Hybrid News

Filed under: Diesel, Tata

The last-minute relocation of the factory to build the new Tata Nano has meant an overall delay to the program. On top of the that, the diesel version has been delayed even longer. Most recently, Tata had planned to launch the diesel version of the world’s cheapest car sometime in 2009, but that has been put off for an indeterminate time. The Indian automaker is now scrambling to get the gasoline version into production during the first quarter of next year.

[Source: Just-Auto - sub. req’d]

Tata delays introduction of the diesel-powered Nano originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original post by Sam Abuelsamid

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, India, Tata

The Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) Annual Expo is happening in New Delhi and Tata Motors has chosen this venue in which to show off a prototype of their upcoming all-electric Indica. Although we had previously told you it exists and would be built in Norway, thanks to Cubic Capacity, we can now show you some pictures of the interior, exterior and under the hood.

There aren’t many technical details yet available besides that it sports a single speed transmission and a 120-mile range but we have learned of a few interesting developments. We can say it is to built by Norway’s Miljobil Grenland who is also rumoured to be putting the “E” in E-Nano, an all-electric version of the new “people’s car” from Tata. Also, perhaps by coincidence, Miljobil Grenland is also the company who just signed a supply agreement with Canadian firm Electrovaya for its SuperPolymer lithium ion batteries. Tata is planning on selling the Indica EV first in Norway sometime next year before bringing it home to India within two years.

[Source: Cubic Capacity]

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Original post by Domenick Yoney

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, India, Tata

Tata Motors has confirmed that the rumors of an all-electric Tata Ace and the all-electric Tata Indica are true. In an unveiling in India this past week, the company took the wraps off of two lithium-ion battery-powered EV prototypes based on the Ace work truck and the Indica sedan (pictured). As we heard earlier this year, the Indica EV will first be sold in the Norweigian market next year because the Scandanavian country “has the necessary infrastructure in place to run electric cars which India lacks,” as Tata Motors President Ravi Kant put it. Indians will get their own chance to buy the car in about 24 months. According to the Business-Standard, the all-electric Indica has two battery packs which can charge in eight hour and go around 110-120 miles on a charge.

Now, about an electric Nano…

[Source: Business-Standard]

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: MPG

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]

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Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, India, Tata

Tata Motors announced last week, curiously, they would be building an electric car by the end of the fiscal year in Norway. One of the first questions that sprang to mind was answered today by news that the vehicle in question will be based on the “tried and tested” Indica (pictured above) and not the Nano which we suspect will also be eventually electrified. The program appears to be well underway since unnamed industry sources are claiming that Tata is, “… currently working on five prototypes of electric vehicles on the Indica platform.” It isn’t clear if they have 5 different configurations of the car or merely 5 “validation prototypes” under construction. They are also said to be depending on lithium ion batteries to give the city car a 200 Km (125 mile) range.

The other question that the annoucement begs is, “Why Norway?”. Well, why not Norway? Already home to two electric car makers, Th!nk and Kewet, the Scandinavian country has most of its citizens and therefore, transportation needs, within a few cities. The climate provides an excellent testing environment as well. The location of electric plugs close to parking spots may even be a factor. What’s important for non-Norwegians is that Ratan Tata has said that once the car has been deployed in Norway, “…then it will be available to employ in other markets″. Who knows, maybe even America.

[Source: Hindustan Times]

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Original post by AutoblogGreen Staff

Filed under: Diesel, EV/Plug-in, MPG, Lightweight, Tata

click above for more images of the Tata Nano

Those in emerging markets hoping to get their hands on the cheapest car in the world may soon have a few more option boxes to consider checking. Chairman Ratan Tata has said in the past that an electric-only version of the Tata Nano is likely, and now industry sources are saying that a diesel engine is also in the works. Displacing 800cc and including common-rail injection from Bosch and a Honeywell turbocharger, the diesel engine has been designed by German powertrain specialist FEV, the same firm that India’s Mahindra reportedly contacted for help with its latest diesel hybrid engine.

