These days, we’re all looking for a deal. How about a $2000 car?
Tata of India, formerly known as TELCO (Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company), has rolled out what they promised two years ago: a $2000 car. Available only in India, they have already announced that they will be bringing a version of the Nano to the United States, with an assembly plant in Ohio.
What’s remarkable about the Nano and what it offers is the reality that many people could afford a $2000 car, regardless of their financial situation. What you’re getting from that car may not be the ultimate in luxury and extra features, but it will get you from point A to point B for not too much money, not to mention the incredible fuel economy such a car offers. Speced at a cool 51 mpg city and 61 mpg highway, this baby would take me back and forth to work two and a half times on a gallon of gas. That’s a startling figure.
While the Indian version of the Nano is pretty stripped down, the European and American versions being planned include air conditing, power locks, plus European or American safety and emissions standards. Not huge luxuries, but enough to probably raise the price of the vehicle to $2800-3000.
Still doable. Is it possible that the Nano will do what the original VW Beetle did? They are similar in horsepower and price and similar in features (the low end Nano will not have air conditioning, and the VW Beetle had no air conditioning or power anything – yet we bought them like crazy!). As long as the car was safe and well-constructed, I wouldn’t be all that concerned about acceleration or power, as my commute is pretty much stop and go anyway. If we compare it to the VW Beetle, it was well-constructed, could be easily serviced (I helped my dad rebuild our Beatle back in ’75).
But even if it has a road-life of 8 or 10 years, it’s still considerably better than some of our gas-guzzling, overpriced alternatives. I’ve not been this excited about new car technology in a long time. I’ll be watching to see how it comes out in the end.