Photo: Times of India

Over the years, the Pope has been driven around in quite a few different vehicles, which most people refer to as the 'Popemobile.' The last time the Pope visited the United States, for instance, his ride was a modified Mercedes-Benz M Class SUV which had been specially modified to accommodate his needs. In fact, Mercedes-Benz has a long history of creating vehicles specially for the Pope, and now Piaggio has joined in as well. Piaggio's contribution, though, features just three wheels and is made from the rickshaw platform which is popular in India, where the vehicle was created.

According to Ravi Chopra from Piaggio's Indian subsidiary, "These vehicles were given a complete look and feel of a Popemobile by putting a white coloured hood, white tyres, seat upholstery, and white body paint. The insignia on the doors is specially handcrafted. The entire vehicle was given a complete unique decor to suit the aura of His Holiness." Piaggio hopes that Pope Benedict XVI can find a use for the vehicle at the Vatican, perhaps when touring the gardens.

[Source: Times of India]

The Reva Electric Car Company has officially made the REVAi (A.K.A. the G-Wiz i) available for sale in its native India. It has high expectations for sales of the improved award winner in its homeland, saying they would be very happy to sell 3,000 vehicles in Delhi this year. No doubt, since it has only sold 2,500 units so far in 13 other countries. They expect and are preparing for a sharp increase in demand as the company plans on quintupling its production capacity from its current 6,000 units per annum to 30,000 by the end of this year, although it may actually take a full three years to ramp up to those output numbers.

Besides not having an expensive-to-fill gas tank, REVAi sales may also benefit from several tax incentives. There is a 15 percent subsidy on the base price, it's exempt from a 12.5 percent value added tax (VAT), and, in Delhi, it gets a refund of a road tax and registration fees. After all the discounts, Indians are looking at a base price of Rs299,000 (US$7,000) for the 50 mph capable, 80 mile ranging (50 miles with the A/C) vehicle. Future plans include adding a new model and new model variant in each of the coming years and possibly the creation of something a bit bigger.

[Source: Automotive World]

While non-GM hybrids are selling as fast as companies can build them here in the U.S., buyers in India have yet to be able to sample the dual drive vehicles. That's all about to change as Honda's Indian venture, Honda Siel Cars India, is about to become the first company to offer a hybrid car in that market. HSCI will shortly start importing the Japanese-built Civic hybrid for sale in the sub-continent. The Civic hybrid for India gets the same powertrain as everywhere else, including a 1.3L four cylinder with the i-VTEC variable valve timing system and the integrated motor assist (IMA) system. The IMA has an electric motor that can't really drive the vehicle independently of the engine. When driving at a moderate, constant speed, the fuel can be shutoff to all four cylinders allowing the motor to propel the car while still turning the engine over. No information is available yet on pricing in India.

[Source: Honda]

India has announced that fuel prices are going to be raised by 10 percent. The state-owned oil companies had no other option but adapt pump prices in response to the increase of crude oil prices in international markets. According to an article in Autoplus, gas stations in New Dehli were selling gasoline at 45.52 rupee and diesel at 31.76 per liter. That's about $1 and $0.75 (U.S.) per liter, respectively. Unlike Europe and the U. S., the price of fuel in India is regulated by the government, although prices differ from state to state.

[Source: Autoplus]

Elevated gas prices resonate in strange ways. Sure, while the average commuter might now consider alternatives like public transit or carpooling to ease the sting at the pump, the repercussions of high fuel costs are felt globally -- and not just by the average cubicle-dwelling workerbee. Take India, for example. Financial Times reports that in the state of Rajasthan, farmers are looking to the camel as a replacement for fuel-swilling tractors. As a result, demand for the animals is up, as is their cost. Still, a strong, work-ready camel costs just a quarter of what Indian farmers would need to shell out for an entry-level tractor, and the critters don't need to be constantly refilled with expensive fossil fuels. FT notes that a full-scale camel revival faces other challenges, but this rediscovery of the animal as a good worker could be the start of something. It's not "backward" if it gets the job done, right? Camels: they spit on costly tractors!

