Tata showcases the future of mobility

At the recently-concluded Detroit Motor Show, the Michelin Design Challenge stall had Tata’s answer to future mobility—a small electric concept called eMO. Ammar Alvi checks out what the fuss is all about.

Tata Motors has always tried to position itself as India’s pioneer in efficient transport solutions. Few years back, it was the Nano that aimed to put India’s majority on four wheels. After a few hiccups, Nano did eventually impress. With the eMO (electric MObility), designed and developed by Tata Technologies, it hopes to gauge public interest in green tech, before putting it into production.

The eMO is a design study spawned from the Michelin Challenge Design, the theme of which for 2012 was ‘City 2046: Art, Life and Ingenuity—Transforming Personal Mobility’, which challenged participants to design a personal, ground-based vehicle that can transport between two and 10 people. The solution, which Tata Technologies’ Vehicle Programs & Development (VDP) Group offered, is a small all-electric urban runabout, which, while not really breaking the mould in any particular department, manages to pull off nothing short of a miracle of smart packaging, to maximise interior space while minimising external footprint. The internal combustion engine is eliminated to free up immense space inside the body, duly replaced by a unique liquid-cooled dual-motor, which powers the front wheels, coupled to an air-cooled 18.4 kW high energy density battery.

The end result is an EV which can seat four adults comfortably, with a range of about 160 km and a top speed of 105 kmph. There’s a large glass panoramic roof and large windows, an LCD tablet in place of a conventional dashboard and an almost non-existent centre console, which makes the eMO feel even more spacious than it appears from outside.

There’s a front independent suspension, semi-trailing link suspension at the back, front disc and rear drum brakes with anti-lock systems, electronic stability, and a power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering. But the really smart bit is that, thanks to the adoption of a Small Assembly Footprint methodology, the traditional bodyshop is eliminated, which, along with liberal use of ‘green’ materials, ensures that it’s not only eco-friendly to run, but also eco-friendly to make. According to Tata, VDP managed to keep it’s cost under Rs 10 lakh, which is of course independent of state subsidies or tax rebates.

There’s a lot of design similarities with the Nano, but the good thing is that Tata has managed to demonstrate the future of a much-needed variety of mobility in India. The question is, when, and at what price?