Tata to Design Genovation G2 EV

Indian car manufacturer Tata Motors will venture in the design and development of electric vehicles with the aid of Rockville based Genovation Cars. The American carmaker selected Tata to design and build a prototype of a electric car called G2.

"We are very pleased to be taking what progress we've made in developing an efficient and reliable electric car to the next level by having a company such as Tata involved," Andrew Saul, Genovation CEO said in a release.

"We feel they are the company to help us meet our objective of providing customers with safe, sustainable automobiles that do not compromise driving independence. And at the same time, help us become one of the premier providers of green automobiles in the US."

Tata will build the G2 using the tech put into the G1, an electric conversion of a Ford Focus. The technologies include an electric motor, battery string, battery management system, safety system, HVAC, controller and instrumentation.

The G2 will be built in two-door and four-door versions, initially only in two quarter-scale models. Metalsa will be in charge of the structural design and manufacturability analysis, while Dana Thermal Products will supervise the car's electric systems cooling and cabin climate control.

What's interesting is that Genovation plans to build the 1,000 units a year it envisions through pods that require only a few robots.

"With this model, we can be nimble and market driven in order to react to where there is a demand and volume is achieved through deployment of multiple pods," Saul added.