The world's cheapest car was unveiled today by India's motor giant Tata Group. The 624cc five-seater Tata Nano will cost $2,500 (£1,277, €1,700), and will hit the roads later this year.
At the ICIS Aromatics Conference in November 2007 we heard how increased car ownership in India and China, along with diminishing oil reserves were the key factors which would limit the amount of crude oil available to the petrochemical industry in the future. The launch of this car and the trend it represents will guarantee that crude oil stays up at $100/barrel and that oil companies' predictions of average prices at $70-90/barrel in 2007-2010 were seriously off the mark.
Who would want a nano when for just another €1000 you could get a car that runs on air made by the same company?
And even better it will make the price of petrol irrelevant.
Check out this site http://www.theaircar.com/
Why is it that the world press sees the Tata Nano as a major event - which either will (according to them) will increase the use of oil to precarious levels or add to global warming etc etc?
It is simply a radical design and the fruit of a concerted effort of a company called TATA to design and deliver a vehicle for $2500 . . . something that could not have been deemed possible for any global auto major.
At 50 mpg, it will be cleaner than most two stroke motorbikes and be a lot more fuel efficient than the Toyota Pirus.
At least give the company some credit for doing something that no other auto major has done before.