Tata Motors goes for hybrids and electric technologies cars 

#Mumbai : With the future of diesel coming under a cloud following issues raised by the National Green Tribunal, companies like Tata Motors are fast moving towards alternative sources such as hybrids and electric technologies.

The Mumbai-based company, which has been heavily dependent on diesel engines in the past for vehicles like Indica, Indigo, Safari and Sumo, is working on partial hybrids and full electric system for its future range of passenger vehicles as well as a new generation of petrol engines.

Manufacturers always shied away from developing elecric cars because of the hight cost of batteries. But with the world’s biggest automotive market China betting big on electric vehicles following the increase in levels of pollution, the prices of batteries have started coming down.

Timothy Leverton, president and head, advanced product engineering, Tata Motors, said, “We have worked across for our passenger and commercial vehicles on hybrid technologies and battery electric technologies. The barrier to electric technology were the high cost of batteries. But their prices have started coming down. The rate of reduction cost is accelerating. We have always seen hybrids as a path towards this type of technology and we will be getting this integrated into our future vehicles.”
Tata Motors developed an all-new three 1.2 litre, 3 cylinder, all aluminium petrol engine for the upcoming Zica hatchback. This new engine will be offered alongside the 1 litre diesel engine which it has also developed from scratch.