DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: Tata eMO concept
Indian industrial giant Tata takes the wraps off bespoke electric vehicle, the eMO - a Jaguar in disguise?Tata Technologies, part of the giant Indian-based Tata Group that owns Jaguar and Land Rover, revealed a compact electric vehicle at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show that has implications for the companies' various automotive brands.
The four-seat eMO EV concept is purely a design exercise says Tata Technologies' president Warren Harris, but is evidence of the Tata Group's ability to develop electric powertrain systems that could be scaled for use in various applications, such as a Jaguar supercar or a hybrid Range Rover.
"The eMO project symbolises the coming of age of Indian automotive engineering," said Harris. "It is a tangible example of the capability of Tata Technologies to engineer a full vehicle - a first for any India-based engineering services company."
The futuristic take on exterior design of the eMO - short hand for Electric MObility - is far less important than the technology under the skin, which comprises a high density 18.4kWh air-cooled battery system that feeds the dual electric motors, in turn driving the front wheels.
Tata Technologies claims the eMO EV concept has a cruising range of 160km and can reach speeds of up to 105km/h.
The chassis that underpins the eMO makes use of independent suspension front and rear, and features ABS and stability control. It's creators say it would cost around US$20,000 if manufactured but there are no plans to built it.
Tata Technologies' Vehicle Programs and Development (VPD) Group president, Kevin Fisher, explained that "...this next decade will see an ever-increasing demand for more efficient and accelerated product development that also will need to incorporate more new technology than the auto industry has seen in 30 years."
The VPD arm which developed the eMO concept has engineering centres in India, USA, Germany and Coventry in the UK - the latter conveniently close to Jaguar's Coventry base. "We are positioned to set the pace in automotive product development and technological innovation," stated Fisher.
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