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Tata Motor’s air car to be reality soon!

Arun Prabhudesai — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:01:00 +0000

We had written about Tata’s Air Car called miniCat on Trak.in back in 2008. Fast forward to 2012, a recent update and press release on Tata Motor’s website hints that a compressed air car could be on Indian roads in the coming years. News reports too, suggest that Tata Motor could be in the process of setting up manufacturing plants to build them.

The press release on Tata Motor’s website mentioned

"The first phase of this programme – proof of the technical concept in Tata Motors vehicles – has now been successfully completed with the compressed air engine concept having been demonstrated in two Tata Motors vehicles. In the second phase of the development, the two companies are working together to complete detailed development of the technology and required technical processes to industrialise a market ready product application over the coming years."

The other company here is Motor Development International (MDI) based in Luxemburg. MDI has been researching and developing air-powered vehicles since the year 2000. It displayed its first prototype variants of OneCat at the New York Car Show in 2008. Tata has partnered with MDI to use its technology to develop a compressed air car in India.

Such a car can either be powered entirely by compressed air or can work on a hybrid platform integrated with traditional fuels like petrol, diesel or electricity. The air is stored in tanks that need to be strong so that they don’t rupture under the stress of holding immense air pressure per square inch, and in case of accidents.

A possible hurdle that could be coming in way of Tata Motor’s ambitious plans is the fact that compressed air would need to be cooled down in the tank of the car. If it heats up, it may expand and loose a significant amount of pressure leading to loss of available energy. There are also reports that such tanks may take hours to fill up with use of traditionally available mechanisms.

In the years of research that has been done on air powered vehicles, the range of such a car has always been an issue. Power is also not something that these cars can brag about. It would be fundamental to assume that reducing the power consumed to run the car would result in higher range. But when power itself is scarce, how will Tata going to develop a vehicle that copes up with either or both deficiencies?

We can speculate all we want but there is little denying that a functional compressed air car will rock the automobile and many other industries.

A vehicle that runs solely on compressed air may virtually forgo the use of traditional fossil fuels. Alternatively, a hybrid engine that runs on compressed air supported by traditional fuel will still require less amounts of fossil fuel. Compressed air motors have been used in the industry since many decades.

Handheld pneumatic tools powered by compressed air are still a mainstay in auto shops around the world.

If Tata Motors emerges with a viable, affordable and practical production model of a compressed air car in the coming years, it could very well be a pioneering effort that will go down as a first of its kind. Reduced emissions will be a boon to the environment and lesser dependence on fossil fuels will reduce our carbon footprint.

The Tata Group is no stranger to innovation. In fact, the group’s leadership got ranked 5th in Asia in a recent survey by consulting giant Hay Group. Innovation was one of the main reasons why Tata Group was featured in its list of best leadership companies.

Tata Motors has pioneered Tata Nano which is the smallest production car in the world and took the Indian automobile industry by a storm, making affordability the name of the game. Today, major auto giants are going all guns blazing to capture the small car segment.

Could Tata’s compressed air car be the next big thing to grab our traditional automobile industry by its neck?

Piaggio’s brings iconic Vespa scooter back on Indian roads!

Kaushambi — Tue, 01 May 2012 11:49:02 +0000

How would you feel if you saw Bajaj scooters zipping off on the road like yesteryears? Well, that isn’t really happening because Bajaj quit the scooter production segment 2 years back. But in a few months time you might just be able to witness the retro vintage scooters back on the roads because Piaggio has re launched Vespa after a 13 year hiatus from the Indian market. This time of course, in its singular capacity.

The Vespa LX 125 is priced at Rs. 66,661 ex showroom in Maharashtra and it is aimed at the luxury end of the scooter market. And if the iconic history of the scooter is anything to go by, the Vespa will click with the urban Indian looking for a set of wheels that are trendy and chic.

