Tata has been working on a CNG powered variant of the people’s car for a while now, and if these latest spy shots are to be believed, the car is very close to production. Here is a spyshot of the Nano CNG which further adds gravity to the words “very soon”. The test vehicle of the CNG Nano while it was being refilled in a fuel station. The gas inlet is located near the petrol inlet and that means you’ve got to pop the bonnet up to refuel. The recent spotting suggests that the Nano CNG is just around the corner.
Showcased at the 2012 AutoExpo, the Nano CNG had a 35 kg CNG tank under the front seats, but the production model might just come with a slightly smaller tank.
Though the addition of a CNG kit will bump up the prices of the Nano by about Rs 20-30,000, the drop in running costs will be well worth it. In fact, with a CNG kit, the running costs of the Nano will rival that of a scooter!
There won’t be many changes to the engine and gearbox, but when running it on CNG, there is bound to be a slight drop in power. And to keep costs in check, instead of using a sequential system, a more rudimentary venturi system will be used, which will result in slightly lower performance and efficiency, but will work out to be cheaper for the buyer.
While the CNG variant is expected to give the Nano a shot in the arm, it is the diesel version that is pipped to be the game changer.
Also see – The Tata Indigo eCS enters Limca Book of Records!
Image credit – Indianautosblog
