[parik_ind]

If this category of vehicles can seat only 2 people, I really dont see them replacing the autorikshaw.

While it may sound negative, I can already foresee issues with traffic jams and parking as well as flared tempers (but that's not new). I really dont think our cities are equipped for this, considering that we are already struggling with chaos on the roads. Car manufacturers are constantly looking at newer product categories to differentiate offerings and avail tax benefits.

Parik


Edit: My mistake. If this move has been made to facilitate the sales of the RE60, then I guess 3 people can be ferried around if it has to be a form of public transport. But other than that the issues remain the same .

[veyron_head]

The current Reva is actually classified as a quadricycle in UK (where it currently sells). The advantage for the manufacturer is that quadricycles don't need to be crash tested (read somewhere).

[bejoy]

Good move by govt in creating the right categories for the vehicles. I see that this is an important move, since many mini cars are coming from India (Nano, Bajaj, Reva) and unless these are put into right categories it makes no sense to come up with safety standards. Of course there would be a lot of lobbying by SIAM happening behind the scenes, and this could be a precursor to the much needed 'Indian Safety Standards'.

[k_nitin_r]

I think we might see quadbikes entering in the new category. Although most quadbikes are not for use on the road, we may see quadbikes built for the road in India - the safety of 2 additional wheels, the cost-effectiveness of a motorcycle (when spend 10 times as much for a commute in inching traffic?).

[abybabykcc]

Originally Posted by lawdgawd

Definitely this opens up some new possibilities. It has been brought in to help RE60, yes. But now that the new class is there, others would seriously explore options here.

Cars like those from manufacturer - AIXAM - Leader in quadricycles in France and in Europe - could fill a niche. And cheaper than the Nano.

The vehicles seen on the link are really cool. But how are they any different from cars? And how would they be cheaper than Nano? They look better designed and better built.

[vinya_jag]

How much space would it save on the city roads? Compare it to a Zen or an old M800.
It even probably has got bigger tyres than the Zen or an Alto. So, it isn't helping the mileage either.
And it only seats 2?
If given a choice, I would simply buy a second hand zen, and enjoy cool highway rides too.
How I wish the old 800 is reborn with a 800 cc Turbocharged petrol.

[sahakar]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

I could not understand your point. You are saying that defining a category which will make an inherently unstable 3 wheeled contraption(which is legal), by a better 4 wheeled contraption, crony capitalism?

The Auto rick has 3 wheels, because putting 4 wheels to this vehicle will currently make it a car, which has to confirm to many other norms, so the price goes up.

As a result you make a very dangerous vehicle, something not fit to be driven above 40kmph.

With this rule, atleast this vehicle will become safer

I dont think the 4 wheeler quadricycle will be any safer if its made of fabric or a really thin sheet of tin. Agreed there's more stability due to the extra wheel but no way safe.

If a safe car can be built only a certain price then thats the price for it. Basically a set of safety measures have to be mandatory for all cars - ABS, Air bags, Pre tensioners in seat belts, crumple zones, etc. If the car price increases due to that - so be it.

As for crony capitalism, I am sure the quadricycle will come at a lower tax rate to benefit the Bajajs. With the fallout with the Ambanis and no possibility of new big ticket scams, Sonia needs to cultivate new funds.

Cheers

[one-77]

Originally Posted by lawdgawd

Definitely this opens up some new possibilities. It has been brought in to help RE60, yes. But now that the new class is there, others would seriously explore options here.

Cars like those from manufacturer - AIXAM - Leader in quadricycles in France and in Europe - could fill a niche. And cheaper than the Nano.

They look quite okay, but the cheapest one costs € 9990, the interiors are spartan, and doesn't have ABS. Also, only two seats and the website doesn't give any info on the engine capacity. I can't think of any reason to buy one of these over a regular hatchback!

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by sahakar

I dont think the 4 wheeler quadricycle will be any safer if its made of fabric or a really thin sheet of tin. Agreed there's more stability due to the extra wheel but no way safe.

By that logic, even 2 wheelers are unsafe. Also note, this is not a new category invented, this is an internationally recognized category for vehicles which are not really full size cars, but sort of also used as run-abouts or recreational vehicles.

Now I could not understand your point about a 4 wheeled vehicle not being safer than a 3 wheeled one? Is better stability not a part of safety?