Vespa’s history in India

Folks from the era of Bajaj Chetak and LML Vespa will have a déjà vu because both these models took inspiration from the original Vespa’s styling. Vespa produced scooters in partnership with Bajaj Auto in the 1960s but that ended in 1971 as Indira Gandhi’s privatization programs came into place. In the 1980s, Vespa partnered with LML Motors in India to produce the famous P series scooters. This partnership ended in 1999 because of an irresolvable dispute.

What’s special about the Vespa?

There are tons of scooters in the Indian market available at affordable and reasonable prices. Then why would someone pay a 15-25% premium to buy the Vespa? The answer is simple.

Vespa is a brand that resembles the 60s, vintage style, class and a design that has stood the test of time. Just like sporting a vintage styled Louis Vuitton suitcase is fashionable, riding this Italian wasp (Vespa means wasp in Italian) is all about oozing style and sophistication – a quality uniquely associated with everything Italian.

Features of Vespa at a glance

LX 125 is the name of the Vespa model in India and it has a 125 cc gearless engine with variomatic transmission, trailing link front suspension, drum brakes and a unique single monocoque chassis.
It has been tailored to be extremely fuel efficient. Vespa claims a fuel efficiency of 60 kmpl. This is nearly twice that of the current European Vespa models.
The under-seat storage is large enough to fit a helmet and the glove box too has multiple storage units.
The frame of the scooter is made of very light metal, making it very easy to twist and turn the scooter to maneuver it in Indian traffic jams.

Why India now?

Piaggio is very optimistic about its re-entry in India. The company expects that its sales in India will cross its global sales across various markets within 2-3 years, reported ET. The Indian scooter market is pegged to grow at more than 20% compounded and Piaggio wants to grab a slice of this growth. AFP reported that more than 25 lakh scooters were sold in India in FY11-12 and the entire market segment grew by more than 20%.

However, deeper pockets are not the only thing 21^st century India is now armed with. Today aesthetics and brand value also hold importance in the minds of the urban Indian who knows the deep rooted meaning of retro, vintage and lineage when it comes to cars and bikes, and in this case, scooters. Vespa seems to understand that there is no such thing as a premium market for scooters in India, yet. Ravi Chopra, CMD, Piaggio Vehicles Private Limited aptly said

"We could not have launched Vespa at better time than this. The scooter market is fastest growing segment in the country and the Indian consumers has evolved today aspiring to own more lifestyle products and Vespa fits in perfectly."

Vespa LX 125 specifically adapted for Indians

The key for all the foreign players to be successful in India is to show high levels of product adaptation to demographical taste. Maruti Suzuki went out of the way and designed its latest offering, Ertiga, in Japan, keeping Indian consumers in mind. Piaggio too, is leaving no stone unturned and has made a changes to the original European design to appeal India Inc.

The shape of the seat has been changed to the needs of Indian women who prefer to saddle sideways while riding pillion on scooters.
Keeping the Indian women happy, the LX 125 also has a slimmer body because Vespa thought it’d go well with the side-sitting position of the woman pillion rider.
Considering that Indian women may wear saris while riding a scooter, the footboard has been lowered for more leg space.
Considering Indian traffic, a louder horn has been given to the LX 125. No surprises here.
Considering Indian driving conditions, Vespa has also tweaked the distance between the surface of the road to the engine of its scooter. Vespa claims that this modification will reduce the chances of damages due to bumps and pavements.
The rear wheel ergonomics have been redesigned to make it easier for riders to change their tires in case of a puncture.
Last but not the least, which scooter/bike company puts a price on their models which ends in a 1? Pricing the LX 125 at Rs. 66,661, Vespa seems to have understood that it takes more than just strategy to get it right in India Inc. It needs some good auspicious vibes too.

So if you happen to be around Piaggio showroom, make sure you visit it and take a look at this little beauty!

