By: Jordana Levine

The Tata Nano, launched in March 2009, is by far the cheapest car on the market, costing a mere $2,500.  It gets an average of 57mpg — and with careful driving can get up to 67mpg, which is better than almost any car on the road; the Toyota Prius gets 48mpg driving in the city – and even the SmartCar can’t compete, getting 33mpg on city streets and 41mpg on the highway.[1]

The Nano is in high demand; the first 100,000 cars produced will be distributed through a lottery.  Although the cars are cheap, customers are expected to pay deposits totaling up to $1 billion if they want to get their hands on the first batch of Nanos.  Also, while the basic Nano is only $2500, it is likely that the majority of the cars sold will be the more upscale models, since the basic one doesn’t even include air conditioning or cup holders.[2][3]

There are expected to be up to 300,000 Nanos on the roads in India by 2010[4], and although the car is exceptionally fuel efficient, critics are worried about the traffic and noise and air pollution that the sudden increase in cars could create.[5] Hopefully this innovation will help the environment, though, rather than hurt it, by providing developing countries with affordable cars that conserve fuel.

1  “Most and Least Efficient Vehicles.”  http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/best/bestworstNF.shtml
2  “The new people’s car.”  The Economist.  28 Mar 2009.
3  “Tata ‘NANO’ – The People’s Car from Tata Motors.”  2008.  http://tatanano.inservices.tatamotors.com/tatamotors/index.php?option=com_whynano&task=features&Itemid=301
4  “The new people’s car.”
5  “Tata Motors rolls out Nano, the world’s cheapest car.”  The Associated Press.  10 Jan 2008. http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/01/10/nano-tata.html