Is Tata Nano being phased out? Dealers no more booking this car indicates the speculations.

If you remember the launch of Tata Nano, the smallest and lowest priced car in the history of Indian automobile sector, you can easily recall great hopes attached with it. Experts predicted Nano to rapidly tighten clutch on small car segment. People queued up at Tata showrooms to book Nano. But barely eight years post the launch, Nano’s charm seems to have faded as it’s expected that car may be phased out from market very soon.

The Tata Nano, Ratan Tata’s brainchild, is likely to be phased out soon as dealers in most parts of the country have stopped placing orders for the cars in the last three-four months. Nano, which was launched in 2008 with much expectations of being the people’s car, hasn’t been able to live up to the billing. The car was initially launched with a price of Rs 1 lakh, which has increased with time. Currently, the small car sells at approx. Rs 2.69 lakh.

BYE BYE Nano?

It has become a loss-making model for Tata Motors at present. After the company abandoned the Singur plant, Tata Motors had shifted the production facility to Sanand in Gujarat. The average daily production of just two Nano cars at the company’s Sanand plant is indication enough that this vehicle is now as good as obsolete. The company had made a subsequent reduction of production from 180 cars in August to 57 units in October, the report further adds.
Menwhile, Tata Motors small car Nano, which has struggled to live up to expectations, is about to turn a new chapter with city-based Jayem Automotives set to launch an electric version of the car under “Neo” brand. The 48-volt “Neo” cars would be assembled and marketed by Jayem Auto. Its body shells and associated components are supplied by Tata Motors.

According to the reports, the first batch of cars will be supplied shortly. Many automakers are joining the electric race and electric vehicles will soon become trend in India. The electric drive system of Neo is developed and supplied by Electra EV, a technology company which develops and produces electric drive systems. The car can run 150 kms with air-conditioning on a single full charge.

So, this is being considered as dead end of the Nano’s journey and those own Nano must keep it maintained so that the car does not become a history. However there isn’t any official statement yet about the discontinuing the car but Tata’s dealers no more making further bookings indicates such speculations.