Maruti Suzuki on a promotion blitz: Innovative marketing in rural areas

Kaushambi — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:16:44 +0000

Most of India still hasn’t forgotten how there was a time when everyone was vying to buy the Maruti Suzuki 800 or the Fronty as it was lovingly called. Fronty may have been bid goodbye after its memorable run spanning a couple of decades, but Maruti Suzuki hasn’t stopped churning super hit set of wheels – from Alto to Swift to Omni to Zen to Gypsy to Estilo to Wagon R to Ritz and now the newly launched LUV Ertiga. With a continuous churn out of successful car models suiting Indian families, Indian roads and Indian sensibilities, Maruti has also stuck to its Indian roots when it comes to marketing and promotions.

The rural market share of Maruti increased from 3.5 percent of total sales five years ago to 26 percent in 2012. Alto clinched 36 percent of rural sales in 2011, Omni hit 13.6 percent and the Wagon R accounted for 12 percent rural sales. So what magic has Maruti been yielding on the farmer clan of India and how? Let’s find out.

Maruti’s rural connection since 2008-09

In 2009, Shashank Srivastava, Chief General Manager, Marketing told Hindu Business Line states that Maruti Suzuki started paying more attention to rural markets after the economic meltdown when they realized that the recession had affected bigger cities badly. At that time, the ‘Ghar Ghar Mein Maruti’ and ‘Mera Sapna Meri Maruti’ campaigns were already afloat to target the rural segment.

Additionally, 3000 local villagers who were well versed with rural languages and behaviors were nominated as resident dealer sales executives of Maruti Suzuki, whose main job was to promote sales in their respective villages. They were further supported by over 186 extension counters. Maruti has gone the extra mile by taking villagers for factory visits, conducting detailed profiling of the villagers, their consumption patterns and their choices and capturing the attention of decision makers of the village like Sarpanch. From regular rural sporting events to sales fairs (Grameen Mahotsavs) to SMS campaigns for Gram Panchayat Members, Maruti Suzuki has done it all.

So, what’s the latest strategy up Maruti’s sleeve to lure its agrarian customers?

Video on Wheels

Off late, Maruti has been organizing road shows with film screenings. This is much like a travelling cinema that rural India is already quite familiar and fascinated with. The only difference being that the film is not set up in a tent, but inside a TATA truck fitted a Samsung LCD TV, an air conditioner and reclining seats. The film strikes a chord with the villagers because it tells a simple story of an average villager who buys a Wagon R after being persuaded by a friend who also bought a Wagon R.

The film has names that real villagers can relate to – Hari Prasad, Bimla and Duggal Ji. The host conducting the proceedings inside the truck too carries forth the experience of entertainment by mimicking Hindi film celebrities. And villagers are not allowed to leave without a brand recall mechanism. The host conducts a quiz based on the film shown and gives winners Maruti Suzuki memorabilia like caps, pens and wall clocks.

Win-Win for Maruti

Maruti has been taking advantage of a combination of change factors that rural India is witnessing. Credit finance and banking facilities are more accessible to villagers, word of mouth is stronger and they are moneyed folks. Parshu Narayanan, Creative Head and Managing Partner, Publicis Capital, the agency responsible for Maruti’s ad film aptly states "Today a rural consumer is much younger, far more exposed (to contemporary trends) and is getting more affluent".

Here’s an interesting snapshot of the kind of people that Maruti Suzuki is selling to.

Orange farmers in Nagpur
Turmeric growers in Tiruchengode, Tamil Nadu
Granite polishers in Hyderabad
Blue pottery makers in Jaipur
Madhubani painters in Madhubani, Bihar
Potato growers in West Bengal
Apple and fruit growers in Himachal Pradesh
Fishermen in Howrah
Alphonso mango growers in Ratnagiri

The future of rural marketing

Around 2 percent of the 100,000 cars that Maruti’s sells on a monthly basis sales in rural India come from very small villages (population of less than 1000 people). While that is fascinating, competitors are not lagging behind. Hyundai cashed in 32 percent of its sales in non urban markets and GM sells 30 percent of its cars in villages. On the other hand, some farmers who have become rich overnight by selling their land, are on an Audi buying rampage. They call it the car with bangles, referring to Audi’s logo!

