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Posts with tag tata

Tata halts construction of Nano plant, promises electric car for Norway within a year

by Donald Melanson, posted Sep 4th 2008 at 5:03PM


It looks like Tata Motors is taking one step forward and one step back this week, with it announcing plans to launch an electric version of its Indica hatchback in Norway within a year while also letting out word that it has abruptly halted construction of the plant in Singur, India that was to have built its budget-priced Nano compact. That latter development was apparently the result of a long-standing dispute with farmers, who are demanding the return of some of the land that was seized by the state government, and had previously caused construction of the plant to be postponed for five days. For its part, Tata says it is now apparently considering relocating the construction site, which would likely cause the planned October launch of the Nano to be delayed.

Read - Reuters, "India's Tata to launch electric car in Norway in 1 yr"
Read - Tech-On, "Tata Suspends Construction of 'nano' Plant"

[Thanks, Samit]

Tata's Nano to begin production this Fall, eco-friendly version on the way?

by Joshua Topolsky, posted Jul 3rd 2008 at 9:49AM


Your dreams of riding in the ultimate cheapo deathbox have just gotten a little bit more real. According to a report, Tata will begin production of its diminutive, ultra-affordable Nano car this Fall. The $2500 vehicle is generally known as the cheapest car in the world, though worries over inflation suggest that its price-point may move above the intended figure. In other news, sources say that Tata plans a "greener" version of the vehicle in addition to the original model, which -- if it happens -- will likely be a real knockout punch for penny-pinchers with an Earth-hugging mindset. Still, you'll probably have to ship it from India, which would burn a lot of fossil fuels, which would be bad for the environment... oh just buy an old Yugo.

[Via Autoblog Green]

Tata rolls out "world's largest" commercial WiMAX network in India

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 4th 2008 at 4:10PM

It seems as if Tata Communications is out to one-up BSNL -- or at least claim its share of the limelight, anyway. More specifically, the outfit has teamed up with Telsima in order to roll out the "world's largest commercial WiMAX network" in India. Over 5,000 enterprise / retail customers are already connected in ten cities, and there are plans in place to secure nearly a quarter million customers in retail alone during fiscal year 2009. Furthermore, we're hearing that the services should be stretched to 110 cities for enterprise users and 15 cities for the retail segment by the year's end, but users in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Cochin, Chandigarh, and Kolkata are the only ones celebrating at the moment. Not a bad way to grab a bit more market share from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, eh?

Tata Motors' $2,500 NANO automobile gets official

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 10th 2008 at 9:00AM


While many around the globe have their eyes fixated on the events going down in Las Vegas this week, the 9th Auto Expo in New Delhi, India is managing to steal at least a hint of the limelight. Announced today, Tata Motors' $2,500 "1-Lakh" car will actually see production in India later this year, and it has affectionately been dubbed the NANO. For those not keen on such a title, it can also be recognized as "The People's Car," but it seems "The Person's Car" may have been more appropriate. Nevertheless, this little bundle of automotive joy will feature an all-aluminum, two-cylinder engine that can deliver around 54 US miles per gallon, and while stripped down would be a gross understatement, it does promise to "exceed current regulatory (read: safety) requirements." Hit the read link for Tata's official release along with a plethora of photos.

[Image courtesy of Manan Vatsyayana/Raveendran for Getty]

Compressed air + gas = air-powered hybrid car

by Christopher Grant, posted Jan 8th 2008 at 6:35PM


Hybrid cars are great, what with their higher emm pee gees and all, but there's still one significant issue with the increasingly popular tech: one component of that hybrid relationship happens to be fossil-fuelicious petroleum products. The hybrid Air Car isn't looking to remove that component but, using three dollars worth of pressurized air, they are looking to minimize it for city driving. We've already seen totally air-driven vehicles using the same technology by Indian auto giant Tata, which see you clipping along at one horsepower, going 70 mph for around 120 miles, but what if you need more? No word on range or speed of the hybrid option – which would move from air-powered to gasoline-powered if it needed a boost in either category. It should go without saying that it may be some time before vehicles like this find their way to the US market, but with everyone looking to go green, who knows?

Tata Motors' $2,500 1-Lakh car gets detailed

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 29th 2007 at 5:22AM

Remember that uber-cheap, almost entirely plastic car that India's Tata Motors was working up? Turns out, the still codenamed 1-Lakh automobile is expected to launch in mid-2008 and get around 15 miles-per-liter, which should give the Maruti 800 some serious competition in the budget car arena. According to R. A. Mashelkar, a nonexecutive director on Tata Motors' board, it should provide ample room in "both the front and rear" for a six-foot individual, and he also noted that a "new kind of welding" would be used instead of bolts in a variety of locations on the motorcar. Still, there's just something about the idea of riding in a brand new $2,500 vehicle that doesn't sit well with us -- probably something to do with the dearth of safety features, but who knows.

India's Tata Motors developing uber-cheap plastic automobile

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 20th 2007 at 9:42AM


Although Tata Motors has recently been talked about for its air-powered City Cat, the next big small thing to roll off of its assembly lines may only be fit for the fearless. The reason, interestingly enough, is not that the automaker is aiming to release a comparatively small four-door car for under $3,000, but that "much of it will be [made of] plastic." Reportedly, the company "has yet to release [an official] name for the car or even a sketch of what it might look like," and moreover, the "low manufacturing costs in developing countries" were pinned as a primary cause for the incredible affordability. And you thought driving around in a $30,000 sedan made entirely in China would be frightening.

[Via Fark, image courtesy of TIME]
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