Tata Nano
Overview
Manufacturer	Tata Motors
Also called	one-lakh car
Production	2008–present
Assembly	Sanand Plant, Sanand, Gujarat, India[1]
Designer	Girish Wagh, Justin Norek, Pierre Castinel[2]
Body and chassis
Class	City car
Body style	4-door one-box
Layout	RR layout
Powertrain
Engine	2 cylinder SOHC petrol Bosch multi-point fuel injection (single injector) all aluminium 624 cc (38 cu in)
Transmission	4 speed synchromesh with overdrive in 4th
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,230 mm (87.8 in)[3]
Length	3,099 mm (122.0 in)[3]
Width	1,495 mm (58.9 in)[3]
Height	1,652 mm (65.0 in)[3]
Kerb weight	600 kg (1,300 lb)–635 kg (1,400 lb)[3]

The Tata Nano is a city car manufactured by Tata Motors. Made and sold in India, the Nano is the cheapest new car in the world today with a price of ₹100,000 (approximately US$2000 at launch).

After having successfully launched the low cost Tata Ace truck in 2005, Tata Motors began development of an affordable car that would appeal to the many Indians who drive motorcycles.^[4] The purchase price of this no frills auto was brought down by dispensing with most nonessential features, reducing the amount of steel used in its construction, and relying on low cost Indian labour.^{[citation needed]}

The introduction of the Nano received much media attention due to its low price.^[5]

Expectations created for the car during the run up to its production may have been out of proportion with its realised success. A 2008 study, by Indian rating agency CRISIL, thought the Nano would expand the nation's car market by 65%,^[6] but, as of late 2012, news reports have detailed the underwhelming response of the Indian consumer to the offering; sales in the first two fiscal years after the car's unveiling remained steady at about 70,000 units although Tata appears intent on maintaining a capacity to produce the car in much larger quantities, some 250,000 per year, should the need arise.^[7]

It was anticipated that its 2009 debut would greatly affect the used car market, and prices did drop 25-30% prior to the launch.^[8] Sales of the Nano's nearest competitor, the Maruti 800, fell by 20% immediately following the unveiling of the Nano.^[9] It is unknown if the Nano has had a lasting effect on the prices of and demand for close substitutes, however. In July 2012, Tata's Group chairman Ratan Tata, who retired in January 2014, said that the car had immense potential in the developing world while admitting that early now opportunities were wasted due to initial problems.^[10]

Tata Motors announced in 2006 that the Nano would be manufactured in Singur, West Bengal.^[11] Local farmers soon began protesting the forced acquisition of their land the new factory entailed.^[11] Tata first delayed the Nano launch and later decided to build the car in a different state, Gujarat, instead.^[12]

Announced as the least expensive production car in the world, Tata aimed for a price of one lakh rupees, or ₹100,000, which was approximately $2,000 US at the time.^[13] Only the very first customers were able to purchase the car at that price, however, and, as of 2012, the price for the basic Nano is around ₹ 150,000.^[14] Increasing material costs may be to blame for this rapid rise in price.^[15]

Compared to the Volkswagen Beetle it has a relatively low price, however. In 1990, a Beetle from Mexican factories was priced at $5,300,^[16] about $12,360 in today's money. The Ford Model T's initial price was about $850, equivalent to $28,824 today.^[17]

The second-generation Nano is expected to be sold in the United States by 2015. Tata is aiming for the Nano to be the cheapest new car in the US.^[18] The original Nano is not street legal in the US, and cannot legally be sold as a grey market import until 2034, when the original 2009 models receive a 25-year exemption from the US Customs and Border Protection.^[19] Despite a readily-available dealership network in the US through the Jaguar Land Rover division of Tata, Tata Motors won't use Jaguar Land Rover to sell the Nano.^[20]

The Nano's design implements many measures that make its manufacture cheap.

