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Is ‘08 the Year of the Tatas?

By: Anantha :+: Under: Blogs, Business, Cars, Tata
On: ⋅ January 28, 2008 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

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The last couple of months have seen a bunch of India related news snippets in the automotive media. The three major auto blogs that i subscribe to, Autoblog, Jalopnik and The Truth about Cars have all devoted multiple posts to India related subjects recently. While the Nano and the Jaguar/Land Rover sale have gotten the majority of the mileage, a couple of other pieces caught the eye this past week.

First, it has emerged that Chrysler’s electric cars division, Global Electric Motors (GEM) is working with Tata Motors to bring a electric mini truck to America. According to unconfirmed reports, the proposed mini truck will be an electric variant of the Ace.

It is interesting to note that while Tata terms the Ace a “mini truck”,if you consider its performance, it is but a glorified golf cart by world standards.

The 700cc engine delivers a power of 16 HP @ 3200 rpm and a torque of 3.8 mkg @ 2000 rpm. It is also eco-friendly and meets BS II and BS III standards. The water-cooled, twin -cylinder IDI engine has an overhead cam shaft, temperature sensitive cooling-system and rotary fuel injection pump, which together give high fuel efficiency and low-maintenance operation.

Businessline reports that the vehicle will assembled and shipped to the US minus an engine and the gearbox, both of which will be GEM’s responsibility.

The vehicle, that will mark the auto major’s entry into the US markets, will be exported as a completely built unit sans engine or gear box. The American counterpart, that already produces and sells a range of six NEVs, will fit it with the motor and controller, the sources said, adding that the branding details had not yet been worked out.

A spokesperson for Tata, while conceding that Tata is indeed in discussions with a company in the US, refused to name the company.

When contacted, the Tata Motors spokesperson said, “Tata Motors is indeed exploring the possibility of a vehicle on the Ace platform, with an electrical engine suitable for the US, in association with a US company. But it is premature at this stage to furnish any details”.

if sources are right, Tata has the right partnership in place for an underpowered vehicle like the Ace.

Established in 1998, the North Dakota-based GEM was purchased by DaimlerChrysler in 2000, and spun out along with Chrysler in 2007, when the two auto majors parted ways. The company currently manufactures NEVs that run on 72V electrolyte or gel batteries, have a top speed of 25 mph and a range of 30-40 miles on charge. Typically, they find utility in fleet services, hospitals, golf courses, parks, and residential complexes.

And then if this was not news enough, The Truth About Cars blog reports that Walmart might be talking to automakers, to sell electric cars. While it is not yet clear if Chrysler and GEM are in the mix, you might just get to see Tata branded (or at least Tata made) vehicles at your neighborhood superstore. And that might just make Tata’s year.

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