Tata Indica soon to hit the streets of Norway: it's electric!

[Niels Bohr 72]

by Sebastian Blanco on Apr 21st 2009 at 8:40AM

Although the all-electric Tata Indica on display at the SAE World Congress in Detroit this week is not the soon-to-be-released model, there's a lot we can learn from the vehicle - and from TM4's Eriz Azeroual - about how the technology will be implemented when the new model goes on sale in Norway either later this year or in early 2010 (yes, this is later than previously expected). Tata Motors showed off the Indica EV at the Bologna Motor Show in December, but the hatchback is making an appearance in Detroit because of the work that TM4, a subsidiary of Hydro Québec, did providing the permanent magnet motor and the inverter. TM4's Azeroual (he's business development manager there) told us that a limited number of the Indica's are already testing in Norway and that Tata Motors is "a cool company. Very aggressive." Even though they're most famous for the Nano and apparently wanting to dominate the low-end automobile market, in Europe market they want to be known for electric vehicles.

Norway is a perfect entry point to bring an EV to Europe because there is a high tax on gasoline-powered vehicles. The high cost of electric vehilces isn't totally equalized by the taxes, but EVs and gas-powered vehicle prices end up being "comparable" in Norway and this presents customers with an "interesting choice," Azeroual said. Following the Norwegian introduction, Tata plans to expand the Indica EV to other European markets and then possibly the U.S.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Oh man, more Indian jokes.

[GaryC 7]

Here is a 100 mpg full sized van that is made in America. Very nice!

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html...ww.foxnews.com/

[Niels Bohr 72]

Here is a 100 mpg full sized van that is made in America. Very nice!

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html...ww.foxnews.com/

It looks good! There green companies will make FORD, Chrysler, Chevy goes bankrupt.

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

Oh man, more Indian jokes.

what did you expect when they called it a tata?

[GaryC 7]

Here is a 100 mpg full sized van that is made in America. Very nice!

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html...ww.foxnews.com/

It looks good! There green companies will make FORD, Chrysler, Chevy goes bankrupt.

In reality the big three all have +50 mpg vehicles in the works. The competition will be good for everyone.

[pedroh 21]

Here is a 100 mpg full sized van that is made in America. Very nice!

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html...ww.foxnews.com/

It looks good! There green companies will make FORD, Chrysler, Chevy goes bankrupt.

In reality the big three all have +50 mpg vehicles in the works. The competition will be good for everyone.

well they also would need to work on reliability.. Chryslers are not very trustworthy...

[GaryC 7]

Here is a 100 mpg full sized van that is made in America. Very nice!

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html...ww.foxnews.com/

It looks good! There green companies will make FORD, Chrysler, Chevy goes bankrupt.

In reality the big three all have +50 mpg vehicles in the works. The competition will be good for everyone.

well they also would need to work on reliability.. Chryslers are not very trustworthy...

Either they find a way to compete or they fail. If they fail they do not deserve to stick around.

[Niels Bohr 72]

After all the cars I've seen that are electric, the big three are no where in comparison to Toyota, Honda, and the Tesla.

The big three lacks experience in this area. The new Ford Escape Hybrid 2009, Chevy Malibu Hybrid 2009 are not very efficient. At most they get like 32-38 mpg. Compared to Toyota hybrid, they are no where near them.

[GaryC 7]

After all the cars I've seen that are electric, the big three are no where in comparison to Toyota, Honda, and the Tesla.

The big three lacks experience in this area. The new Ford Escape Hybrid 2009, Chevy Malibu Hybrid 2009 are not very efficient. At most they get like 32-38 mpg. Compared to Toyota hybrid, they are no where near them.

They are catching up.

Ford Sneaks Up On Electric Car Future

Published February 19, 2009

Ford Sneaks Up On Electric Car Future

Ford Transit Connect, a fully electric commercial van.

While all eyes are on high-profile plug-in announcements from General Motors, Nissan, Toyota and others, Ford appears to be quietly inching into a leading position in the race to get electric vehicles on the market.

