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EU automaker loan may lead to fuel-sipping hybrid Jag XJ
Don't call it a bailout. The European Union has agreed to fund a £307 million loan to the newly minted Jaguar Land Rover conglomeration, known as JLR by those on the inside -- like Tata who owns it. However, unlike the US's rather open-ended (and dire-looking) cash infusions, this offer was made specifically to help the company up its eco-cred. JLR pledges to start with a so-called "Limo Green" version of the next generation XJ luxury sedan (that's the current, decidedly dark one pictured above). The model will use a Volt-like series hybrid drive train, in which the electric motor (or motors) powers the wheels and an onboard gasoline engine serves only to recharge on the go, a combination that should deliver 57 mpg -- three times the current machine's 19 mpg combined figure. The only question now is whether this future-Jag will still smell like leather and tweed smoking jackets, or will the whole thing reek of ozone and patchouli.[Via GM-VOLT]
Tata Nano photographed at official unveiling party
Make no mistake, that thing you see pictured above definitely looks no nicer than $2,000, but hey, at least it actually is just $2,000. Indian Autos Blog was on hand at the Tata Nano's official unveiling in Mumbai, and naturally, it fired off a number of images to share with those of us not able to hop a flight to see it in person. The car is set to take showrooms around the nation by storm starting this Wednesday, but for those of us stuck elsewhere on the planet just longing for a (new) beater car for under two large, the pics in the links will simply have to suffice.[Via AutoblogGreen]
Tata's $2,000 Nano car to hit Indian streets in July
After getting official over a year ago, missing its original production plan and eventually hitting a wall with respect to production, Tata's long-awaited Nano vehicle is all set to take to the streets this July. According to a fresh report over at Reuters, the world's cheapest car (100,000 rupee, or $1,980) is expected to be the hottest thing around when it ships in India in a matter of months. In fact, there are so many orders waiting to be filled, initial owners will be "randomly selected from bookings made between April 9 and 25." We're also told that a European variant will be launched by 2011, and while a US model is still a possibility, no firm launch date has been given there. Good luck getting your rear into one, and be sure and shoot us a few hands-on shots if you do.
Progressive Automotive X-Prize competitors roundup
With about three weeks left to go, the Progressive Automotive X-Prize has already got 25 submissions (20 names have been publicly released) with creators ranging from college students to large auto makers already in the game. Here's the deal with the contest: the cars must be production-capable and fall in with federal safety guidelines, and it's got to be possible to produce and sell 10,000 of them annually, with a working business plan in place for this to happen by 2014. The car must deliver at least 100 MPGs, and CO2 emissions can't exceed 200 grams per kilometer. The prize for the competition is ten million dollars. We've seen some of these in the past -- Aptera's 2e, MDI's AirCar, and the Tata Nano are all on offer -- but there are a few new guys, too. Some of the more interesting entries are the totally rad looking diesel Avion which has gotten up to 103.7 miles per gallon, Kinetix Motors' diesel-electric hybrid E4 Sports Hatch, which should cost less than $25,000 with a top speed of 95 miles per hour. The company also claims the sporty ride goes from zero to sixty miles in 6.1 seconds. Finally, there's Physics Lab of Lake Havasu Green Giant, an electric truck that gets 50 miles per gallon on its battery, with plans to bump that figure to 100 miles per gallon using other sources of energy. Check out the gallery of other prospects, and hit the read link for the full, delicious list.%Gallery-43837%
Tata Sky gets with the program, launches PVR service in India
Tata Sky may be ready for HD broadcasting, but it can't really expect to topple Dish TV and friends without its own PVR service. At long last, the Indian satcaster is finally enabling its 2.7 million subscribers to enjoy the unbelievable bliss that comes with timeshifting. As for pricing, you'll be asked to hand over Rs 8,999 ($189) for the HDD-packed set-top-box, though current users who choose to upgrade can get ahold of one for "a discounted rate." In related news, managing director and CEO Vikram Kaushik has also expressed his desire to net "at least" 8 million subs by 2012 -- get some serious high-def material rolling and we'd say you can snag 10+ million with ease.
Tata halts construction of Nano plant, promises electric car for Norway within a year
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?
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
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?
Virgin Mobile launches in India, but don't call it an MVNO
Emphasizing that Virgin Mobile India's launch is a "brand franchise," not an MVNO, Virgin chief Sir Richard Branson has unveiled the partnership with Tata Teleservices to bring the company's marque to a range of CDMA handsets in one of the world's largest and fastest-growing mobile markets. The franchising scheme is an interesting one because it allows both Tata and Virgin to hook up with other partners, and indeed, Branson has already said that he'll be shopping the service to GSM carriers later this year. As part of the launch, Virgin Mobile is touting ten "industry firsts" -- and while most of them are marketing mumbo jumbo, it's notable that every single phone offered by the carrier MVNO brand features a color display and FM radio. The service is available now.[Via mocoNews]
Tata Motors' $2,500 NANO automobile gets official
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
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
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.
Marshall Media and VSNL bringing HD VOD to India
In quite an interesting development, California's own Marshall Media has teamed up with a leading telecommunications company in Asia in order to deliver HD "American infotainment" to broadband customers in India. More specifically, Marshall Media will dish out content such as its own "Road to the American Dream" alongside other programs that cover informative topics (i.e. healthcare seminars) and comedies. Notably, the high-definition media will be delivered using a "video-on-demand digital streaming system," and at least initially, it will require Windows Media Player for playback. Marshall Media is also toying with the idea of providing "live HD broadcasting for various types of events, with the help of VSNL's INMARSAT satellite communications services" in the future, but for now, we're still left without a clue as to when the service will actually launch and how much coin it'll demand.
India's Tata Motors developing uber-cheap plastic automobile
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]
Samsung "Hero" anti-theft phone for India
We've seen some third-party solutions for this, but Samsung has taken phone theft prevention to the next level in India, adding a "Mobile Tracker" feature to its new SCH-S109 Hero low-end candybar. With its 128 x 128 black and white display the phone itself doesn't seem likely to turn any heads, but in the unlikely event it catches the eye of a hard-up bandit, the Hero will silently send out two text messages to numbers programmed in by the phone's rightful owner as soon as the SIM gets swapped. The text messages contain the new SIM's phone number, so even if you can't get the phone back, you can heckle the thief at all hours of the day and night. The Hero is dropping as we speak on India's Tata Teleservices network; if it's a commercial success, we'll hopefully have some happy endings to report from the other side of the world.[Via textually.org]