Tata�s expansion in Europe � with plans to launch the Nano

Carl-Peter Forster, CEO of Tata Motors, has told CAR of his hopes for Tata�s expansion in Europe � with plans to launch the Nano here with a diesel and possibly an electric version.

Tata is already the world�s fourth largest commercial vehicle producer and it is a strong force in the Indian car market. But with Forster at the helm, and now that Jaguar and Land Rover are fully integrated into Tata Motors�s global structure, the company plans to look outside its domestic stronghold.

Car-Peter Forster on the Tata Nano

�The Nano was a particularly gutsy initiative,� he told us. �It�s an asset both in India and abroad, and one which our competitors have discovered is not so easy to copy! The Nano is clearly a vehicle for developing markets which needs some fine-tuning for developed markets. There are possibilities in Europe and the US. We�re looking into that now.

�We are thinking about how to position it, where to sell it, what role could an electric version play. For less than 40% of the cost of a similarly sized car, you get an amazingly spacious vehicle.�

However, Forster warned that the European or American Nano would not arrive overnight. �We have to roll it out in India first,� he said. �We are looking at opportunities in developed markets, but don�t expect it for at least 18 months; changes to meet passive safety and emissions regulations will take a bit of time.�

He said that Tata was looking into a diesel engine programme for the Nano, but pledged that a Nano for developed markets would still be cheap. How will it be priced? �Below everybody else,� he smiled.