If every automaker in India is now looking at going rural, aren’t the rural markets going to saturate soon? While automobile giants make hay while the sun shines, they’ll have to simultaneously think of new strategies and discover more niches that help them up sales in the future.

Audi overtakes Mercedes Benz in India!

Kaushambi — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:29:11 +0000

Until the late nineties, Mercedes was considered as the epitome of luxury and a car that every crorepati was supposed to have. It was the time when words "Oh dekho, Mercedes gai" were uttered when the car with the familiar logo drove by. From politicians to actors, anyone living an uber rich lifestyle was supposed to have a Merc in their garage.

Fast forward to 2012, things are changing. Changing times and trends have revealed a setback to the ‘Mercedes’ brand within the luxury car market in India. Mercedes-Benz lost the top spot a few years back when BMW, yet another German car maker edged it out in terms of volume.

And if the latest numbers are anything to go by, Mercedes-Benz has been edged out of the 2^nd spot by rival German car maker Audi. In the first quarter of 2012, Audi sold 2,269 units while Mercedes-Benz sold 2,130 units.

So why did a brand that has been present in India for more than 15 years, receive a blow from competitors who have been in the market for less than 5 years? "The customer sees them as more contemporary brands, with more products. BMW and Audi have created multiple sub-segments within the luxury car market and this has worked to their advantage" says Abdul Majeed tracking the auto segment at PWC India.

The biggies from both automobile manufacturers went head to head when Debasis Mitra, Sales & Marketing Director at Mercedes-Benz India said "Our customers do not compromise, and ‘strip down’ models are not for them" reported TOI. He was obviously referring to the cheaper variants that Audi have on offer to match the needs and requirement of various clients including modifications and strip downs for corporates. But then again, shouldn’t companies be doing that if they want to promote their brand and squeeze in more sales? Apparently not, as Mitra added, "We are not selling commodity but luxury. Numbers are not the prime focus today".

On the other hand, Audi seems to be going in all guns blazing as they envisage the fiery plan of opening a new outlet in India every 5-6 weeks. Michael Perschke, Head of Audi India also mentioned that Audi wanted to go deeper into the Indian auto industry and will be entering newer cities including Nagpur, Goa, Lucknow and Coimbatore.

As for BMW, its X1 is said to be a major part of its sales figure. So what do Audi and Mercedes-Benz have to do to compete with the leading luxury car maker in India? Nothing. Mitra blames the lack of a product in this segment for the absence of the volumes Mercedes-Benz is looking for. "The real test will be when we have a similar product in our kitty" he said.

Regardless of what the execs have in store for their company’s future here in India, it cannot be denied that Merc as a brand and a standard of luxury has definitely taken a beating. Cheaper variants or not, Mercedes-Benz will have to tend to the needs of the urban Indian who now has a range of options to choose from – if it wants to enhance its footprint in India.

What do you think? Has the Mercedes brand appeal gone down in India?

Maruti Suzuki’s Ertiga: A car designed in Japan, made for India

Kaushambi — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:16:56 +0000

A car made for global markets, but designed keeping India in mind? While that sounds too good to be true, Maruti Suzuki seems to have nailed it. Based on the tried and tested Swift Platform, Maruti has unveiled its plans to launch the brand new MPV Ertiga in India. It has been designed in Japan but has been engineered keeping in mind the average Indian.

The MPV will have diesel and petrol variants. The petrol version will have a 1.4 litre K series engine while the diesel versions will have a modest 1.3 litre engine. While power may not be the highlight of the Ertiga, it promises to be more efficient, maneuverable, flexible and compact than the average MPVs in the Indian market at the moment.

