Tata Nano: World’s Cheapest Car to Go Hybrid
Posted By Ariel Schwartz On December 1, 2009 @ 5:30 pm In Green Transportation,TransportationTuesday | 4 Comments
The Tata Nano [4], a four-passenger city car developed and sold in India, has become famous for being the world’s cheapest car [5]. At just $2,200 a pop, the Nano has also gained a reputation for its fuel efficiency (51.7 mpg). And while a compressed air version [6] of the Nano has long been rumored to be in the works, Tata chairman Ratan Tata has just announced that a hybrid version could eventually hit the streets. If all goes according to plan, the ultra-cheap hybrid stands to shatter the economic barrier to getting greener vehicles on the roads.
Tata hasn’t provided any details, but a hybrid version of its car could bring hybrid vehicles to an entirely new group of people: bargain hunters. Ultimately, Tata also plans on building an electric version of the Nano, dubbed E-Nano.
Of course, a hybrid version is likely to come on the market before a full-on electric car, but even the regular Nano won’t go on sale in Europe until 2011. U.S. sales are expected to begin soon after. So stay tuned — an ultra-cheap hybrid may be in your future!
+ Tata Nano [4]
Via Autoblog Green [7]
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[4] Tata Nano: http://tatanano.inservices.tatamotors.com/tatamotors/
[5] world’s cheapest car: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1702264,00.html
[6] compressed air version: http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/06/01/tata-motors-air-car/
[7] Autoblog Green: http://green.autoblog.com/2009/11/30/report-ratan-tata-again-confirms-hybrid-tata-nano/
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