[Gansan]

This was being mooted more than a decade back and was expected to help Bajaj/TVS/Kinetic immensely. But the car industry (mainly Maruti) saw red and killed it. Now they may be thinking if the Nano could not shake up the car industry, this can't either and so it is seeing the light of day.

[sahakar]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

By that logic, even 2 wheelers are unsafe. Also note, this is not a new category invented, this is an internationally recognized category for vehicles which are not really full size cars, but sort of also used as run-abouts or recreational vehicles.

Now I could not understand your point about a 4 wheeled vehicle not being safer than a 3 wheeled one? Is better stability not a part of safety?

Abroad two wheelers (Except the harley kinds)and quadrivehicles are never on regular roads. Basically any vehicle that goes below the speed limit of the specified road cannot run of that road. Now in India already there is chaos all around and people dying in huge numbers in all kind of accidents. There are no sense of rules. So expect to see them on our so called free ways and cause chaos.

I see introducing one more legal category where manufacturers can cut corners and market it s a car as the unethical thing that would happen and add on to the general unsafety of our roads.

I do not think this govt has in it to ban three wheelers.

Hence my rant.

Cheers

[SDP]

Originally Posted by coolabhi

So Renault Twizy may find its way to India.(Pic taken from Moneycontrol.com's facebook page)
...

Thanks coolabhi for sharing this. This is really interesting.

Originally Posted by sgiitk

I am wondering whether this is a precursor to outlawing or phasing out the three wheelers.

"Aap ke muh main ghee-shakkar, sir".
Would love to see the cockroaches disappear from our roads!

Originally Posted by tsk1979

...
The Auto rick has 3 wheels, because putting 4 wheels to this vehicle will currently make it a car, which has to confirm to many other norms, so the price goes up.

As a result you make a very dangerous vehicle, something not fit to be driven above 40kmph.

With this rule, atleast this vehicle will become safer

Precisely. Couldn't have put it better.

In my opinion, even an Alto or a Nano is an overkill for a daily urban commuter who does not want to risk life and limb on a 2 or a 3-wheeler. Why do you have to carry 3 empty seats when all you need is stability, safety and a roof over your head while driving?

This category would hopefully plug that gap, by providing stable single-seaters and 2-seaters.

[sadsack]

Originally Posted by coolabhi

Well quadricycle basically means a vehicle with 4 wheels.
As mentioned by swiftnfurious the government will probably provide tax benefits in the form of low excise duty or VAT benefit.Just like currently hatchbacks that meet the criteria of length and engine cubic capacity attract lower excise duty (because government wants to promote hatchbacks owing to better fuel efficiency of these cars) ,these quadricycles will have a similar benefit (Just my expectation, not sure).

The report mentions the following :-
"It feels that there is a need for a smaller vehicle, which will run on four wheels and high on mileage. However, at the same time there will be low carbon emissions compared to a passenger vehicle. That’s why there is a segment like this that already exists in Europe, which is called the quadricycle."

Having vehicles with higher fuel efficiency will help the government to lower the carbon footprint and earn under emissions trading scheme.

Currently Bajaj RE60 seems to be fitting in this segment and it is waiting for basic safety requirement.Although non of us like the looks.

What does it mean for us?
Well consider a city like mumbai,there are so many who travel alone in self driven cars. Although it costs a lot ,is not very convenient because of traffic jams but still preferred because of the comfort. What happens if we get a 400cc ,2 seater vehicle with good fuel efficiency and very comfortable to drive? Basically a Refined and more safe nano with a lower engine capacity.If government supports with tax benefits,these will be affordable as well and this will surely lead to innovations

If a quadricycle is one which has four wheels then all cars will be quadricycles. That I am afraid is not the definition of a quadricycle. A quadricycle is a four wheeled vehicle built by basically altering the platform of a two wheeler. Before quadricycles came into being there were the tricycles, read that as our ubiquitous autorickshaw. Both Innocenti and Piaggio pioneered the extension of their scooter platforms to accomodate three people instead of the two. If you strip the body work of the Bajaj auto what you get is the Vespa two wheeler platform including the engine in a slightly different state of tune. You will see that these vehicles have hardly any suspension and are meant for short distance commutes within a city. A quadricycle is an extension of the logic of tricycle to include four wheels by extending a two wheeler platform. This means that if at all there is any suspension it is very rudimentary and does not need the use of doors. In the 1990s TVS did propose a quadricycle based on its Suzuki two wheeler platform. It looked good but was expensive and so there were no takers.