[Source: Financial Times via Instapundit | Photo: Stuck in Customs]

India, the seventh largest but second most populous country in the world, has good reason to encourage electric vehicle sales, considering that its automobile market is growing very rapidly. Pollution could become a much larger problem than it already is if steps are not taken to manage it now. India's government realizes this fact, which led it to recently waive the excise duty for electric cars. Up until now, though, the tax has stood at 8 percent for electric bikes. Not anymore, as both two- and three-wheeled electric bikes are now duty-free, enabling them to be more cost-competitive against the gasoline-powered motorcycles they compete with. According to The Economic Times, electric cycles currently cost between Rs 20,000 to Rs 36,000. After the excise waiver goes into effect, the price for electric bikes should drop by Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,400.

[Source: The Economic Times]

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]

With India's emergence in recent years as a booming automotive market, the country needs a booming supply of oil to power all the new vehicles. Unfortunately for Indians, they don't have nearly enough domestically-produced oil, so they are forced to import their supplies from other countries. In an effort to reduce dependency on the Middle Eastern oil-producing nations, Indians are looking to get oil from countries in Central Asia and Africa. Purchasing the oil is all well and good, but how then does India get the oil from the ground in some other country to the tanks of cars in its own? According to this article, through massive pipelines and oil tankers across a sea and an ocean.

The article also highlights the point that other emerging countries, especially China, are all fighting for the same oil supplies, along with the already established players in Europe and the U.S. There's only so much oil to go around, folks, and every country is trying to get their hands on it.

[Source: Asia Times via Automotive Blog]

Creating methane gas from waste products in anything but a new concept, with the gas being pumped and burned off from landfills the world over. What is a newer idea, though, is taking care of the problem right from the point of its creation... your own toilet or garbage pile. In emerging countries like India, and even in rural areas in the U.S., there are many households which are not directly connected to a sewage system, and there is no big garbage truck on its way to pick up your trash. Sintex Industries thinks that they can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, with their digester, a tool that is capable of generating methane gas using bacteria to break down human waste, cow manure and other forms of trash. In India, a family-sized unit costs about $425 and can provide all of the gas needed for cooking. Larger units can be installed for use in places like neighborhoods, schools or hospitals. Methane gas could also be used for transportation needs, either by electrical generation or in mass-transit.

[Source: CNN via Engadget]

We got our first official look at Tata's Nano in January (and a very good unofficial look in December). Tata's Nano will make its international debut at this year's Geneva Motor Show but when will it go on sale in Europe? According to reports, Europe may have to wait up to four years for the cars to arrive. Meanwhile, Indians will be able to get a hold of the world's cheapest car the second half of this year.

According to Reuters, Girish Wagh, head of compact car projects at Tata Motors, told German magazine Focus, that Europe would get second-gen Nanos. "We will develop a successor model in four years time, which will meet the Euro 5 emission regulations and the crash standards in Europe," Wagh said. European safety upgrades, which should include air bags because India does not mandate them, will add an unknown amount to the $2,500 car. Second-gen Nanos are also expected to get 78 MPG.


[Source: Inside Line]

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

[Source: Economic Times]

Reva Electric Car Company (RECC) says it will launch a new electric car by the end of the year and a new electric car (or variant) every year after that. Reva also says they have built a plant with a 33,000-unit capacity, five times their current capacity. The cars will be exported all over the world, wherever there is new interest in the environment and tax breaks, says Reva. Here is exactly what Reva's deputy chairman and chief technology officer, Chetan Kumaar Maini says:

We will launch one new vehicle and one variant every year and by the end of 2008 calendar year, we will rollout another electric car with more advanced features, and fitted with a battery that can traverse wider distance. ... Governments across different countries are offering incentives for electric vehicles. With such fiscal benefits and growing awareness, the market for these vehicles will expand globally as well as in India

Reva's electric car, the G-Wiz, is very popular in countries like the UK and Japan. G-Wiz, which actually qualifies as 4-wheelers and don't require crash testing, were upgraded last year after crash tests showed the cars were not very safe. Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson, in particular, gleefully pointed out the G-Wiz's faults, at one point crashing the car into a dinning room table. The table did not move while the G-Wiz crumbled.

