Chairman Says Tata Will Build Hybrid Nano

2 Comments 01 December 2009

By Brendan Moore

12.01.2009

Tata Nano Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata told reporters in South Korea yesterday that Tata plans to launch an inexpensive hybrid version of the Nano.

The Nano is the world’s cheapest car at around $2100 USD. It is a logical assumption that a Nano Hybrid would be the world’s cheapest hybrid car.

Ratan Tata told the South Korean newspaper, The Maeil Business Newspaper, that he saw the auto industry’s future in inexpensive, practical vehicles.

Tata also owns Jaguar and Land Rover, auto manufacturers that produce some of the most expensive passenger vehicles sold in the world today. The chairman did not elaborate on the possible contradiction between his statement regarding the auto industry’s future and Tata’s plans for future sales of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles.

It is believed that Tata has also developed several Nano EV test mules recently, with an eye towards offering an electric version of the Nano. The company has offered no public statement regarding a potential electric Nano, however.

The Tata chairman did not comment on when a Nano Hybrid might be launched or what sort of hybrid system the car would have.

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Your Comments

2 Comments so far

Wahle says:

December 1, 2009 at 11:50

I think this is more talk than anything else. Tata cannot meet demand for the current Nano which gets, what, almost 70 mpg?
Stéphane Dumas says:

December 1, 2009 at 14:58

Some folks on Autoblog and I agree with them, would had wished for a Nano diesel.

On a off-topic side, Ratan Tata said he begins to look for a successor and it could be a foreigner as well. http://www.autoblog.com/2009/12/01/needs-image-global-search-reportedly-on-to-find-successor-for/

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