat - you can use this heat overnight to warm a house - or use a stirling engine or thermoelectric generator to recover some of this loss.
Compressed air energy storage is equal to current lithium batterys and the tanks have longer lifespan than battery.
The best air motors - Not the MDI one Tata is planning to use - there is a much better one now.
A car with a combo system would be the best though.
Lithium battery:-electric power steering ,headlights , indicators ,radio, fans, engine /air management computer etc.
Compressed Air: main wheel motor's and interior cooling.
LPG or Propane: run heat exchanger to preheat compressed air , and provide interior heating it only needs to heat air to low temperatures so this is actually far more efficient than the way an IC engine would use it for.
Would be both very light weight and very efficient. - The LPG would be optional in warmer climates and very little would be needed , the lithium battery would only need to be running low power systems and so quite small. Compressed air is the main motive fource -provides efficient storage of kenetic energy low cost very long life carbon fibre bound tank.
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Tlee 3:23PM (7/06/2008)
I recently travelled to India and saw how increasingly necessary car travel is becoming to the Indian worker - especially if they want to have access to the jobs and schooling far from their homes. With the crowded roadways, this small car may just be the trick. I am with meme on picking electric, though. I drive a Volkwagen Jetta w/diesel and get about 45 to the gallon. I recently retrofitted it with a water based technology that is suppossed to increase efficiency and help with engine performance. Let's see if it works. I got the instructions from watercar4me.com. This is what I want to do until I can afford a hybrid. But still not sure I could drive a car as small as a nano (mom of 2)!
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Abdul Ahad 8:40AM (7/07/2008)
I think tata should have thought about it earlier as now it is too late for them to think abt such a concept as if they are thinking abt green fuel Nano it will take them nother 3-4 yeras to launch Nano with green fuel Engine.
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