SantaFefan
Joined: 07 Dec 2006
Posts: 11258
Location: top of the cliffs in Norfolk
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 Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 11:19 am Post subject: Don't leave the TV on Standby... |
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Next fall, the Indian automaker Tata Motors is scheduled to introduce its long-awaited People’s Car, with a sticker price of about $2,500.
Hot on its tail may be as many as half a dozen new ultra-affordable vehicles — some from the world’s leading carmakers, including Toyota and Renault-Nissan.
India will overtake China next year as the fastest-growing car market.
Now, foreign carmakers are entering the competition, increasing pressure to make cheaper yet appealing cars.
From June to September alone, Skoda said it would start making and selling the Fabia, its small car, in India; Toyota’s chairman, Fujio Cho, said his company might introduce a new small car to India; Ford Motor executives said they were studying the situation; and Renault-Nissan announced it would set up an engineering and design center, adding to previous plans to build a plant in India.
Renault-Nissan has been talking with local scooter maker Bajaj Auto about building a cheap car that analysts say could cost as little as $3,000. Hyundai and Honda are planning a small car tailored to the Indian market.
On Thursday, Fiat stepped up a partnership with Tata, announcing a 50-50 joint venture to make cars, engines and transmissions in India for the domestic and overseas markets.
A. T. Kearney, an international management consulting firm, estimates that a car with a $3,000 list price could attract 300 million buyers in India by 2020.
Car manufacturers are looking at India’s 65 million scooter owners, mostly men. Currently, entire families commute on scooters, with the man of the house driving, his wife sitting side-saddle on the rear, and as many as three children wedged in between.
The People’s Car will create a situation where “someone who never even dreamed of a car finds it within reach,” said Ravi Kant, the managing director of Tata Motors. “Imagine what excitement there is.”
Environmentalists and safety advocates are less enthusiastic.
Anumita Roychowdhury, the associate director for the Center for Science and Environment in New Delhi, said the ultra-affordable vehicles would worsen India’s pollution and traffic congestion. Already, nearly 60 percent of India’s cities have pollution levels that are considered critical, she said.
 I think I'll live a little and go back to 100watt lightbulbs instead of 40's..... 
_________________
Johnnie Walker read out my message on Pirate Radio!  13/8/07
I have heard how radio should be. |
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nod
Joined: 24 Dec 2006
Posts: 3558
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| Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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“Imagine what excitement there is.”
yeah...pollution, large scale traffc jams, road tolls, speed cameras , think of the opportunities with 300 million cars. |
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