SCOOP! Tata's One Lac Car - REAL PICTURE! And a debate on its suitability and impact.

[snaronikar]

Originally Posted by 1orren1

Tata Nano might sell like hot cakes and there lies the problem. All those Nano's on the roads would make driving a nightmare.

The infrastructure is already over loaded, add to it the Nano and you are close to unleashing absolute mayhem.

Now, its not only Nano. The other car manufacturers like Hyundai, Ranault, Bajaj etc want to launch this type of 1L car. Imagine our infrastructure during that time (maybe 2010). There will be no place even for bikes to drive on roads.

[DriverR]

My comments on this issue is simple.

1. Mr. Ratan Tata well deserves a big applause for bringing out the Nano; it is truely a feat that demonstrates our Indian engineering capabilities to the world. A safely tested and low emmisions vehicle at such a low cost -It IS a great achievement. Kudos to you, Mr Ratan Tata.

2. The government is responsible for infrastructure developement. Why rope in automotive companies into the debate? And if you want to bring both in the same sentence, don't just talk about the Nano. Surely the other automotive companies should be equally responsible.

3. Why point fingers at Tatas for the Nano and say that they will be the main culprit for traffic woes??? Think! What causes traffic woe? Bad infrastructure , lack of traffic sense , weak traffic enforcement , and so on... Now, can you truely say that the Nano would be responsible for potential traffic woes? Yes, there would potentially be a higher number of vehicles due to the Nano's pricing, but even without the Nano, the rise or 4-wheeler numbers would in anycase be there; just look at the increase of car sales each month.

4. This reminds me of the crabs-in-the-basket story. An Indian did what the world said was impossible and we are the ones who are viciously putting down the achievement. The other auto companies must be having a big laugh at our expense.

5. We have to seperate the achievement from other issues. People are bringing up potential service issues and sales issues. Being an Indica owner myself, I know that the sales and service of Tata's are not the best! I myself have cribbed about their services, but all said and done I will always raise a toast to them for making cars more accessable for the common janta. Starting from the Indica, they have always raised the acheivement bar that have often forced other auto manufactures to raised their own achievement bar themselves. Whether directly, or indirectly, Tatas have done a lot for the automotive scene in India. With the Nano, they have set another benchmark, now only time will tell how successful it would be.

[Xehaust]

Kudos to you DriveR,
I have always idolised Mr.Ratan Tata and was really happy to see the nano, not just the price, but the design itself and also his views.

I think he is a great man and not only India, im sure that the world can use more men like him.

The only thing was that i was skeptical on the consequences of the nano but the points made by you have changed my entire thought process on the issue. I definately agree with all you said and your points are beautifully presented

Cheers to you Mr. Tata

[itwasntme]

Interesting article on CNN Money: The Americans have suddenly woken up to the REAL threat posed by the Nano and similar cars.

Selfish to the power infinity. Just read the article: they couldn't care 2 hoots about the benefit to the develoiping world.

ALL that they are worried about is a higher gasoline price for their oversized lumbering vehicles.

How the $2,500 car will raise gas prices, challenge planners - Jan. 31, 2008

[aaggoswami]

Its clear by now that the car will have a huge impact on factors like congestion, road rage, oil bills.

But I feel that the real problem will be parking place. We are facing some of the worst parking place troubles and it all set to get even bad.

Yes a huge part of this parking problem is our great government.
In my city on famous R.C.Dutt (Alkapuri) road, most of the commercial building's plans were passed becuase they showed that basement will be for parking only.
Eventually the contractors paid bribe and went on to build shops. Parking if avaliable will be for the owners of shops.
Now the state of this road ( in parking sense) is very bad.


The above was just an example.


But the real impact will be now on the government that has till now shyed away from making proper infrastructure.

[Ram]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

...ALL that they are worried about is a higher gasoline price for their oversized lumbering vehicles.

True, USA is worried !

Rising demand from India and China will drive up oil prices worldwide.

The 200 crore plus combined populations of India and China will dwarf the 30 crore US car buyers making them irrelevant.

With 30 lakh more vehicles in India and 1.7 crore more vehicles in China, China is expected to nearly 4x its fuel consumption for cars. In India it's expected to rise nearly 3x. By comparison, growth in the U.S. is only expected to be about 1.4x, although their bigger cars and SUVs drink more.

What makes it worse for the Americans is,
these small, super-cheap cars will be taken up by the Indian and Chinese multitudes who once-upon-a-time didn't compete with USA for petrol. Their effect on world petrol consumption will thus be extremely significant.

The speed at which customers in India and China will buy these cars, and the sheer size of the market poses a serious planning challenge. It will take decades to calm the traffic.

With the overall balance tilting towards India and China, the cost of owning a car in USA will go up.

They went from huge behemoths in the 1950s and 60s that got 4 km/litre, to compacts like the 1970s Chevelles, Darts and Falcons that got 5 km/litre, and on to Toyota Corollas and Accords that got 10 km/litre.

But even those cars will become unaffordable, driven into insignificance as they will be, by India and China with their limitless oceans of 20 km/litre micro cars, nano cars and pico cars.

They will have to unwillingly stuff themselves into smaller cars than their egos and overweight frames can put up with. And that just to maintain their old lifestyles, with costs spiralling out of reach.

It's about time that they worried, and with good reason too!

[ashutoshb]

Canucks (read - canadian) already fans of world's cheapest car

OTTAWA -- It may not be available in Canada for years, if ever, but Canadians have already fallen in love with the idea of India's Tata Nano, the world's cheapest car.

With a top speed of 105 kilometres an hour, a 33-horsepower engine and the looks of a snub-nosed beagle, the Tata Nano is hardly a vehicle that could be described as a "babe magnet."

But the expected $2,500 price tag is drawing plenty of attention - including from young women - a poll of Canadians suggests. By comparison, inexpensive sub-compacts in Canada can cost upwards of $12,000.

Full Article: edmontonsun.com - Canada- Canucks already fans of world's cheapest car

[narayan]

Originally Posted by ram

True, USA is worried !

Rising demand from India and China will drive up oil prices worldwide.

The 200 crore plus combined populations of India and China will dwarf the 30 crore US car buyers making them irrelevant.

With 30 lakh more vehicles in India and 1.7 crore more vehicles in China, China is expected to nearly 4x its fuel consumption for cars. In India it's expected to rise nearly 3x. By comparison, growth in the U.S. is only expected to be about 1.4x, although their bigger cars and SUVs drink more.

What makes it worse for the Americans is,
these small, super-cheap cars will be taken up by the Indian and Chinese multitudes who once-upon-a-time didn't compete with USA for petrol. Their effect on world petrol consumption will thus be extremely significant.

The speed at which customers in India and China will buy these cars, and the sheer size of the market poses a serious planning challenge. It will take decades to calm the traffic.

With the overall balance tilting towards India and China, the cost of owning a car in USA will go up.

They went from huge behemoths in the 1950s and 60s that got 4 km/litre, to compacts like the 1970s Chevelles, Darts and Falcons that got 5 km/litre, and on to Toyota Corollas and Accords that got 10 km/litre.

But even those cars will become unaffordable, driven into insignificance as they will be, by India and China with their limitless oceans of 20 km/litre micro cars, nano cars and pico cars.

They will have to unwillingly stuff themselves into smaller cars than their egos and overweight frames can put up with. And that just to maintain their old lifestyles, with costs spiralling out of reach.

It's about time that they worried, and with good reason too!

that was an interesting read. maybe they will not get motivated to exercise and give up on those burgers and look slimmer ...but thats going to take a lot of time and effort