In India, it’s not unusual to see four or five family members balancing precariously on a single motorbike. In the past, dreaming would be as close as many Indians ever got to owning a low-price car. However, economic growth and improved earnings mean that this may soon be about to change.
The “one lakh car” could be to India what the “Beetle” was to Germany and Brazil all those years ago. The Indian company Tata joined forces with Bosch to take on this challenge. We developed low-price components and systems for the “Tata Nano,” which is to be launched on the Indian market in fall 2008 for a net price of around 1,700 euros.
For this project, we had to pay very close attention to local customer requirements. These differ quite considerably from what we are familiar with in our established markets. If the "Tata Nano" is to be a success with potential buyers, it must be extremely cost-effective to buy and run. It must also be family friendly and easy to repair. What’s more, robust and straightforward technology is crucial in view of the poor road conditions in India. Nonetheless, it is also important to meet both current and future emissions regulations and safety standards.
Our engineers rose to the challenge. For the gasoline injection system, we honed the injection technology for two-wheelers and adapted it for use in a car. For the diesel engine, by contrast, we simplified a tried-and-tested product. In the "Tata Nano", the injection pressure is not generated by a high-pressure pump, but by a more cost-effective plug-in pump. These two solutions enabled us to meet not only the cost limits, but also the exhaust gas limits that will come into force in India in 2010.
