Geneva 2010: Tata Motors displays Tata Nano EV

Tata Motors has unveiled a Tata Nano Electric Vehicle (EV), based on the Tata Nano platform at this year’s Geneva Motor Show.

According to Tata Motors, when launched, it will expand the company’s electric vehicles portfolio, which already comprises the Tata Indica Vista EV. Tata Nano will have a predicted range of up to 160 km and an acceleration of 0-60 km/h in under 10 seconds. Power will come from polymer lithium ion batteries.

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Tata Nano a runaway hit

Tata Nano, dubbed the people’s car, is a runaway hit in India, so much so that they are commanding a premium. People who booked the car and were allotted one are selling their allotments for as much as Rs. 35,000 more than the actual price.

Not only that but many people who have taken possession of the car and even driven it are selling it, again at a premium. A Mumbai car salesman, Arif Fazulbhoy, said most of the Nanos to leave his outlet had been resold before they even left the showroom. But he also said that once the novelty value is over and the cars are flooding the roads, the premium will end.

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GM to compete with Tata’s Nano

Tata has shaken up the auto world with its world’s cheapest car, Nano, offering and now auto makers are also waking up to the cheap car market. Iconic automaker GM is seriously contemplating coming out with a competitor for the Nano in India, but its model will be priced at $4,000.

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Tata’s collaboration with Fiat may bring Maserati and Ferrari to India

Even though large parts of the western auto markets are in the doldrums, the eastern markets are doing well, seeing the examples of India and China in particular. Tata, which has made a success of its Nano, and has also bought Jaguar and Land Rover, is looking at expanding its portfolio.

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Pininfarina to sell to Tata

There are strong rumors floating that Tata may be looking at buying a stake in Pininfarina. Pininfarina is heavily in debt and is looking at finance options to get out of it – the company has already committed to do so.

On its part, Tata which already has Jaguar and Land Rover under its belt and has made a success with its Nano, is looking either at a partnership (so unofficial reports say) or a controlling interest in this Italian design/contract manufacturing business.

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Tata Vista launch in UK could be stopped

Tata was all set to launch its Vista electric car in the UK, but now it has threatened to pull out following the its failure to receive loans from the government to the tune of 10 million pounds. The car was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year and Tata had planned to manufacture it in the UK.

Recently, however, the company was told that it will take another eight weeks for the business department to decide whether it had met the necessary criteria and can be considered for the loan, according to a report in The Observer.

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Tata’s Nano gets the go-ahead to sell in Europe

As Tata’s new Nano car has passed crash tests in Europe, it is now ready for sale there. The car passed all the tests under the supervision of an inspector from Britain’s Vehicle Certification Authority at the MIRA test center.

The crash tests included a 40 per cent offset and a 56km/h (35mph) frontal impact and are tougher than those that exist in India - currently the Nano’s only sale front. However, this £1,800 car has a substantial potential market in Europe and even in the US because besides being cheap it is also fuel efficient and because of its small size is easier to park.

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Tata may cut jobs at Jaguar in UK

Tata Motors has announced that it may have to cut jobs at Jaguar as demand for this luxury car has fallen along with the recession. Jaguar already faces a pre-tax loss of ₤281 million. Globally sales of Land Rover fell by 35 percent while Jaguar’s new XF model rose by 1 percent.

Jaguar Land Rover has 14,500 employees on its rolls and has already cut 2,000 jobs. Now Tata Motors warns of further job cuts and even plant shut downs. The company is attempting to secure jobs by winning guarantees from the UK Government on a £340m European Investment Bank loan. However, the negotiations have been lengthy, with the state demanding strict terms for any financial support.

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Tata Motors new truck offerings in India

Tata Motors is all set to take its competition from Volvo, Daimler and Ashok Leyland in India head on. They are planning to come out with a new version of ‘world truck’ in the commercial heavy vehicle market.

Sales of heavy vehicles fell by 29 percent in April and Tata Motors in concerned. As infrastructure, roads and highways are getting bigger and better in India, Tata Motors wants to take advantage of the fact and introduce trucks which can carry 10 to 75 tons of weighted cargo, several notches above the capacity of the biggest trucks available in the market.

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Tata’s Nano - big demand for small car, but not many takers for the ‘bare bones’ model

Even though Ratan Tata wanted Tata’s Nano to be a common man’s car, calling it the Rs. 1 lakh ($2098) car and making it more affordable for Indians, even he is surprised that there are not that many takers for the basic model which does not have such features like an air conditioner, power windows and the like.

This no frills model, which costs only about $2600 (after taxes and other expenses) forms only 20 percent of all orders booked by the company. In fact 50 percent of the bookings are for the higher end version (cost 40 percent more) which features air conditioning. Given the heat in India, this ought not to be such a surprise because temperatures range between 40°C and 50°C in summer in many parts of India.

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Tata’s Jaguar problems

When Tata Motors acquired Jaguar’s Land Rover, it was a feather in the Indian company’s cap, but questions are now being raised about how it is going to move forward. At stake are 14,500 direct jobs and thousands more which will be indirectly affected if the rescue plan for the revival or Jaguar falls through.

The UK government has refused to guarantee the £340 million EIB loan, offering to underwrite only £175 million and asking Tata to put up 15 per cent upfront. The UK government also wanted Tata to put in £300 to £400 million before asking for loan guarantees, which the company does not want to do, having already invested £900 million when it bought Jaguar from Ford.

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World’s cheapest car Tata Nano officially launched in Mumbai

Today Tata Motors unveiled the long waited Tata Nano, which is even cheaper than everyone expected. This little city car starts at 100,000 Indian Rupees (around 2,000 USD / 1,450 euros).

The Tata Nano comes with an all-new 2-cylinder aluminum 624 cc petrol engine with 33 horsepower mated to a four-speed gear box.

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Tata Motors unveils Nano Europa

Indian auto maker Tata Motors has been struggling getting the production started on the $2,500 Nano. Now it looks like Tata has more plans with the cheap Nano.

Today at the Geneva Motor Show Tata Motors unveiled a new model called Nano Europa.

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Tata to produce 80 000 Nanos by March 2010

The Indian automaker that had major complications with their new plant for Nano-building, had to move from the site at a time when the factory was almost completed.

Now Tata has a new birth-site for Nanos – the Pantnagar facility – and there it wishes to assemble some 80 000 of the microcars by March 2010.

Continue to read: Tata to produce 80 000 Nano’s by March 2010

2010 Tata Indicruz spied in Northern Scandinavia

Cold weather testing in Sweden continues daily and today we have Indian automaker Tata Motors testing their Indicruz MPV. Looks like the engineers want to see how it handles in heavy snow and cold temperatures.

Indicruz will be offered with both 2WD and 4WD, later is likely the one being tested in Sweden.

So far we have no details is Tata Motors just testing it in Europe or do they have actual plans to sell it here.

Continune to read: 2010 Tata Indicruz spied in Northern Scandinavia