As we reported, Tata has an Euro-spec Nano on the works. The changes from the Indian version include adding an all-aluminium I3 MPFI engine with a 5-speed automatic transmission and electric power steering. The engine should address all the concerns about Tata's green credentials, as it will be Euro V compliant and have emissions under the 100 g/km of CO₂ mark. The Nano Europa will also include significant security equipment like ABS, ESP (Electronic Stability Program) and airbags. There's also a change in size, as the Nano Europa has a slightly longer wheelbase of 2.28 meters. Tata's all-electric Indica, which was also shown during the SIAM Expo, uses polymer lithium batteries that are expected to offer a range of 200 km (120 mi) and a 0-to-60 km/h (0 to 40 mph) time of less than 10 seconds. The model was adapted by Miljo Grenland/Innovasjon of Norway, where Tata UK's owns 70 percent of the shares. Tata will also include a third model, called Prima, in its future European lineup.


[Source: Tata]

A while back we gave you a heads up about a clock-making company in India which was seeking to diversify and enter the electric car business. As if that wasn't ambitious enough they made the claim, and still do, that their car would challenge the Tata Nano and sell for less than one Lakh (about $2500 US). At the time, we were skeptical that the company could realistically produce anything other than a neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) for that price but wondered how it might compare to that other, better known electric car, the Reva G Wiz. Well, we wonder no more. The wraps have recently come off the Ajanta Oreva and ...it's a Flybo? Ok, maybe it's not exactly a Flybo but it is some sort of the Smart Fourtwo knock-off and a quick search of the B2B Alibaba website tells us it, or at least its parts, most likely came from China and so only minimal assembly work is being done by the company at its factory in Kutch. Whatever the case, we doubt it will really impact the sales of the Nano (once they get they factory re-built) or even the G-Wiz., which is already available in India. Ajanta Group officials are apparently still tight-lipped about the car but, according to a news report by NDTV, a country-wide rollout is expected to begin in two months. Hit the jump for video from NDTV.

[Source: NDTV]

Do you remember the problems Tata is facing as it gets ready to build the Nano, the world's cheapest car? Well, the Indian manufacturer has now officially decided to move the location of the factory. The new plant will be built in Sanand, India (that's near Ahmedabad, in the state of Gujarat). The plant will be quite large, covering 1,100 acres (445 ha), and have an initial capacity of 250,000 units annually, which could be expanded to up to 500,000 cars per year, Tata said. Although initial plans aimed for production to start this month, it seems that the new cars will now roll out next March. Our source also reports that a CNG and an all-electric version of the Nano are on the drawing board.



[Source: Reuters]

Earlier this week, we heard rumblings that workers at the east India plant that is supposed to build the Tata Nano could be besieged by members and supporters of the opposition party in the state. Automotive News Europe now brings us an update and says that the dissatisfaction against Tata Motors resulted in a work stoppage today when thousands of workers stayed home because of protests against the company. Police took 3,600 workers out of the factory yesterday.

The dispute is over 1,000 acres of land that Tata acquired from farmers in the area, and the company has expressed a willingness to move the factory if resistance doesn't die down. The farmers want to keep their land, while the government wants to give the land to Tata to help them build the much-hyped car, famous for being the world's cheapest. A Tata Motors spokesperson issued this very safe statement: "Our workers are not working today. We are assessing the situation as of now."


[Source: Automotive News Europe]

Click above image for a hi-res gallery of the Tata Nano

Tata is asking Fiat to assist in selling the Nano overseas, as an expansion of the two marques partnership in manufacturing and distributing cars, engines and commercial vehicles. Fiat's initial intentions are, however, largely directed towards bus and truck manufacturing. "We have held talks about the Nano being marketed in markets where Fiat has already a strong presence. I am open to consider a partnership," said Ratan Tata at a forum promoting cooperation between Italian and Indian companies.

Tata is also forecasting supply problems for its new microcar, which goes on sale next October. That said, high raw material and fuel prices have cut demand for vehicles in India. Between that development, the burden of the Jaguar/Land Rover acquisition, and a 31% decrease in profits, it'll be interesting to see if Tata is ultimately able to keep the Nano priced as low as planned.


