Automotive

Tata readies Indica Vista killer-EV for market

Tata readies Indica Vista killer-EV for market
The Tata Indica Vista EV
The Tata Indica Vista EV
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The Tata Indica Vista EV
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The Tata Indica Vista EV
Tata's stand at the Thai Motor Expo which opens to the public today (December 1, 2010)
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Tata's stand at the Thai Motor Expo which opens to the public today (December 1, 2010)
The Tata Indica Vista EV on display at the Thai Motor Expo 2010
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The Tata Indica Vista EV on display at the Thai Motor Expo 2010
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The Tata Indica Vista EVX during the Royal Automobile Club Brighton to London Future Car Challenge
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The Tata Indica Vista EVX during the Royal Automobile Club Brighton to London Future Car Challenge
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The Tata Indica Vista EV
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The Tata Indica Vista EV
The Tata Ace will be sold as an electric vehicle alongside its current 1.4 litre diesel engine
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The Tata Ace will be sold as an electric vehicle alongside its current 1.4 litre diesel engine
The Tata Indica Vista EV
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The Tata Indica Vista EV
The Tata Indica Vista EV
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The Tata Indica Vista EV
The Tata Indica Vista EV
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The Tata Indica Vista EV
The Tata Indica Vista EVX completed the journey from Brighton to London at a highly economical energy cost of GBP1.35.
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The Tata Indica Vista EVX completed the journey from Brighton to London at a highly economical energy cost of GBP1.35.
The Tata Indica Vista EV
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The Tata Indica Vista EV
The Tata Indica Vista EV
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The Tata Indica Vista EV
The Tata Indica Vista EV
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The Tata Indica Vista EV
The Tata Indica Vista EV
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The Tata Indica Vista EV
The engine bay of the Tata Indica Vista EV
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The engine bay of the Tata Indica Vista EV
Close up of the engine bay of the Tata Indica Vista EV
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Close up of the engine bay of the Tata Indica Vista EV
The Tata Indica Vista EVX at the Automotive X-prize
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The Tata Indica Vista EVX at the Automotive X-prize
The Tata Indica Vista EVX at the Automotive X-prize
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The Tata Indica Vista EVX at the Automotive X-prize
The next EV from Tata will be this vehicle - the ACE
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The next EV from Tata will be this vehicle - the ACE
The next EV from Tata will be this vehicle - the ACE
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The next EV from Tata will be this vehicle - the ACE
The next EV from Tata will be this vehicle - the ACE
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The next EV from Tata will be this vehicle - the ACE
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The next EV from Tata will be this vehicle - the ACE. The gals are optional extras
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The next EV from Tata will be this vehicle - the ACE. The gals are optional extras
The Tata Nano will also become an EV in the near future
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The Tata Nano will also become an EV in the near future
The Tata Nano
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The Tata Nano
The Tata Nano
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The Tata Nano
Another Tata-owned marque - Range Rover
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Another Tata-owned marque - Range Rover
Another Tata-owned marque - Range Rover
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Another Tata-owned marque - Range Rover
The Range Rover Evoque is indeed a stablemate of the Indica EV
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The Range Rover Evoque is indeed a stablemate of the Indica EV
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View gallery - 35 images

Ask someone in the street to name an electric vehicle right now and top-of-mind brands would probably include Tesla, Chevrolet Volt and Mitsubishi’s iMiev. Twelve months from now, there may be another name amongst that list you’ve not yet heard. Tata is best known for its US$2500 Tata Nano and recent acquisition of Jaguar and Range Rover but another of its wares appears set to make a huge impact in the EV field.

The Tata Indica Vista EV hits the market early in 2011, carries four people, has excellent performance and can run 150 miles on a charge. Most importantly, the EV is based on a best-selling, mass-market car from the Indian market where it sells for less than US$9000 and its performance in the recent Future Car Challenge verifies its extreme energy efficiency.

The engine bay of the Tata Indica Vista EV
The engine bay of the Tata Indica Vista EV

Tata is India’s largest automotive company with revenues of US$20 billion in 2009-10. Apart from its recent acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover, Tata is also the world's fourth largest truck manufacturer and the world’s second largest bus manufacturer. Like SAIC, China’s most-likely-to-succeed automotive manufacturer, Tata is the market leader in a country with a billion people and automotive ownership levels equivalent to those of America one hundred years ago. Though success cannot be assured in any competitive marketplace, Tata’s expertise in low-cost manufacturing positions it well to leverage its Indian-market sales into a prominent position on the global stage.

In 2005, the company established Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC) at the University of Warwick in Coventry in the UK, tapping into a vast knowledge base which has been consulting and working with Tier 1 Auto suppliers for many years.

In 2008, TMETC purchased a controlling interest in Miljo Grenland Innovation of Norway, a company which specializes in the development of innovative solutions for electric vehicles. Miljo sourced many of the major drive train components from Canadian company TM4 and though it produces its own batteries in Norway, the battery technology also comes from another Canadian company in the form of Electrovaya.