• The Nano's trunk is only accessible from inside the car, as the rear hatch does not open.^[21]
• One windscreen wiper instead of the usual pair (also seen earlier on certain Citroen and Mercedes models)^[5]
• No power steering, unnecessary due to its light weight^[5]
• Three lug nuts on the wheels instead of the usual four (also seen on Smart)^[22]
• Only one wing mirror on base models. Higher variants fitted with passenger side ORVM from 2012 onwards.^[5]
• Radio or CD player is optional (the idea picked on some basic car models in North America)^[5]
• No airbags on any model^[23]
• 624cc rear engine has only 2 cylinders^[5]
• No air conditioning in base model (as on most basic car models in Europe and North America)^[5]
• Front passenger seat same as the driver seat, and the headrests are integrated.
• Thinner 135/70-R12 space saver spare tyre.
• No external fuel filler cap. Fuel inlet is accessed by opening the front hood.
• Front door power windows only offered on highest variant. PW switches placed on central console rather than on door pads.

The Nano (2012) is a 38 PS (28 kW; 37 hp) car with a two-cylinder 624 cc rear engine.

The car complies with Bharat Stage 4 Indian Emissions Standards, which are roughly equivalent to Euro 4 and can also meet European emission standards^[which?] as well.^{[citation needed]}

The development of the Nano had led to 31 Design and 37 Technology patents being filed

While the Nano is driven by a petrol engine, several more-radical powerplants have been proposed but not put into production. Also, an upscale version was shown at an autoshow.

Tata Motors signed an agreement in 2007 with a French firm, Motor Development International, to produce a compressed air car Nano.^[28] While the vehicle was supposed to be able to travel approximately 200 kilometres (120 mi) on $3 US of electricity to compress the air, Tata's Vice-President of Engineering Systems confirmed in late 2009 that vehicle range continues to be a problem.^[28][29]

A website has speculated that the Nano might be made available with a diesel engine.^[30] Tata motors have not confirmed this but have stated: "As of now there is no Diesel variant of the Nano. The Nano is only available in a Petrol version."^[31]

Tata has discussed the possibility of producing an electric version,^[32] and while it showcased an electric vehicle Nano at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show,^[33] no such car is currently on the market.

If an EV Nano is sold it is expected to be the "world's cheapest electric car",^[34] use lithium-ion batteries, and have a range of 80 miles (130 km).^[35] A Norwegian electric car specialist, Miljøbil Grenland AS, has been named as a supposed partner in the project.^[32]

The Nano CNG emax is launched in October 2013. It can run on either gasoline or compressed natural gas. Initially, it will be sold in Delhi and parts of Maharashtra and Lucknow, where CNG is available at fuel outlets.^[36]

An upscale Nano concept car called the Europa was shown at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.^[37]

There were reports of several fire incidents involving the Nano.^[38] The company denied those were connected to the car’s design or its parts and blamed "foreign electrical equipment" found on top of the exhaust system.^[38] The company offered to retrofit the exhaust and electrical systems but refused to recall the cars.^[38] Tata extended the warranty on the car, including those already sold, from 18 months to four years in early December 2010.^[38]

The Nano has received a tepid reception from Indian consumers. Reasons given have included that it is still too expensive compared with a motorcycle,.^[39] Also it is identified as the cheapest car,^[40] whereas a secondhand car that was more expensive when new has more social cachet.^[41] The fires and other safety issues have also been nominated.^[39]

In 2014 a Nano was crashed for NCAP by ADAC in Germany. Despite Tata's claim that it was expecting 4 stars it actually achieved zero stars.^[42]

Nominal factory output is 250,000 pa

FY 2009-2010 30,000 approx

FY 2010-2011 70,432

FY 2011-2012 74,527^[43]

FY 2012-2013 53,848^[44]

FY 2013-2014 first half (April to Sept.) 10,202^[36]

• 2010 Business Standard Motoring Indian car of the year^[45]
• 2010 Bloomberg UTV-Autocar car of the year^[46]
• 2010 Edison Awards, first place in the transportation category^[47]
• 2010 Good Design Awards,^{[disambiguation needed]} in the category of transportation^[48]

• Small Wonder: The Making of Nano–a book about the creation of the Tata Nano.^[49]
• A Megafactories episode on this vehicle.

• Tata Pixel
• Singur Tata Nano controversy
• City car
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• Tata Magic Iris
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• Tata Nano - Official product page