Posted for the sake of a post !!!!

I dont like to do this, but I wanted to post something today …. unfortunately I have been quite busy this week. And I cant wait for another 4 years to post on a leap year day….So for the record, I have posted today – 29 February 2008. .

Scoot…err….Car !!!

Have you ever wished to drive a car without losing the thrill of riding a bike ??? Well, you could soon do that. Venture vehicles Inc, based in LA,USA has come up with a eco-friendly three wheeler (car) which does just that. By combining the performance feel of a car with the agility of a motorcycle, it has brought in a new breed of vehicle that can be either a hybrid or a fully electric vehicle – The Venture One.

It features an automatic system that takes over the balance control in order to maintain the ideal tilting angles under all driving conditions . You can check out the demo of the vehicle below.

Venture vehicles expects mileage of 100 mpg and a top speed of 100 mph. This could be the typical urban vehicle we need. Approx price – USD 20K – 25K.

The Nano effect

Amidst all the media hype and skepticism, TATA delivered the people’s car – Tata Nano , world’s cheapest production car which meets the emission and safety norms for about US $2500. What is truly special is the fact that they kept the promised price, despite the inflation and rising raw material prices, since the announcement about 4 years ago. If the car can meet the specifications then, Ratan Tata has delivered one of the best products to come out of India. Known as the 1 lakh car (1 lakh means Rs. 100,000) , this car promises to change the way India commutes. This post is about the 5 things that Nano can do to the automotive market.

Tata Nano

1) Cheaper second-hand cars

The pre-owned car market has already been affected by the impending launch of the Nano. The price of a second hand car has dropped by 30% after the Nano’s launch. Car ownership may be transformed from luxury to necessity due to affordability.

2) Auto rickshaws phased out by cars

Nano has made a open challenge to the makers of three wheelers – particularly Bajaj. With no significant difference in price, sales of the passenger autorickshaws can see a huge drop.Though the manuverability and the maintenance aspects of 3 wheelers are difficult to match, the increased safety, comfort and all weather capability of Nano can tilt the balance in its favour. Autorickshaws can become a thing of the past !!!

3) High end motor cycle segment will switch to cars

The two wheeler market with more than 150cc comprises of people who expect something more than the basic 100 cc bikes. This segment can afford higher price and has the potential to own a car because of the relatively small difference in the pricing of high end bikes and Nano. However, it will not affect those who buy bikes for the sheer riding pleasure.

4)Price and volume drop in Cars with a 2-3 lakh price tag:

The cars in this price range are the ones bought by the (upper) middle class. Middle class Indians are conservative people who would not splurge. They want better value for money. So with an viable cheap car available, car makers like Maruti suzuki, Hyundai and others will see a dent in their sales figure.

5) New market segment in the 1-1.5 lakh range

What Nano has achieved is to create a new market segment which was non existent before.Nano will be the car to beat. If the leading companies cannot build a car in this price range, they are surely out of the race. So everyone will try to have a piece of this market.

Challenges ahead :

However everything is not rosy for Tata. The biggest challenge for Tata is to prove that the car can meet the specifications at the cost it promises to deliver. The increasing prices of the raw materials, the ability of Tata to scale up production, maintaining the service network, will challenge engineers at Tata. With the initial orders of Nano expected to be as high as a few years production capability, the delivery rate is critical and has to catch up with demand. But the concept of a low cost Nano has revolutionised and rewritten the rules of the automotive industry.

TamilNadu …. to the world !!!

” A picture speaks a thousand words “….. This link is a testimony to the fact that “photography is an art” and is more than just the shutter speed and aperture setting.

Photo galleries of Tamil Nadu (India) – http://www.pbase.com/oochappan/india_tamil_nadu

An important aspect is that the photographer is from Belgium and he travels to India – Tamil nadu – for the first 3 months of the year, every year since 1987. You can read about his profile here .