A lot of noise is present regarding the electric vehicles. While much of it is bad since there is no good battery technology and the growing saner noise is good for the environment. The electric vehicles store electric energy in batteries and drive the DC motors to move the vehicle. Hydrogen fuel cell cars are also being pursued but it is more complicated due to the unavailability of safe storage technologies. A porous material which could hold hydrogen gas and liberate the same when heated is also being tried. A number of players local and global are working to capture the market share in the new type of vehicles that work on fuels other than petroleum based.
It is in this scenario that TATA group can lead others. The Nano platform is designed as a low cost passenger vehicle and is also proved in crash test while other small cars made by rivals have not completed crash tests and may be marketed and sold at lower prices giving a blow to the original low cost car. the complete body design and looks of the TATA NANO are good and also the car is compact. This car could be converted into a electric one which is capable of carrying passengers comfortably because of its lower weight and can carry passengers with more motor power.
The cost of the vehicle could be still highly competitive and the problem of travel length now limited due to the capacity of batteries. With a good network of Tata service stations the group should tie up with fuel stations. Every battery should be identified with a non tamper-able chip or a sim and also ever car should be uniquely identified electrically. At the various stations a group of batteries should be kept in constant charging and any empty batter should be replaced with a charge of power and other maintenance/user charges. For a city commuter a 100KM per day would mostly suffice and in case of complete charge drain, a mobile unit should be available to replace the battery with a touch of a phone.
If this type of system is not possible, may be due to higher costs of holding and charging several batteries, then the TATA NANO platform could be made with petro-electirc platform and still maintaining the low cost and high class profile. The platform NANO is a too big to be wasted and the current SWIFT will make many user to move away from the TATA NANO because of the high cost of two lakh plus.
The main complaints of the TATA NANO are not is design or leg space or any others. The design is highly satisfactory, but the noise that the car produced was dragging the class/status because the noise was similar to an auto. People were having a feeling of drivnig an auto instead of a car. If an electric platform is introduced then the noise issue is not there and the car can become owners pride. Sales could also improve. It is a real wonder, that the TATA having implemented a NANO are not willing to venture into the electric car platform where REVA is a leading its space and trying to spread across the nation.
The battery support issue could be taken up together by these two companies and may create new type of market and business opportunities in India.
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