The Bajaj RE 60 is a quadricycle based on one of its two wheeler platforms, probably the Pulsar. What you see as doors, windscreen etc are actually externally bolted to the basic stretched two wheeler platform. They do not have crumple zones, front impact and side impact protection beams, do not require a robust suspension and do not have high top speeds.

In fact, abroad qaudricycles and tricycles are banned on highways and express ways, cannot produce more than certain power and cannot be driven on roads other than city roads. In some countries they are restricted to only some locations where roads are narrow just as you cannot have autorickshaws plying in all parts of Mumbai. They are meant for short distance commuting and hardly for personal use. They are definitely better alternatives to the autorickshaws which are known to be unstable and encourage the driver to drive badly because the front end is narrower than the rear and also because they have very short turning circles.

Those of you who see this as crony capitalism obviously have your priorities misplaced. What if Bajaj gets concessions? It will ultimately help the common man. Quadricycles with proper steering wheels will discourage stupid driving. It is high time the autorikshaw is laid to rest. I just hope that these quadricycles will not be promoted as personal vehicles simply because they are not meant to be that. It won't be just Bajaj other companies will jump on to the band wagon. But the government should only see them as commercial vehicles with severe issues of safety and should not allow them on express ways, highways and other places where they can become hazardous.

[DReddy]

Four wheels and an engine - quadricycle??
Sorry could'nt help the pun. Just wanted to prove the point that there could be any number of interpretations that could be given for a quadricycle.

What we have to look at is why the government has approved an entirely new class vehicles just when a certain manufacturer launches a new offering. Everyone knows who benefits the most from the sub four metre compact car rule. Im not cribbing about crony capitalism, if it makes a good product cheaper and makes our confused lives much more easier to get on with I welcome it.

There was a discussion on whether a particular vehicle could replace our great indian legacy - THE AUTORICKSHAW. I used to wonder how these contraptions are still able to move around on our roads rubbing shoulders with bentleys and rolls (quite literally). Since I was going to be a part of the industry I gave it a serious thought and started interacting with every rickshaw wallah I got to ride with.
I was surprised with the revelations.
- The continued existence of the autorickshaw is more due socio political reasons than a simple technological issue. One rickshaw wallah in pune drives an omni when he is out with his family and not working.
- All the talk about cost of the replacement vehicle being the reason why people are not shifting from auto rickshaw to a safer vehicle does not hold good, if one auto driver in delhi I interacted with is to be belived. He claims that apart from the cost of the actual vehicle there is an additional premium one has to pay to buy a rickshaw in delhi. Guess what, the money that he shelled out is more than what we would have to pay for a high end variant of a mid level compact car.
-If we are trying to propose solutions to the MENACE - which we inadverdently turn to in times of need, we need to understand why a person who can afford a much better mode of transport is forced by the socio-economic factors to drive such a thing for a living.

A bit off topic here - for those who wanted a safer and refined NANO, the RE 60 is not the way to go. It is just a product of whims and fancies of a particular manufacturer who has the monopoly in auto rickshaw segment. While the nano is a proper car. If anyone of the crores of people who like to comment on the nano without ever stepping into it would care to take a test drive, they would know. I know that is not going to happen as I have seen qualified automotive engineers do this - there is no hope for common public.

Since people on this thread do care about developments in this segment of the industry, I urge everyone to purchase and read the book the NANO STORY - just to understand the difference between what it takes to propose an idea and to make it a reality in our country.

Those poor souls (auto drivers) definitely deserve better. I say this because of the way this new government ruling is going to affect their lives and another contraption is going to be thrusted upon us.

[volkman10]

Quadricycles: Delay in readying crash-test policy, holds up its launch in India.

Quadricycle - a four-wheeler that's a step-up from the auto-rickshaw but not quite a car due to limitations in weight, power and speed. Popular in developed markets as a recreational buggy, many leading Indian automakers are keen to develop it as a passenger vehicle.

A quadricycle policy is still at an early stage with the government forming a committee headed , director of the International Centre for Automotive Technology, and having representatives from the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. The process may take over a year, with the newly-formed committee having met just once so far; a second meeting is scheduled for the middle of the month.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/17513365.cms