Nano: Cheapest Car Marks Quantum Leap in the Engineering World

In New Delhi, RatanTata has unveiled the world's cheapest car, Nano, at a cost of $2,500. The predictable hurrahs of the Nano enthusiasts and the doomsday predictions of the greens and others critics are settling down. As an engineer and a believer in 'design for the real world', I would like all Indians to stand up and salute Ratan Tata and his team. An Indian has had the courage to think the unthinkable and an Indian company has for the first time showed its competence in producing the unthinkable. When a new product or a new technology is introduced in the market, which is a clean break from anything in the past, it brings not only benefits to the immediate customer, but changes the way the entire world lives, thinks, designs and manufactures its products. These path-breaking products and technologies bring about changes even in social mores and economy of nations. With the debut of Nano, not only is cartoonist Laxman's Common Man enthused, but also the entire world press and technical journals are singing praises. Tata's have produced a world-class people's car, not only for India but also for the entire world. This car reflects so much of lateral thinking in every aspect of its concept, design and materials used, that worldwide manufacturing will never be the same again.

Let us look at the pedigree of People's Car, by starting with Henry Ford's Model T, which was launched in 1908. Till then even branded cars were handcrafted and no two similar parts from two cars of the same model were interchangeable. So cars were fanciful toys for the rich to show off, in which they could move around mostly within the town. Henry Ford came to know of the conveyor systems being used in slaughterhouses and developed the idea of production on assembly lines. Every 93 minutes a car ran off the line! Thus intrinsically the cost of the car came down. Besides, he had the wooden crates of the component suppliers' so designed that those very planks, without much modifications could be used in the car itself, rather than being thrown away. Much to the dismay of the manufacturing industry and the surprise of the unions, he raised the wages of his workers for 8 hours to $5.00. No one in the industry came close to this preposterous amount. Productivity of the motivated workforce improved immensely. Price of the car pegged at $850.00 in 1909 came down to $440.00 in 1915. Now autoworkers could become auto-owners. In 1927 the 15 millionth car rolled off the plant. Car for the masses had firmly established itself.
But much else changed because of Model T. Henry Ford campaigned with oil companies and the government to set up a network of gas stations all over the country. With wider ownership of cars, people switched from long distance travel by horse-drawn carriages and railroads, to cars also. This also gave birth to the American suburbs. It is said, that the privacy of travel by car gave birth to increase in promiscuity, in a society, which was founded by very puritanical Pilgrim Fathers!

Next dreamer of People's Car was Adolf Hitler, the great dictator. He was reeling under the shame of a defeated Germany and rampant unemployment. To boost employment and national pride, he ordered the construction of Autobahns countrywide, which even today are arguably the best highways in the world. He himself sketched his dream car and entrusted the automakers of the day to produce a people's car, which would cost Reich Marks 1000.00. The team had to throw out of the window all notions of conventional car design and manufacturing. It provided the basics of safe and comfortable travel, never mind the most unconventional look! The result was Volkswagen (literally, people's car), which caught the fancy of the nation and the depressed common German was on the road again, full of pride. Even to this day, the beloved 'Beetle' remains the most sold model in the world.

Now Ratan Tata, much against the doubts of a skeptical world has unveiled, Nano, which is a car designed on a blank sheet, with all conventional notions of design, looks and ways of manufacturing thrown to the wind. A lot of non-essentials have been left out. And rear engine, tubeless tires, simple dashboard, single wiper and a legion of similar ideas have been introduced. All this by still meeting the magic target of $2,500! Not one to make vain promises, I am sure that Ratan Tata's car will withstand the rigors of potholed Indian roads, and the emission and fuel consumption targets. What has been unveiled is a car not just for the aspiring Indian, but also for people in other developing and even developed countries. If one is to go by the international press, even in the developed countries, the manufacturers will have to compete with this product and will have to design not only cars, but also other products, which incorporate the principal of 'zero-base designing' - stripping away all non-essentials, and conserving on materials and energy. In the process companies will have to think of catering to the bottom of the pyramid and not only to the elite. More than 20 years ago, the designer-philosopher, Victor Papakek, expounded the same philosophy, which lies behind Nano, in his book 'Design for the Real World'. Under the auspices of UN agencies, the author and his students designed a TV set for Africa for just $10.00 and a radio for Indonesian tribals for 75 cents! Nano would be a very good case study for this book.

For us in India, Nano would mean that the look of small-town India will change. It will also mean increase in overall fuel requirement and pollution, jammed roads, parking problems, etc. This should force those in governance to evolve an umbrella fuel policy, provide roads, which cater to pedestrians, cars and widely improved public transport. The jammed Nano commuters may force what reasoned pleas by activists and NGOs could not achieve! Finally, three cheers for Ratan Tata and his merrymen, who thought of the Common Man!