Tata announces work on biofuel cars, and US Nano by 2011: Special Biofuels Digest report

By special South Asia correspondent Joelle Brink

Last Wednesday, Tata Industries chairman Ratan Tata told a panel at the Cornell Global Forum on Sustainable Global Enterprise that his car division is already at work on vehicles designed to run on biodiesel, ethanol and lithium ion batteries. Tata, a Cornell alumnus who personally led the Nano development team and contributed many of its innovations, had mentioned in earlier interviews that he would like to offer purpose-built flex-fuel and biodiesel cars and other vehicles, but he had given no indication that work was already in progress.

While no prospective launch dates were given, Tata Motors has nine highly skilled development teams in key global geographies, working for clients like the Ferrari Formula 1 racing team in addition to in-house development. Moreover the task of optimizing engines and fuel systems for biofuels is nowhere near as complex as the revolutionary design and production challenges of the Nano. Tata Motors is already offering a four passenger electric car using lithium ion batteries in Europe.

The recent sale of Chrysler to Tata Motors’ global partner Fiat could mean that biofuel cars will soon be available in US dealerships. The Nano is due to go on sale in the US in 2011 after design alterations to meet US rear crash test standards. It is expected to be similar to the luxury European model that was the hit of the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. Hundreds of thousands of prospective US buyers wrote to Tata Motors asking the company to bring the Nano to the US.

Tata Motors already owns Jaguar and Land Rover but appears to be saving that dealer network for its new British-built luxury models of those brands.

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