Ford Transit Connect

Ford has recently made great advances in its hybrid technology with the 41-mpg Ford Fusion Hybrid and second-generation Escape Hybrid. But the company will take another big step forward when it rolls out its first electric vehicle—a European-built mini commercial vehicle called the Ford Transit Connect.

The vehicle, produced in collaboration with the UK’s Smith Electric Vehicles, will feature a 29 kWh battery pack. Ford expects to eventually sell “a couple thousand a month,” mainly to government fleets, according to Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of Global Product Development.

Next Up: A Small Electric Car

Ford will be quickly following the Transit EV with several pure electric vehicles aimed at the consumer market, including a Focus-sized subcompact that’s slated for sale in 2011. HybridCars.com took a quick demo-drive of the vehicle—simply called BEV for battery electric vehicle—at the Washington Auto Show earlier this month. The BEV accelerated in a brisk manner with barely a flutter of noise. Power delivery was seamless and constant. (We'll have more detailed reports in the coming weeks.)

The Ford BEV is a joint venture between Ford and Magna International, a major global parts supplier. Magna supplies the batteries and powertrain components, as well as the engineering and vehicle design. The BEV technology has been applied to a Ford Focus mule that has been in road testing for the past six months.

To power up, the BEV has an on-board battery charger compatible with any standard outlet. Charge time is approximately 12 hours at 110 volts or 6 hours at 220 volts. Fully charged, the BEV promises a travel range of 100 miles. The powertrain consists of single electric motor managed by a one-speed transmission. Energy comes from a lithium ion battery split into two packs. One is stored below the floor of the cabin, and the other is in the trunk. Energy-saving features include vacuum-assisted regenerative brakes, a high-voltage compressor for the air conditioning system, and an electric cabin heater.

Ford says the BEV will first be introduced in North America, with the potential to migrate to the European and Asia Pacific markets down the road.

In Good Time: Ford Hybrids, Plug-in Hybrids and Electric Cars

Ford’s plan is to deliver some version of the BEV in 2011, and then to follow in 2012 with its next-generation hybrid vehicles and a plug-in hybrid. If the company delivers, it will be only slightly behind Toyota’s plug-in Prius and GM’s Chevy Volt. That’s not far at all, considering the small initial production numbers for these vehicles. By that time, Ford will have a couple years of real-world road experience with electric vehicles.

http://www.hybridcars.com/news/fords-sneak...ture-25557.html

Edited April 21, 2009 by GaryC

[Niels Bohr 72]

Ford is getting much more efficient. That leaves Chevy. They license their automotive technology from Nissan. I don't think Chevy will last.

[Niels Bohr 72]

Ford is getting much more efficient. That leaves Chevy. They license their automotive technology from Nissan. I don't think Chevy will last.

Hmm...Actually, I still yet to see Ford in action. So I'm still skeptical on Ford.

[GaryC 7]

Ford is getting much more efficient. That leaves Chevy. They license their automotive technology from Nissan. I don't think Chevy will last.

Hmm...Actually, I still yet to see Ford in action. So I'm still skeptical on Ford.

As a lifetime Ford owner I can tell you their quality is much better than GM or Chrysler. They also didn't need a bail-out. They are in the best position of the big three.

[stangguy 0]

You aren't impressed by the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid. Are you impressed by the 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid? If you are, maybe you shouldn't be. The Escape is rated at 34/31 MPG city/highway by the EPA while the Camry is rated at 33/34 city/highway. However, the duo rate as the 4th and 5th most fuel efficient vehicles under city driving conditions in the US for MY2009. The Escape is also a small SUV if you weren't aware and provides roughly the same relative increase in fuel efficiency over the non-hybrid version as the Camry hybrid does over its non-hybrid version. Neither Toyota or Honda offer a comparable vehicle to the Escape as a Hybrid. The Escape has been available as a Hybrid since 2005.

Also, Honda doesn't offer a hybrid in the mid-size sedan segment since they dropped the Accord hybrid which didn't use the hybird technology to increase fuel economy but to increase performance. Ford now offers the Ford Fusion as a Hybrid, though as a 2010, and is rated at 41/36 MPG city/highway. It is the most fuel efficient mid-size sedan in the US that is based on an existing non-hybrid.