Tata Nano, Rebadged and Sold by Others

Tata Nano, the cheapest car in the world as it is called by some people, might be rebadged and sold by other manufacturers across the globe. Vice Chairman Ravi Kant hinted in a statement that the Indian manufacturer might allow other carmakers to build the Nano and sell it under a different name.

"We call it Nano, they don't have to," he said according to a report by the Business Standard.

Tata Motors started selling the car in July and sold only 7,500 units in the past three months. However, the Indian company has more enthusiastic plans when it comes to this particular model, with output at the Pantnagar facility to be increased from 4,000 units/month to 5,000. The new plant in Sanand will begin production in February 2010, with an output of 1,200 units from March.

"Effectively, there will be nearly 40,000 cars produced from the two plants this fiscal with Pantnagar accounting for a lion's share. Sanand will come into its own from 2010-11," inside sources were quoted as saying by the Hindu Business Line.

If we are to trust the media reports, Tata Motors is currently developing a diesel engine to be offered on the Nano which, according to some voices, is projected to enter production in the last months of 2010. The diesel is rumored to have a displacement of around 684cc, obviously aimed at cutting fuel consumption and CO2 emissions as much as possible.

Details are still in the early stage so further information is likely to surface in the upcoming months.