Tata Nano Diesel ain’t coming anytime soon, instead how about the Nano CNG

Tata Nano CNG

Bad news first. The Tata Nano Diesel might not see a commercial launch anytime too soon with word emerging from Tata Motors that the diesel variant is at least a year away from a launch. While this would come as a bummer to many a prospective owner of the  Tata Nano Diesel, there’s still some cheer left. Tata Motors has put together a CNG variant of the Nano, and with CNG being much cheaper than petrol could still be a very sensible option for folks who want a very frugal and eco-friendly form of four wheeled personal transport.

Currently though, the Nano CNG is more of a concept that showcases Tata Motors’ growing capability of delivering cars with alternate fuel technology. Even so, the concept could become a reality as it fits right within the strengths of the Tata Nano. Coming to think of it, the Nano is primarily a city car although the cute little runabout would do just as fine on the highways. In most Indian cities, CNG is quickly becoming accessible and hence, a car with CNG will not just be non polluting but also frugal and convenient to run in most big cities, prime potential market for the Nano.

Tata Nano CNG Concept - Technical Specification

Important Key Features of Tata Nano CNG:

• The Nano CNG concept will be a Bi-fuel Car that can run on both petrol as well as CNG.
• The CNG tank has been packaged in such a way that it doesn’t intrude on the luggage space of the Nano.
• The components for the CNG kit have been sourced from world class suppliers.
• The Nano CNG will have a CNG cut off system in case of even a slight leak.
• The Nano CNG will use the highly efficient controlled sequential gas injection kit.
• The Nano CNG’s driver will be able to seamlessly switch between petrol and CNG modes.

Source: ICB

Tata eMO is a $20,000 EV Concept Car displayed at 2012 Delhi Auto Expo

Tata eMO EV Concept Car

Tata is working on another electric vehicle. Like the Indica Vista EV from Tata Motors from a few years ago, the all-electric eMO from Tata Technologies (another part of the much larger Tata Group) shows off Tata's global efforts to move vehicles off of gasoline.

With a 100-mile range and a top speed of 65 miles per hour, the electric MObility (eMO) concept looks good on paper, most importantly the idea that it could be sold for $20,000 before incentives, as Tata Technologies' Nigel Giddons told The New York Times. Even though the concept is not intended for production, Tata thought thorugh ways to save money throughout the manufacturing process. The way this low number was achieved was through a minimalistic attitude of the interior (á la the low-cost Nano) and by allowing the electric powertrain to dictate some unusual design choices. There's no traditional b-pillar, for example, since the rear doors are suicide-style to create a large opening for getting in and out and for putting cargo in the back seats. You have to used the side doors, since there is also no rear hatch, which reduces weight. In a statement, Warren Harris, Tata Technologies President and Global COO, said the, "eMO project symbolizes the coming of age of Indian automotive engineering."

We'll see more of the eMO at the Michelin Challenge Design during the 2012 Detroit Auto Show next week. This year, the MCD's theme is, "City 2046: Art, Life and Ingenuity – Transforming Personal Mobility." An EV with a 100-mile range for just $20,000 may sound good in 2012, but by 2046, we assume this won't be enough.



More Images:


Source: Green Autoblog

Tata Vista Concept S2 displayed at 2012 Delhi Auto Show

Tata Vista Concept S2

The party at Auto Expo 2012 in New Delhi wouldn’t be complete without Tata Motors, and as expected, the Indian manufacturer has brought a number of new wares to the show, one of them being the Indica Vista Concept S2.

The car is a reinterpretation of the form, as previously seen on the Indica Vista Sport, which came about at the last Auto Expo in 2010. The Concept S2 has a wider and wedge-like stance, and the design features a central volume that’s encased by two arrow-like flanks. A two-tone paint scheme – a matte metallic dark shadow and bright silver combination – and the use of aluminium and red accents helps highlight the shape further.

Dress-up kit includes a metallic brow for the headlamps, a lower grilled with a polished black lip surround and signature LED daytime running lights at the front, while the rear gets a spoiler, restyled rear bumper and a stylised LED tail lamp cluster. The inclusion of side skirts completes the picture.

Inside, the Vista Concept S2 gets a black-themed cabin, with sporty race bucket seats clad in black leather and a smaller diameter, sportier steering wheel among the cue changes.



On the mechanical front, the car wears a turbocharged 1.4 litre petrol engine offering 140 PS at 6,000 rpm and 188 Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm, mated to a five-speed Fiat C510 manual gearbox with revised gear ratios. With disc brakes all around and a retuned and beefed up suspension, as well as 17-inch alloys and 205/40 series rubbers, Tata says this one is every bit the handler as it looks suggest.

Source: Paultan

Tata Motors showcasing its pixel concept at Delhi Auto Expo

Two interesting news pertaining to Tata Motors is doing the rounds of the auto market these days. One of this is extremely good news for its consumers whereas the other one is bound to disappoint a lot of them.



Let us discuss the good news first. Tata Motors, the leading car manufacturer from India, is going to display its latest Tata Pixel concept at the upcoming 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. The Tata Pixel is going to be a compact small car in similar lines to the Tata Nano, but can be electrically operated as well. The images that have surfaced clearly displays that this compact car is a four-seater but will have one upward opening wing-shaped door on each side. The car is going to get its power from a three-cylinder 1.2L diesel engine that is going to be mated to an automatic CVT gearbox.

Tata Pixel Concept coming at 2012 Delhi Auto Expo

The car is expected to be extremely fuel efficient and if the claims of the auto major can be believed then it is going to offer a mileage of 35km/liter. The car has also been designed to offer extremely low emission, which would be somewhere around 89gm/km, even on the diesel variant. It has, however, not been confirmed by the manufacturer as to whether this pixel concept is being offered for launch in the Indian market or not. Predicting on the same is not appropriate at this point of time, considering the fact that the car is not going into production anytime in the immediate future. Also, the designing of the car as well as the high-tech gadgets it has been provided with indicates that the car is going to find a more worthy positioning in the international market compared to India.

Coming back to the disappointing news, it seems that the high anticipation levels of consumers to see the Tata Nano Diesel at the Delhi Auto Expo, is not going to be met. The diesel version of the Nano was eagerly awaited particularly with its promised mileage in the range of 32-35km/liter. Experts feel that the launch of the Diesel Nano has been shifted to a later date as Tata wants its consumers to swoon over its latest Tata pixel concept at the Expo. However, pushing the Diesel variant Nano launch to a later date seems sensible as this will give the 2012 petrol variant of the Tata Nano the opportunity to keep enjoying the success it is receiving alone without having to share it with its diesel counterpart.

Tata Pixel Concept coming at 2012 Delhi Auto Expo

Source: Indian Drives