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Tata launches the $2500 car

28 points by zhyder 19y ago

Alex3917 19y ago
"In terms of overall pollutants, it has a lower pollution level than two-wheelers being manufactured in India today." In Southeast Asia today there are currently 100 million motorcycles and scooters powered by two-stroke engines. Each one produces as much pollution as 50 cars. The car might be good on emissions, it might not, but this quote certainly isn't very reassuring. The 54mpg might be good on CO2 emissions, but that isn't going to do you much good if you are one of the tens (hundreds?) of thousands who die prematurely each year from the fine particulates that get lodged in your lungs.
- zhyder 19y ago
  They claim it meets Bharat Stage III (and Euro IV) emissions standards, which is as good as any other car in India. That statement is in response to fears that as people move up from scooters/motorcycles to this car, the emissions problem would get worse. The only thing that will get worse is the traffic problem. But that's everyone's "fault": no reason why the poor should sacrifice their safety (relative to carrying a family of 4+ on a scooter) to save commute time for others.
uuilly 19y ago
Anyone remember this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugo
- zhyder 19y ago
  I don't think you're looking at it from the point of view of the target market, low income people who so far could only afford a two-wheeler for the whole (large) family. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_02/b4066033073739.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_businessweek+exclusives http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_02/b40660330...
  - uuilly 19y ago
    I wasn't criticizing it. The Yugo's reputation as a POS was at least partially undeserved. As great as it is that poorer families will get cars, I seriously doubt its long term reliability.
    - zetatios 19y ago
      Another underrated small car was the geo metro - more than 50 mpg in the cheapest configuration, and very reliable (the early ones were made in Japan, and could easily make it to 200k miles if the driver wasn't very heavy). That said, in the USA you would almost certainly be better off buying a ~10-15 y/o honda or toyota - slightly worse mileage, but probably much more reliable.
      - ojbyrne 19y ago
        I drove a Suzuki Swift (same car as the Metro) for a decade. Cost me $10k (Canadian back when they were cheap), never spent a cent to maintain it. Gas, I never noticed actually spending money on it ;-) It wasn't the cheapest configuration, though, it had 4 cylinders (as opposed to 3) and 14" inch tires instead of 13".
      - noonespecial 19y ago
        Or you could get a golf tdi thats a few years old. Mine used to get about 45mpg.. 50 with a good tail wind. :)
zhyder 19y ago
Hmm... the previous link seems to be dead. How do I update it? http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/World_watches_Tata_Motors_Nano_unveils/articleshow/2691032.cms http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/World_watches_Tata_Motor... http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/tata-nano-the-worlds-cheapest-car/?hp http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/tata-nano-the-wor...
nreece 19y ago
By the way, for those who are not aware of Tata, its a group of companies based in India - who has also been in talks to buy Ford's Jaguar and Land Rover units ( http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=acGtIBWwyqT4&refer=home http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=acGt... ) Here's another intersting read: The Ultra-Lite Car From Tata (TTM): Why Not For US? - http://www.247wallst.com/2008/01/the-ultra-lite.html http://www.247wallst.com/2008/01/the-ultra-lite.html
- zhyder 19y ago
  It's also India's largest conglomerate, with revenues equaling 3.2% of India's GDP. Tata Consulting Services is also India's largest IT firm with 100,000 employees.
- rms 19y ago
  *engineers at Ford (F) and GM (GM) can make cars that run on H20 He means H20 and electricity, right? They can also make cars that run just on electricity.

28 points by zhyder 19y ago

"In terms of overall pollutants, it has a lower pollution level than two-wheelers being manufactured in India today." In Southeast Asia today there are currently 100 million motorcycles and scooters powered by two-stroke engines. Each one produces as much pollution as 50 cars. The car might be good on emissions, it might not, but this quote certainly isn't very reassuring. The 54mpg might be good on CO2 emissions, but that isn't going to do you much good if you are one of the tens (hundreds?) of thousands who die prematurely each year from the fine particulates that get lodged in your lungs.

zhyder 19y ago
They claim it meets Bharat Stage III (and Euro IV) emissions standards, which is as good as any other car in India. That statement is in response to fears that as people move up from scooters/motorcycles to this car, the emissions problem would get worse. The only thing that will get worse is the traffic problem. But that's everyone's "fault": no reason why the poor should sacrifice their safety (relative to carrying a family of 4+ on a scooter) to save commute time for others.

uuilly 19y ago

Anyone remember this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugo

zhyder 19y ago
I don't think you're looking at it from the point of view of the target market, low income people who so far could only afford a two-wheeler for the whole (large) family. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_02/b4066033073739.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_businessweek+exclusives http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_02/b40660330...
- uuilly 19y ago
  I wasn't criticizing it. The Yugo's reputation as a POS was at least partially undeserved. As great as it is that poorer families will get cars, I seriously doubt its long term reliability.
  - zetatios 19y ago
    Another underrated small car was the geo metro - more than 50 mpg in the cheapest configuration, and very reliable (the early ones were made in Japan, and could easily make it to 200k miles if the driver wasn't very heavy). That said, in the USA you would almost certainly be better off buying a ~10-15 y/o honda or toyota - slightly worse mileage, but probably much more reliable.
    - ojbyrne 19y ago
      I drove a Suzuki Swift (same car as the Metro) for a decade. Cost me $10k (Canadian back when they were cheap), never spent a cent to maintain it. Gas, I never noticed actually spending money on it ;-) It wasn't the cheapest configuration, though, it had 4 cylinders (as opposed to 3) and 14" inch tires instead of 13".
    - noonespecial 19y ago
      Or you could get a golf tdi thats a few years old. Mine used to get about 45mpg.. 50 with a good tail wind. :)

zhyder 19y ago

Hmm... the previous link seems to be dead. How do I update it? http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/World_watches_Tata_Motors_Nano_unveils/articleshow/2691032.cms http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/World_watches_Tata_Motor... http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/tata-nano-the-worlds-cheapest-car/?hp http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/tata-nano-the-wor...

nreece 19y ago

By the way, for those who are not aware of Tata, its a group of companies based in India - who has also been in talks to buy Ford's Jaguar and Land Rover units ( http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=acGtIBWwyqT4&refer=home http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=acGt... ) Here's another intersting read: The Ultra-Lite Car From Tata (TTM): Why Not For US? - http://www.247wallst.com/2008/01/the-ultra-lite.html http://www.247wallst.com/2008/01/the-ultra-lite.html

zhyder 19y ago
It's also India's largest conglomerate, with revenues equaling 3.2% of India's GDP. Tata Consulting Services is also India's largest IT firm with 100,000 employees.
rms 19y ago
*engineers at Ford (F) and GM (GM) can make cars that run on H20 He means H20 and electricity, right? They can also make cars that run just on electricity.