Indian Autos blog

Tata Motors has postponed production plans for the Vista EV in the UK, TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk reports. The 25 samples that were produced for on-road trials posed cost of production and reliability issues with the £15,000 (INR 13 Lac) LiPo batteries that went in it.

Tata has given its employees another year to do more testing and contain the situation. The company recently setup a small factory in Coventry where it assembles electric vehicles.

We are not showing you an UFO! The Chevrolet EN-V could be the next generation of personal transportation.

General Motors at the Beijing Auto Show 2012 showcased a rendering of the Chevrolet EN-V 2.0, the next generation concept model of the EN-V (Electric Networked-Vehicle) which was recently shown in India at the Delhi Auto Expo 2012.

The EN-V was first showcased at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai and is a concept that did not fade into oblivion.

It is wonderful to watch new alternate fuel technologies coming to India. The government made sure that alternate fuel technology such as fuel cells and hybrids get due concessions in the 2012 Union Budget. Recently, we reported of a Chinese company Romai heading to Kerala with their Electric Auto rickshaws. Now it seems that New Delhi is also jumping the bandwagon although a bit differently.

What is the buzz all about?

A lot of Delhiites complain about hot summers with the Sun fiercely shining overhead. Well, that same aggressive Sun will help Delhiites commute to their office. New Delhi is all set to go green with Solar powered rickshaws.

jump past the break for more details

People from God’s own country Kerala will be soon treated to an extra dollop of eco friendly vehicles. The Shanghai-based company ‘Romai Electric Vehicles’ is planning to enter Kerala with their electric auto rickshaws to replace the conventional petrol/CNG powered counterparts.

Romai Electric doesn’t actually make auto rickshaws. But they do make electric tricycles which can be altered to autos by adding roof covers on it.

click through to read on

Touted as the future of the automobile, the EV or Electric vehicle is the buzz word for most auto manufacturers today. Many companies are pumping millions of dollars into the development of automobiles that can be powered by electricity. We drove two electric cars in 2012 – the Fluence EV in Portugal and the Leaf that came to the Auto Expo. We were convinced that electric vehicles are slowly going to replace cars powered by internal combustion.

Read about Indian Autos Blog’s casual encounter with the Nissan Leaf

Motor Trend has reported that Skoda is working on the electric variant based on the Citigo for a 2014 launch in Europe. The Citigo is the Volkswagen Up’s identical twin and the specifications of the Volthead are already frozen!

The tiny tots are fired by an 18-kWh battery pack wired to a 80 hp electric motor. This lends a range of 81 miles with a top speed of 81mph. Volkswagen will introduce its version by 2013 followed by the Skoda model a year later.

The petrol engined Up! is on sale across Europe while the Citigo is available in its home market of Czech Republic. The petrol Citigo’s availability will extend to other European markets in 2013. It is powered by a 1L petrol engine producing 60 or 75hp.

The Tata Vista EV, developed in International Automotive Research Centre at the University of Warwick Campus, Coventry, is a fully-electric 4-seater hatchback with impressive performance characteristics such as 110 miles range and a top speed of 71 mph.

The Vista EV was parked at the 2012 Auto Expo in Delhi demonstrating Tata Motors’ technological prowess. But, in case you missed it, here is a nicely edited video showing the features of the Vista EV.

Nissan recently showcased the NV-200 at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo and named it Evalia for the Indian market. But in Detroit, Nissan has showcased and all electric Nissan e-NV-200 that heads for production by 2014. The production model is expected to have a few tweaks, but the basic technology and shape will be unchanged.

The e-NV-200 has a grafted Nissan Leaf’s front fascia. In addition to sweeping headlamps and LED accents, the hood features a blue-accent badge that pops open to reveal a charging port. The e-NV200 features a pair of large glass roof panels, which gives the interior a more airy feel, as well as advanced telematics and a digital instrument display that appears to be inspired by an iPad.

The e-NV200 shares its electric drive system — an 80kW motor and lithium-ion battery pack — with the Nissan Leaf. It’s expected to provide around the same 160km range as the LEAF. Nissan states that this van would be suitable for both commercial and passenger use in large metropolitan areas.