Tata Motors presented the Nano Electric Vehicle (EV) at the 80th Geneva Motor Show. The car offers the practicality of a real car, compromising nothing in the pursuit of providing environment-friendly personal transportation for the modern consumer. Using super polymer lithium ion batteries, as in the Tata Indica Vista EV, which provide superior energy density to conventional batteries, the car will seat four individuals comfortably in its spacious interiors. It will have a predicted range of up to 160 km and an acceleration of 0-60 kmph in under 10 seconds. The Tata Nano EV will expand the company’s electric vehicles portfolio, which already comprises the Indica Vista EV.

“Electrification will be an integral part of our initiative to launch environment-friendly vehicles. The Indica Vista EV will be introduced in select European countries, beginning this year. We will progressively introduce electric vehicles in all relevant markets,” Mr. Ravi Kant, Vice Chairman, Tata Motors, said.

The Tata Nano is being displayed at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in the Great Hall at 2 East 91st Street in Manhattan beginning this Thursday. The Cooper-Hewitt is showing the Tata Nano because, as the world’s most affordable car, it is a design achievement. The car will remain on display till 25th April, 2010. So if you haven’t seen the car in flesh and stay in New York, you have plenty of time to get a glimpse.

People who missed a chance to book their Nano first/last time around can now soon book the worlds cheapest car. Tata Motors is set to re-open the bookings of the Nano once the mother plant in Sanand, Gujarat commences production of the car. However don’t worry if you are not in a position to book your Tata Nano in May, because the bookings of the Nano will be open forever and the dealers will also start offering test drives once production becomes stable.

The Tata Nano made huge waves at the last Auto Expo when it was unveiled for the first time. This year Tata Motors has launched two special editions of the worlds cheapest car – Nano for him and Nano for her, based on the top of the line LX variant. Nano for her is painted in xocktail red with floral patterns on the door and the bonnet. Whereas the Nano for him is painted in wild Lime with leather seats and leather door pads.

The theme continues in the interiors too, with similar colours used on the seats, door pads and the center console. It is also features stop-start  mechanism (Chevrolet Cruze style).

JBL Audio has displayed a JBLfyed Tata Nano at the 2010 Auto Expo. The JBL Nano (we like to call it) has been modified tastefully with bigger Maxxis tyres (with V thread pattern), alloy wheels, rear-hinged suicide doors (which will be remote operated in the future), glass rectangle at the rear (encourages people to have a dekho of your ICE), new paint job, rear spoiler, leather seats, new bumpers, performance gauges, projector headlights and blackened tail lights. The whole car including the exterior and interior has been painted in JBL colour scheme of orange and black.

After automobile designer Dilip Chhabria ruined a Rolls-Royce, its his turn to do the same to a Nano. The Tata Nano was made to be affordable car and not a supercar but Mr. Chhabria thinks otherwise. The car which will be showcased at the Auto Expo will cost Rs. 1 crore (this is not a typing error) and will be a two seater. Yes, you can get 1 DC Nano for the price of 75 Tata Nanos. But what makes the DC nano so expensive? Afterall its basically the worlds cheapest car with some modifications! First off, the stock 623cc engine goes away and in comes a 1600cc powerplant capable of a top speed of 200 kmph aided by a 7 speed triptronic tranny.

The exteriors get gull wing doors (ala Lamborghini Murcielago style), biometric door handles (allowing only the keyholder entry), xenon lights, LED clusters, 15″ alloy wheels (up from the stock 12″ wheels). The interiors boast of panoramic wind screen and lots of gadgetry like mobile LCD screen (for movies, internet, navigation and games), customised instruments panel (which reflects on the windscreen), door mounted camera (for rear vision) which even records clips. Now why would anyone want to do that?

The Tata Nano has won the prestigious Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) award. In its fifth year running and modeled along the lines of the American, European and Japanese Car of the Year, the ICOTY award consits of expert and independent judgment of all new cars and motorcycles launched in the calendar year in India. An 11-member specialist jury consisting of senior automobile journalists from leading automobile magazines in India got together to vote for the most impressive car and motorcycle on similar parameters to acclaimed international awards for automotive excellence.

After the jury rounds the Tata Nano emerged as the Indian Car of the Year. The Managing Director of Tata Motors, Mr. P.M. Telang, received the award from the Vice Chairman & Managing Director of JK Tyre Industries Ltd., Dr. R. P. Singhania, at a ceremony in New Delhi on 20th December. This time there was a close contest for the ICOTY award and after all points were tabulated, it was the Tata Nano with 63 points that emerged the victor. Though several vehicles qualified for the 2010 ICOTY, the ten finalists selected by the jury, besides the Tata Nano, were the Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Jazz, Fiat Linea, Fiat Grande Punto, Maruti Suzuki Ritz, Mahindra Xylo, Skoda Superb, Tata Indigo Manza, and Toyota Fortunner.

The Tata Nano will be on view at the prestigious Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York’s from February 18 through April 25, 2010. A bright yellow Nano will be on display in Cooper-Hewitt’s Great Hall, along with diagrams and a short film describing its concept, development and production.

“Cooper-Hewitt’s mission is to present the very latest developments in design and technology and the Tata Nano introduces more families in India to the new world of affordable and safer mobility,” said Cara McCarty, curatorial director of the museum.”We’re eager to display the Tata Nano at the museum, where many visitors will see it for the first time.”

Tata Motors is planning to produce hybrid versions of the Nano as it looks to join in the environment friendly brigade. In today’s global warming world a eco-friendly variant of a car is a must and with most manufacturers showcasing their hybrid prowess at the Tokyo Motorshow last month, Tata Motors doesn’t want to be left behind. Details about the motor and the launch are unclear as the hybrid Nano is still in infant stage.

British Deputy High commissioner Mrs. Vicki Treadell has purchased a Tata Nano reports Carwale. Ratan Tata, the Chairman of the Tata Group handed over the keys of a white Nano LX to Mrs. Treadell. The car has the British Union Jack flag on its roof.