Electric indica...

Tata Motors’ electric version of Indica"Indica EV", set to enter the domestic market in next two years .The electric Indica prototype unveiled by the company’s Managing Director, Mr Ravi Kant, earlier during the week is set to make its debut in Norway in 2009. It would later be introduced in other European countries with Government support and infrastructure for such vehicles.The price range hoped to be somewhat near to reva range.

The left-hand drive 'Indica ev' was developed at the Tata Motors research facility in the UK, in collaboration with the top electric vehicle research and development firm in Norway, believed to be Miljoebil Grenland, partly owned by regional utility company Skagerak Energi and the $25-billion energy and integrated aluminium company, Norsk Hydro, with whom the Tatas were reported to have been mulling a new facility to develop light-body chasis in India a few years back.The car can run for 175 km to 200 km when fully charged with a "two-pack" battery,which takes 8 hours to recharge, though mileage could vary according to the type of battery used mostly lithium batteries and almost zero emission.

Tata Yazaki Autocomp Limited, a division of Tata Auto Comp Systems Ltd (TACO) has been working on electric and hybrid technologies for past many years. Tata Yazaki is already supplier of hybrid fuel technology to global majors like Ford. Tata is currently testing the Indica hybrid. The"mild hybrid" indica would have the facility to turn off the engine when it is not needed such as when the car is stopped at signals, and turned on again expected to launch in 2008. Besides the Indica Hybrid, Tata Motors is also working with a US-based company on electrification of its most popular light commercial vehicle, ‘Ace’, and hybrid buses for city transport. And expects to roll out fuel cell technology based buses by 2010....

Electric-drive version of the Nano called E-Nano,to be built in cooperation with the Norwegian electric car specialist firm Miljoebil Grenland.Also on the look out for alternate compressed-air OneCAT technology for the Indian market.

Mahindra & Mahindra is also working on a four-seater electric car that will be bigger than the Reva and plans to bring it on Indian roads by 2010. Currently, M&M has an electric three-wheeler called Bijlee, and is working on an electric version on its three-wheeler Alfa.

Do u think will it be same hit as indica other models..nd is it a good challenger to Reva...please comment....