We don′t yet know what kind of fuel mileage the diesel would offer, but the twin cylinder gas engine standard in the Nano is good for 54 U.S. miles per gallon and the diesel should better that figure somewhat, though most likely for a slight increase in price.

[Source: The Economic Times]

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Original post by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Filed under: Hybrid, Chevrolet, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, Green Daily, EV₃

Driving the soon-to-be-released Chevy Malibu around the Anaheim Convention Center wasn’t earth-shattering. Then again, I don’t think that earth-shattering is what GM has in mind with this mild hybrid. For one thing, this car won’t be all that widely available when it goes on sale for around $22,000 in mid-January. For another, aside from some green badging and an “eco” light on the dashboard, there’s not much that will tell you this Malibu is any greener than any other on the road today. If you’re looking to an energy info screen a la the Prius or the new plug-in Ford Escape hybrid (which is sweet), you’re out of luck.

What the Malibu hybrid does offer is a reasonable green alternative. It’s a full-size sedan and the “eco” light (according to the GM representative who I rode along with on the test drive - sorry I forgot her name) does affect how people drive; they try to drive so the light goes on. This isn’t all that hard when you’re slowing down. The belt-alternator-starter mild hybrid system and nickel metal hydride battery add around $1,800 to the price of the car while offering a slight increase in MPG. As we’ve said before, the standard version gets 22/30 city/highway mpg while the hybrid does a bit better at 24/32. Is it worth it? If you were inclined to purchase a Malibu in the first place, my vote is “yes,” but this isn’t a must have by any means.

Related:

• Autoblog first impression of the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu (and hybrid version)

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: Hybrid, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, Green Daily

In September, GM announced their official MPG numbers for the new 2008 Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon hybrids. The EPA has now posted the official government verdict, and the numbers match what GM announced. The
two large hybrids share official EPA estimates: The 2WD versions get 21 city, 22 highway (21 combined) while the 4WD versions get 20 mpg in all those categories. You can find EPA’s pages for the Tahoe hybrids here and the Yukon hybrids here. For comparison, the non-hybrid 2008 GMC Yukon 1500 2WD gets between 11 and 14 mpg in the city and 15 and 20 mpg on the highway (depending on engine type, fuel and how many speeds the transmission has).

[Source: Fueleconomy.gov, h/t to mulad]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: Hybrid, Chevrolet, GM, Green Daily

At the L.A. Auto Show earlier this month, the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Two-Mode Hybrid won the Green Car of the Year award. Carlist’s Lou Ann Hammond got a chance to ask Bob Lutz what he thinks about being nominated (and then winning) this award. She’s posted a video of that conversation over on the site.

So, what does “Maximum” Bob Lutz have to say about this award? The nomination can help move public opinion towards thinking that GM is a green automaker, but the company is still at a 3 or 4 on a scale that goes up to 10. What would move them to a 6 or a 7, Hammond asks?

“If we can put the Volt into production tomorrow and start selling 60,000 to 70,000 a year that would definitely do it,” Lutz answers. Watch the rest of the conversation here.

[Source: Carlist]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Sebastian Blanco

Filed under: MPG, Ford, India

It’s just two days before the debut of Tata’s $2,500 car and a major U.S. car maker blinked. Ford said Tuesday it will invest $500m in a vehicle plant in India. Ford also says a significant part of that investment will go toward making a small, inexpensive car. Ford is not alone in trying to grab headlines away from Tata.

Bajaj Autos, Indian’s first and the world’s fourth largest maker of three wheeled vehicles, has decided to add a wheel and is getting into the car market. “It would be inappropriate to say that it will be priced at a lakh or two or anywhere in between because is too premature,” says Bajaj. The car, which is two to four years away, “will set a new benchmark in terms of fuel economy and offer twice as much as the current crop of small cars,” according to Bajaj. Will increasing fuel efficiency come at the expense of more important things?

The New York Times wrote an article about Tata’s $2,500 car with a compilation of the cost-cutting measures. The Times article questions the environmental claims from the company that the car would have low emissions (more precisely, that a car this cheap could maintain low emissions for the life of the vehicle). Go below the fold for the quote from the Times.

