Comments on: India, China Leading Global Path In Small Car Automotive Design – Recyclable cars a new economic model for global auto industry

By: Pffefer

Pffefer — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:16:31 +0000

We shall see how SMART turns out here.

By: Chris Devonshire-Ellis

Chris Devonshire-Ellis — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:40:53 +0000

The jury appears out on that one, although Ratan Tata did state the most difficult thing to accomplish for the Nano was to pass the safety tests for cars as laid down by Indian law. But – it passed. It’s up to auto and government regulatory bodies to set standards. You have to remember also you’re not going to be doing a ton down a motorway in these things, they’re designed for urban driving in big cities. The average speed in London now is slower than it was when it was all horse powered and the average pace in cities like Mumbai is less than 15mph.

By: Pffefer

Pffefer — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 18:20:47 +0000

Smaller, more gas-efficient and more environmentally-friendly is definitely the right direction, but getting cheaper is not. Getting it on cheap means cutting corners, possibly. When people buy a car, the numero uno thing is safety. Are these small cars safe enough? Is Nano safe with all the plastic parts?