Bikes & Cars...

Earlier this year, Tata announced the Nano, the tiny little Indian car that sells for a whopping 100,000 rupees -- about $2,500 US. Not to be outdone, Tara introduced its own little Indian-market car, the aptly named Tiny, which will carry a price tag of 99,999 rupees -- about $2,500 US. (There has been a more recent blogosphere rumor that the Tiny might sell for 99,000 rupees, or $2,450.)

Both models have four seats crammed inside, but the bean-shaped Tara will be an EV, where the Nano runs on gasoline. Tara International, which is a subsidiary of the nearly 90-year-old Bengal Enamel company, says the Tiny can do 70 km/h (44 mph) and will go 100 km on a charge (62 miles). It doesn't make highway speeds, but it goes farther on a full battery than the average American driver covers in a day.

The Tiny is expected to be available in India in 4-5 months, with components from China's EV specialist company Aucma. The company reportedly has three more small EV models to come, the Titu, Micro, and Mini. They even have plans for buses, which I hope will have names like Large and Ginormous.

Photo by Steffe.