A lot of effort seems to have been put into the ergonomics of the Ertiga. Maruti Suzuki claims that it flew 30 engineers from the Indian team to Japan to evaluate the seat design and comfort levels as per the average Indian body proportions. Indian engineers also battled out the issue of leg space on offer with their Japanese counterparts.

Ertiga is not a sore on the eyes either. You just can’t help but notice the similarity of the design of the front end with the Swift and the Ritz. On the outside, there are no curves that seem out of place or give the car a stereotype image.

The front and the back seem to effortlessly blend into a very smooth and elegant MPV. Branded and marketed as a Life Utility Vehicle (LUV), Ertiga looks like a good fit for the taste of the urban Indian who wants a bit more than a sedan without splashing out on the big and bulky SUVs.

So how much will the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga cost in India? While exact pricing details are not known yet, It is expected be very competitively priced. It is expected that the Ertiga will be around 7-8 Lakh range.

No doubt, Maruti Suzuki India is the king of the Indian Auto Industry especially in the small car segment. Iconic models like the Maruti 800, Zen, Alto and the Swift have ruled Indian roads since decades. Maruti Swift was recently adjudged the Best Car of the Year at the 2012 Business Standard Motoring Awards. This is a back to back win for the Auto giant as the Swift won this award back in 2011 too.

Maruti Suzuki also seems to be going all guns blazing while trying to woo India by branding Ertiga as a global product of Suzuki designed primarily for India. But how will the Ertiga hold up against the might of Mahindra and Toyota, established players with award winning models like Xylo and Innova?

What is your impression of the New Maruti Suzuki Ertiga?

BMW launches its iconic Mini Cooper in India!

Kaushambi — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:20:24 +0000

While it may not be the best of news for the team marketing the Beetle, it is definitely time for die-hard Mini fans to rejoice. BMW recently announced that various models of Mini Cooper will hit Indian roads by May this year. BMW earlier showcased this little stunner at the Indian Car Expo in January 2012. Incidentally, India is the 100^th market for this iconic car.

The company announced the opening of the first exclusive Mini showroom, Infinity Cars, in Mumbai on Linking Road. The showroom will have a 24 hour restaurant with music and a 5 car display. BMW plans to open 2 more showrooms in Delhi followed by Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Bangalore. The showrooms of Delhi are in the pipeline while the rest are likely to come up in the later part of 2012. While other BMW variants like the 3 series, 5 series, X1 and X3 are assembled domestically, the German luxury car maker plans to import the Minis from its facility in Oxford, UK.

So how much will the Mini Cooper cost in India?

The ex-showroom pricing of the Mini will range from Rs. 25 lakh to 36 lakh depending on the model and the variant. Needless to say, these prices are ex-showroom. For the moment, BMW plans to bring the following models to India.

MINI Cooper
MINI Cooper S (sporty)
MINI Cooper S Countryman
MINI Cooper S Countryman High
MINI Cooper Convertible

Any Mini fan will tell you that the Mini Cooper is much more than a car. The emotional attachment that fans have to the brand is similar to that of a biker in India going gaga about the Royal Enfield. The car has a very urban feel to it and oozes a modern design that packs a punch even from a performance perspective.

Zigwheels reported that the Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper Convertible models are built and designed to easily hit 190 km/hr while the Cooper S can very well do speeds in excess of 220 km/hr. It is being claimed that all the variants hitting Indian shores will have efficient petrol engines with a 6 speed transmission.

Given its iconic status, BMW needs to do very little to sell the car. On unveiling the company’s plans regarding this premium small car in India, Andreas Schaaf, President, BMW India said, "MINI expresses a whole generation’s approach to life – it is extrovert, open and full of zest in life. No other brand exhibits the attributes and essence of a modern urban lifestyle like MINI and there is no doubt that it is one of the world’s most emotional auto brands."

What do you think? How will Mini Copper fare in India?