[Source: Automotive News]

Nanotechnology holds amazing promise for many new green technologies, including the emissions controls which will allow the internal combustion engine to meet upcoming standards and the lithium ion batteries which threaten to make those same engines obsolete. There are many issues holding nano-tech back, though, not the least of which is the high price associated with the production of such tiny materials. So, when we read that Catalyx Nanotech, Inc. plans to begin mass production of Platelet Graphite Nanofibers (PGNF) at a price point which is said to be cost-competitive with current production standards, our interest was piqued. According to the accompanying press release, Catalyx Nano "also plans to produce nano powders of polymers, ceramics and precious/transition metal catalysts in powder and alcohol/aqueous suspensions."

There is another green angle to the announcement of the new nano-tech plants. These proposed plants will be built near landfills and are to run on methane gas waste. Sounds like a win-win scenario to us.

Buoyed by the response to the Tata Nano (i.e., the world's cheapest car), Tata Motors Limited is ready to make the move to green. The company announced today that it will compete in the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize by entering two vehicles in the race. Well, Tata has signed a letter of intent to compete, which is as far as any of the 70+ teams have gotten.

In a statement put out by the X Prize foundation (pasted after the jump), Tata says they intend "to enter a pure e-drive micro car into the Alternative Class and Dominant Electric Hybrid vehicle into the Mainstream Class." We'll have to wait for more information on these vehicles, as that is literally all we have right now. Whether Tata wins or not, if they even come close, whatever lessons they learn while designing and building the entrant vehicles should be applicable to later generations of the Nano and other Tata vehicles. Considering Tata's ambitious roll-out plans, this is excellent news.

In what might be the most perfectest (work with me here) odd couple match-up since chocolate and peanut butter, Pininfarina, car designer extraordinaire and builder of the hydrogen fuel cell-powered Sintesi concept car (silver automotive objet d'art pictured above), with minority participation from Tata Motors, maker of the ultra-cheap Nano (red contraption also pictured above) plan to open a research, design and engineering center in India later this year.

Just as it's no secret that the Italian design house has been making deals of late in an effort to shore up its finances, it's equally as obvious that Tata Motors, a company which began its life in 1945 making train locomotives, could use a hand in the aesthetics department. Not only could future iterations of the Nano benefit from the deal (Lambo doors anyone?) but seeing as how Tata is in the process of buying upscale British brands, Jaguar and Land Rover, such a deal may be necessary for its future success.

We here at AutoblogGreen cannot help but wonder if Pininfarina might be able to use the relationship to take advantage of Tata's forté of low-cost manufacturing vis-a-vis its electric car program with battery supplier, Bolloré. If you prefer to eschew speculation, hit the jump for "just the facts" as contained in the press release from Pininfarina.

Motorcycle, scooter and moped manufacturers in India are worried. Since Tata announced their ultra-cheap Nano, the two-wheeled industry is abuzz with worry that the populace will quickly abandon their old single-track vehicles for the safety and convenience of a four-wheeler if the price points get too close. This is a rational concern, and it is exactly why Tata's created the Nano in the first place.

In an effort to persuade buyers to stick with their bikes, the major manufacturers in India, including Bajaj, Honda and Kinetic, are all working on natural gas options for their various offerings. According to this article, each of these companies has contacted Energtek, a leader in absorbed natural gas (ANG) technology for help in implementing the conversion process. The advantages to using the ANG lie primarily with price, however there are also eco-benefits to be had, as natural gas burns cleaner than other fossil-fuels. We have to wonder, though, what would stop companies like Tata from using similar technology in their low-priced automobiles.

Related:

• VIDEO: Live reveal of the $2,500 Tata Nano
• Here's the $2,500 Tata Nano, the Indian peoples car

[Source: Red Orbit]

click photo to enlarge

The Tata Nano, number one in the list of ten cheapest cars in the world, is a big hit at the Geneva Motor Show. Newspress is saying that the tiny and inexpensive Nano is drawing the biggest crowds at the show.The throngs aren't thronging just to see the car - we've seen it in pictures for a while now - but to listen for Tata chairman Ratan Tata update on details of the Jaguar/Land Rover/Tata deal. Instead, he said that the Nano would not be coming to Europe because of stricter emissions and safety standards there. We're all aware that a revamped second-generation Nano is a likely contender for European sales some time down the road.

[Source: Newspress]