The next EV from Tata will be this vehicle - the ACE. The gals are optional extras
The next EV from Tata will be this vehicle - the ACE. The gals are optional extras

Miljo will work in conjunction with TMETC to produce electric vehicles based on existing Tata Motors’ products, such as the Nano, Indica and Ace commercial vehicle and Miljo’s super polymer lithium ion batteries will be employed in the vehicles. TMETC has subsequently raised its stake in Miljo Grenland to more than 70%.

The Indica Vista EV is the first automotive creation of TMETC and in the first week of November the car entered the inaugural Royal Automobile Club Brighton to London Future Car Challenge, winning the Most Economic Small Passenger EV and the Most Economical & Environment Friendly Small Passenger EV.

The Tata Indica Vista EVX during the Royal Automobile Club Brighton to London Future Car Challenge
The Tata Indica Vista EVX during the Royal Automobile Club Brighton to London Future Car Challenge

The event saw the participation of 60 vehicles from the major OEMs, as well as entries from private companies and individuals. The challenge was open to Electric, Hybrid and Low Emission Internal Combustion Engine vehicles and energy consumption was measured in various modes during the journey from Madeira Drive, Brighton to Pall Mall, London. The Tata Indica Vista EVX competed alongside vehicles from BMW, Mitsubishi and SMART.

The Tata Indica Vista EVX completed the journey from Brighton to London at a highly economical energy cost of GBP1.35. This compares very favorably to journey costs of GBP6.17 and GBP4.80 for a similar sized vehicle running either a petrol or diesel engine at standard energy prices.

The Tata Indica Vista EVX completed the journey from Brighton to London at a highly economical energy cost of GBP1.35.
The Tata Indica Vista EVX completed the journey from Brighton to London at a highly economical energy cost of GBP1.35.

The 58 mile route was completed with only a 36% depletion of the lithium ion phosphate batteries. This would give a vehicle range, in typical real-world driving conditions, of approximately 160 miles, producing an efficiency equivalent mileage of 176 mpg plug to wheel. That’s not quite in the same league as Tesla’s 240 mile range, but its price is expected to be a fraction of that of the Tesla and considerably lower than Mitsubishi’s iMIEV and Chevrolet’s Volt.

The Tata Indica Vista EV is now to be assembled in the U.K. after a GBP10 million loan was extended to Tata under the UK Government’s Automotive Assistance Programme. No release date or price have yet been announced, but a launch is expected in the U.K. in Q1 of 2011.

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10 comments
10 comments
Charles Bosse
iMiev? Never hears of it. You seem to have forgotten the Nissan LEAF though.
Facebook User
I notice they don\'t mention a top speed anywhere. So is it an NEV?
Stein Varjord
Being a Norwegian, the first EV name I\'d think of would be Th!nk, the Norwegian brand that so far has the Worlds biggest number of production units sold and has been selling proper electric cars (not enclosed scooters) for about 15 years. The Tesla would be the next name, for their fabulous design and tech. Third would be Buddy, another Norwegian veteran producer, but only with urban tiny \"cars\". The other brands mentioned are not even on the market yet, but a bit of hype have made their names somewhat familiar.
JohnF
Not being Norwegian, apparently I have access to more legitimate information, and I\'m pretty sure that Th!nk sells less electric cars, and has been producing them for a much shorter time, than India\'s REVA which manufactures and exports cars that people actually buy, like the G-Wiz.
Adrian Akau
More technical information is required. It may run good on level roads but what about hills? Can it reach and sustain highway speeds or is it only good for city/side road driving?

The price is amazing as compared to other electric vehicles and it should sell well.
voluntaryist
Once again (I focus on the fundamentals) I note the absence of drag and curb weight. Also, getting on the freeway safely requires acceleration of 0-60 under 10 seconds. These and range & cost are the first facts I look for. I need to know all of them to evaluate the EV.
Terotech
Great pictures! Love the girls in their mermaid skirts! Ian C.
Terotech
If getting onto the Freeway, [Motorway?] requires an acceleration of 0[mph?], to 60mph in under 10 seconds, what percentage of family vehicles / commercials cannot use these roads? Ian C.
Xabier Sanjuan
Looks nice and the price is \"very appealing\". It will be necessary for the Tata Indica Vista EV to pass safety tests and to meet EV standards in some countries. More likely will be sold in countries where the regulations are not as strict and mandatory as in the developed countries. I will be looking forward the effect of this car on the other major EV producers.
Roy H
The Indica was designed for the European market and meets all safety standards. The EV range is 180km and I have read top speed quoted as 120kph. They originally planned to manufacture in England with first shipments in September 2010. This was eventually scrapped because they couldn\'t get the government loan with the terms they wanted. So now a minimal production is starting in Norway, only 1000 cars in 2011 and 5000 max thereafter. Oh and acceleration has been quoted as 10 seconds to 100kph.
Looks like a very nice car, and I hope they will find acceptable financing to build in large quantities. Nissan plans to build 60k LEAFs in 2011 and 500k/yr by 2013. GM 15k Volts in 2011 and 45k in 2012.