Automobile giants in India witness record car sales for March 2012 [Numbers]

Arun Prabhudesai — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:43:09 +0000

There was a ray of hope for the industry and investors alike when automobile companies reported record sales for the month of March 2012, as compared to March last year. Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor India, Yamaha Motor India, Honda Siel and even the German luxury car maker Audi reported stunning growth and sales figures for March. Let’s take a look at what the different car companies are saying about their sales in what seems to be like a record breaking month for these giants in the automobile industry.

Tata Motors

Tata Motors sold 83,363 cars in March 2011. In March 2012, they reported a 20% growth and pegged sales at a whooping 100,414 units. They have more reason to smile because about 36,984 of these units were passenger vehicle sales in the domestic market, which is an increase of 34% and also the highest sales figure ever for that particular segment for Tata Motors in a single month.

The drivers of the overall increase in sales figures for March were Nano (10,475 units, up 20%), Indica (11420 units, up 65%) and the Sumo-Safari-Aria segment (6,794 units, up 40%). Domestic sales of commercial vehicles was pegged at 58,063 units in March 2012 which was up 17% as compared to March last year.

Mahindra & Mahindra

A total of 47,001 units were sold, out of which 44,342 were in the domestic market, as compared to a total of 37,522 and domestic sales of 35,488 in March last year. This is a whopping increase of 25% sales overall, driven by a 33% increase in sales of passenger vehicles including Scorpio, Xylo, Bolero and the latest addition to the Mahindra Family, the XUV 500. Sales across the board were up except in the three wheeler segment which actually decreased from 5,769 units in March 2011 to 5,089 in March 2012.

Yamaha Motor India

Yamaha reported a nearly 14% increase in sales in March 2012 as compared to the same month last year. Out of the 41,886 units sold in March 2012 - 29,819 were sales in the domestic market while 12,067 were in the export market. With a nearly 15.6% increase in sales in local markets, Yamaha seems to have a lot to cheer about.

Honda Siel Cars India

Honda Siel delivered a stunning eye-opener by revealing that it sold 11,016 cars in March 2012, as compared to a meager 3,576 cars in the same period last year. The approximate 208% increase in sales has been driven by a higher than expected demand for its small car Brio.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor

The Japanese automobile giant smashed its sales record for March by selling 18,220 units, resulting in 87% spike as compared to last year. This jump was propelled by the Etios Sedan and its hatchback version with 5,104 and 4,034 units sold respectively. Innova too saw a growth of 53% as compared to March last year, with 6,765 units being sold.

Hyundai Motor India

Hyundai posted sales figures of 59,229 for March 2012, up 6.62% as compared to last year. The growth was driven by sales in the domestic market which were up 22.94% to 39,122 units while the export market saw a decline of about 15.3% from 23,730 units in March 2011 to 20,107 units in 2012. Hyundai Motor India is currently India’s second largest car maker.

Audi

This comes at the back of a massive 47% spike in sales at 1,002 units in India as compared to 681 in March last year. The increase seems to be consistent with the recent sales trend at Audi in India because quarterly sales figures for quarter ending 31 March 2012 were 2,269 units as compared to 1,611 units in the same quarter last year. Expanding their dealership network in India is also in the pipeline.

Maruti Suzuki India

Not to be left behind, Maruti Suzuki India reported a 3.28% growth in sales figures for March 2012 with 1,25,952 units sold as compared to 1,21,952 in March last year. While this is a reason to cheer for India’s largest car maker, 2012 has been a glum year as overall annual sales figures dropped nearly 11%.

March 2012 saw a mix of highs and lows for Maruti as compared to sales figures from March 2011. Jumps of nearly 24% in compact car segment and 58% in mid-sized sedan segment were offset by a 10.16% decrease in sales for its mini car segment and drops in sales for the DZire and Kizashi models as well.

Surely a positive report card that should bring much needed cheer to Indian Automobile Sector!