Related:

• The real reason Tata’s Rs 1-lakh will change everything: it’s green!
• Tata’s $2,500, 59-mpg offering described as “eco-car,” on display in January
• Tata claims $2,500 car will be the cleanest in India

[Source: New York Times, Business Week, IBN Live, Hindu Business Line]

Michael Walsh, a pollution consultant and former United States Environmental Protection Agency regulator, said that a car so cheap was likely to lack the complex technology to maintain its initial level of emissions and that without such technology cars could soon be producing four to five times their initial pollution level.

Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata Group says “the emissions standards were much easier to meet than the crash test.” What do you think readers: Is the Rs 1-lakh giving up safety and low emissions for high fuel efficiency?

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Lascelles Linton

Filed under: India

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 what 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]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Lascelles Linton

Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in

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]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Lascelles Linton

Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, Flex-Fuel, Detroit Auto Show, Podcasts

We’re in Detroit now, but Sebastian and Sam took some time to chat about a few things before leaving for the show. Rick Wagoner’s CES keynote was historic, as was the appearance of the Cadillac Provoq at that show. Coming up at Detroit we’ll bring you details on all of the alternative and fuel-efficient vehicles like the Hummer HX that signals a wholesale move to ᭉ capability and the first ever unibody Ford Explorer. Sebastian brings us an interview with Bill Roe of Coskata Energy about their exciting work on biofuels and we wrap up by touching on the Tata Nano. We’ll be back again soon, see you then!

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Dan Roth

Filed under: Diesel, Fiat, India

The India Times has published an article that speaks about the new Indica. Just when we thought that Tata was only focusing on the Nano, Tata announces big plans for its subcompact, the Indica (pictured above is the current version).

Tata really wants to play a more important role in global markets and has a long-time partnership with Suzuki and now with Fiat to obtain the latest technology. In European markets, Tata cars are considered the “ugly ducklings” of the auto market, although they offer one of the cheapest (if not the cheapest) options for motoring in that market. But it’s India we′re speaking about (for now).

For the new Indica, Tata will offer four engines. Two of them are developed in-house: a 1.2 gasoline and a diesel DICOR 1.4, but two additional ones will be sourced from Fiat, a 1.2 gasoline and the 1.3 Multijet, which you can find in Fiat’s Panda, Punto, Grande Punto, Linea, Palio (Check it at Autoblog in Español here) ; Opel/Vauxhall’s Agila and Corsa and Suzuki’s Swift. These Fiat powerplants already meet Euro IV norms and their iterations in the Fiat 500 are already Euro V compliant.

The new Indica will have a lot in common with Fiat’s new Palio (a model which was created specifically for emerging markets) and both are going to be made at the new Tata-Fiat joint venture plant in Ranjangaon, Maharashtra. Fiat already sells the 1.3 Multijet engine in India.

[Source: India Times (merci à Jean-Michel)]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Xavier Navarro

Filed under: MPG, Green Daily, India

Two updates on the Tata Nano, aka the world’s cheapest car.

First, the Indian minicar will have its body structure built by the Caparo Group at a plant in Singur that is next to the manufacturing plant that will build the Nano. Caparo will make 60 percent of the assemblies, and Tata will take care of the rest. The contract was finalized Friday and production will start in six months, an awfully quick turnaround.

Second, Reuters is reporting that the Nano will be coming to European market in four years. That model will be an updated version that “will meet the Euro 5 emission regulations and the crash standards in Europe,” Girish Wagh, the head of Tata’s compact car business to the German magazine Focus. One incredible upgrade: reducing gasoline usage from the current five liters per 100 km (47 mpg U.S.) to three (78 mpg).

Related:

• If successful, the Tata Nano will likely push up gas prices
• Videos: Ratan Tata responds to ctiticisms of the Nano’s safety, emissions
• Here’s the $2,500 Tata Nano, the Indian peoples car

[Source: Hindu.com, Reuters]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Original post by Sebastian Blanco