Related:

• Video: Jeremy Clarkson reviews G-Wiz
  
• Test of the tiny, all-electric G-wiz and NICE Mega City (VIDEO)
• AutoblogGreen's mini test drive of the Riva EV
• Moderate speed crash in Indian EV likely to be fatal
• G-Wiz gets some safety upgrades, still not a car
• Jeremy Clarkson takes on the Reva G-Wiz

[Source: Domain-b]

Only a year and a half after it was scheduled to open, the first hydrogen-dispensing station in India should be up and running this fall. The hydrogen will be supplied by Eden Energy Ltd, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Hythane Company LLC. The station will be located in "the heart of Delhi at one of India's busiest natural gas fuelling stations," according to Gasworld. Alongside the hydrogen, Eden Energy will sell Hythane, that patented blend of hydrogen and natural gas.

There's a big push in India to move a lot of vehicles (at least 20 percent is the official goal) to hydrogen or hydrogen-based fuels by 2020. As we said earlier today, the more gasoline vehicles there are in India, the less fuel there is for the rest of the world. Moving a million or more vehicles in India from hydrocarbons to hydrogen eases the oil crunch for others. Is this a good thing?

Related:

• San Francisco airport shuttles will run on Hythane, a hydrogen and natural gas blend
• Hydrogen station opening in Delhi, India to dispense H2/natural gas blend

[Source: Gasworld]

Recently, I told you the BBC and the Age reported the Air Car would be released this year. After reading an article in the Mumbai Mirror, I am little concerned about Tata Motors making that release date. In the Mumbai Mirror article, Debasis Ray, head of corporate communications for Tata Motors said the Air Car won't be ready for "nearly two years." Here is the full quote:

When contacted, Tata Motors' Debasis Ray, who heads the company's corporate communications said: "The Air Car still requires nearly two years of work, to refine its technology." He added that the company would only discuss the price point for the vehicle, and its launch date after Tata Motors is ready to launch the car into the market.

The article does say MDI has "already signed 50 factories in Europe, America and Asia" and MDI's Guy Negre is "happy with" the agreement with Tata Motors. Also, the Mumbai Mirror article's focus was on a possible release of the Air Car in India. So, Debasis may have meant work needed to be done to make the car fit for the Indian market. So, it's possible Tata saying MDI needs two years of work doesn't mean a delay in the overall program, I guess.

Then again, it could mean the Air Car is going to be late. No insult intended to Indian standards but why would a car be released in the EU and Australia, then need two years of work so it can be released in India? The real reason for my concern is I assumed a release date of this year was based largely on MDI's relationship with Tata. Now that is in question and I have real doubts about a release. Why do I have doubts about a release without Tata?

In January 2004, CNN said the MDI team "hoped" the Air Car would be "rolled out by the end of 2004" (check it out at 4:25 into the video above). Is a 2008 release just more hope?

[Source: Mumbai Mirror]

In the video above, Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata Motors, responds to critics who say the Nano is not safe and pollutes. Here's what he said yesterday:

Let me assure you and also assure our critics that the car we have designed and that we will be presenting to you today will indeed meet all the current safety requirements of a modern day car. Of late, when it became known that we will in fact be making such a car, the attention has moved to questioning the pollution it would create. Let me again assure those who have concerns for the environment, that the car we present you today will meet all current legislated emission criteria and will have a lower pollution level than even a two-wheeler being manufactured in India today.

Concerns are also now being expressed about the congestion that could be caused by the existence of our small car in large numbers. I believe this needs to be put in the right perspective. There is no doubt that India is woefully behind its neighbors in infrastructure. The government is now endeavoring to address this situation with its new road policy. Looking ahead, five years from today, were we to produce and sell 500,000 small cars every year, we would then, at the end of five years, constitute approximately 2.5 percent of all passenger vehicles in the country. This could hardly be considered the nightmare of congestion that is being raised today about our new small car.

Below the fold is another video where Ratan explains that he made the Nano because of unsafe driving on scooters by families. Also below the fold is a video where Ratan says the Nano will indeed retail for 1-lakh because "a promise is a promise." What do you think, readers? I have to admit, I still have doubts but I'm really impressed and excited with what he says.

Related:

• Here's the $2,500 Tata Nano, the Indian peoples car
• VIDEO: Live reveal of the $2,500 Tata Nano
• The World chimes in on the Tata Nano

[Source: YouTube]