Advantages of buying a used car in India

Kaushambi — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:41:16 +0000

We know nothing beats the feel and drive of a new car, but gone are the days when your idea of buying a used car in India was limited to dodgy road side car mechanics. The used car segment in India has recently taken massive leaps and the buyer now has access to certified used cars, good post-sale services and much more.

Here are 5 reasons why you can consider buying a used car in India.

Used cars come with warranty

We know that the sound of warranty is music to your ears when we talk about used cars, isn’t it? Well that’s exactly what you get when you purchase a used car from one of the many company owned used car outlets. However, you should note that this warranty generally comes with a certain limit on the kms you travel in that stipulated time period.

Post-sale services

Company owned pre-owned car sales outlets also offer great post-sale services. For example, Hyundai Advantage offers two free services on your purchase of a used car in India. Ford Assured on the other hand, offers 3 free services when you buy a used car from one of their outlets. The thought of post-sale services on used car in India itself is comforting for any buyer. No longer do you have to argue and fight over the replacement of a broken part with the local mechanic.

You can buy a higher model in your budget

Let’s consider for a moment that you are planning to buy the Tata Indica and have a budget inclusive of the car itself and on-road costs. Your budget only allows you to buy a brand new entry level Tata Indica from the Tata Motors showroom. However, at Tata Assured, which is Tata Motor’s flagship entry into the used car market in India, you may be able to find a higher level model of Tata India at a cheaper cost. Now we must not forget that the used car too comes with a warranty and a certain level of peace of mind. Wouldn’t you like having all the extra benefits of a higher model including an air-conditioner, mp3/cd player, power windows, good upholstery, alloy wheels and other attractive accessories?

Insurance is cheaper on used cars

No rocket science here, ladies and gentlemen. As we would imagine, the insurance premium on your new car will be much higher than a used car. The value of the used car you buy in India will already have depreciated, which means that you will be paying a lower premium than what you would pay on a spanking new car.

Certified cars come with a pre-delivery check by expert engineers

Another big advantage of buying used cars in India from a company outlet is that most companies offer certified used cars which come with a pre-delivery check of the car. This means that expert engineers will do certain technical checks on the car and assure you of the reliability and quality of the used car that you are about to buy.

After reading this if you think you need to look at Certified pre-owned card, Here are some of the Auto manufacturer’s used car programs:

What do you think? Are Used cars a good viable option?

eMO: Tata’s fully engineered Cheap Electric Car unveiled in Detroit!

Arun Prabhudesai — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:59:43 +0000

Tata has added another feather to its already crowded cap! They have unveiled a prototype of a approx. USD 20,000 electric car that can easily carry four passengers. The reason it should make us proud is because it has been fully engineered by Tata Technologies showing their immense capability. The similar electric cars from rivals are much more expensive!

According to the eMo website, the retail price point of USD 20,000 for this Electric Vehicle is without any Federal or State Government incentives!

By building a prototype of eMO, Tata has demonstrated to the world that it is possible to build an electric vehicle with an attractive price. Auto Experts are already skeptical of it and saying that Tata eMO will never become a reality and eMO will “never be made”!

eMo Electric Vehicle was built by Tata Technologies’ Vehicle Programs & Development (VPD) Group (and not Tata Motors), with more than 300 engineers operating from its four automotive engineering centers of excellence worldwide – Pune (India), Detroit, Coventry (UK), and Stuttgart (Germany).

eMo is an amazing feat that has been achieved by the engineers at Tata. In the summer of 2010, in anticipation of launching the Vehicle Programs and Development group, Tata Technologies decided to create a complete vehicle as an internal engineering study. eMo was the result!

Check out the eMO promotional Video

[more pictures & videos]

Tata has been forefront in innovation and Automotive engineering. They have been researching on Air Car. And now, they launched a prototype of a Cheap Electric car in a span of less than 18 months of conception. It’s a feat that has been achieved by very few companies in the world, leave alone India.

What do you think about this new eMO Electric Vehicle?