are true. In an unveiling in India this past week, the company took the wraps off of two lithium-ion battery-powered EV prototypes based on the Ace work truck and the Indica sedan (pictured). As we heard earlier this year, the Indica EV will first be sold in the Norweigian market next year because the Scandanavian country “has the necessary infrastructure in place to run electric cars which India lacks,” as Tata Motors President Ravi Kant put it. Indians will get their own chance to buy the car in about 24 months. According to the Tata Motors has confirmed that the rumors of an all-electric Tata Ace and the all-electric Tata IndicaBusiness-Standard, the all-electric Indica has two battery packs which can charge in eight hour and go around 110-120 miles on a charge.

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Now that Jaguar and Land Rover are no longer part of the Ford family, they can’t rely on the engineers in Dearborn to provide them with technology they need to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. The new owners from Tata also don’t have that expertise in house. With CO₂ emissions limits coming to Europe, Jaguar and Land Rover are in the process of hiring 600 people, many of whom will be engineers with the knowledge required to develop hybrid and electric drive systems as well as other new powertrain technology. The Land Rover LR2/Freelander will get a start-stop system this fall and a production version of the LRX concept is expected to debut in the next couple of years. Jaguar so far hasn’t implemented any of these types of systems in its cars, although European models do offer diesel engines.

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Hummer is under review while Tata and Mahindra are constantly on the search for iconic new acquisitions. Could Hummer find a new home in India?
According to a report in India’s Economic Times, representatives from General Motors have approached Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra regarding the possible sale of its ailing Hummer brand.

In a statement released last week, General Motors informed us that its Hummer brand was being placed under a corporate review which could conclude in a radical brand shift, or the potential sale of Hummer to an interested party.

Although the Hummer brand review is in a state of infancy, the economic factors appear to favour the brand being auctioned off. Petrol prices in the US have climbed to $4,00 per gallon (roughly R32,00 per gallon) and a 36 percent down-turn in Hummer sales this year.

Tata, whose historic acquisition of the Jaguar and Land Rover brands from Ford concluded last week, has declined to comment on this latest development, nor has its neighboring rival Mahindra & Mahindra.

Given the aforementioned increases in fuel costs and emission standards, it stands to reason that no US or Japanese automaker would wish to add a model range such as the Hummer’s to their portfolios. However, a large percentage of both Tata and Mahindra & Mahindra’s portfolio comprises trucks and SUVs. These companies are vying with one another to establish a stronger presence on the global automotive stage, so a hugely recognizable brand such as Hummer could well increase awareness in either company.

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Axon Automotive, creators of last year’s Eco-M super lightweight speedster, has entered the $10 million Automotive x prize with a new hatchback aimed at city dwellers. The new vehicle features a full carbon-fiber chassis and will likely be powered by a compact turbodiesel engine.

Keeping weight down will be a big consideration for the Axon hatchback as it strives to achieve the Automotive X Prize’s requirement for competitors to produce a 100mpg car. The UK based company has pioneered a special way of processing carbon fiber that involves engineers wrapping carbon-fiber braids around a foam core to produce a material that is as strong as steel but a fraction of the weight.

While there is no confirmation yet on the engine being used in the 100mpg hatchback, every measure is being used to make the car as aerodynamic and as light as possible - hence the rather dated looking rear-wheel covers. The final vehicle will be designed for both crowded cities and fast-paced highways and will be capable of seating two adults plus two small children.

Axon will be up against a number of strong competitors, including India’s Tata, which is developing two electric vehicles for the challenge, as well as Tesla and its famous electric roadster, and a Finish university that’s preparing a new electric sports car based on the Audi R8.

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Volkswagen may not be the only auto manufacturer interesting in a storied Italian motorcycle maker. Hot on the heels of its purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover, rumors are swirling that Tata may be considering purchasing a stake in MV Agusta. According to a few Indian and Italian sources, Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata Group, is reportedly in talks with Claudio Castiglioni, the man running the show at MV Agusta.

Tata’s involvement with MV Agusta could inject a unique flavor to the Indian conglomerate’s portfolio, which has already been boosted by its acquisition of the two aforementioned classic British marques. A healthy injection of cash could do wonders for MV Agusta as well, considering what it has already proven capable of even in its currently meager financial position.

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Ford has issued a press release confirming that it has sold both Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata Motors for an approximate price of $2.3 billion, which comes under some numbers as high as $2.65 billion that were being tossed around yesterday. The rumor that Ford will contribute to pension funds associated with the brands is also true, as it confirmed that $600 million will be dropped into the retirement coffers of the brands once the deal closes. It is, of course, subject to regulatory approval in a number of countries, but the automaker expects the deal to be done by the end of the following quarter. As part of the deal, Ford will continue to supply powertrains, stampings and other unnamed vehicle components to Tata for “differing periods”, as well as R&D research, environmental and platform technologies, and even accounting services, among others. Clearly the ties that bind Jaguar Land Rover to Ford are strong and will take some time to undo. Judging from the press release, it seems all parties involved, including the employees of Jaguar Land Rover, are pleased with how the deal went down, and for the time being both brands will be run business as usual during the transition period.

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Could the protracted sale of Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford to Tata finally be coming to an end? After learning last week that Tata has secured the financing required to make the deal possible, reports are coming from London’s Financial Times suggesting that the official announcement of the sale, reportedly worth $2 billion, could come as soon as on Wednesday, when Jaguar workers return to work after enjoying their Easter holiday. This sale, of course, follows up Ford’s sale of Aston Martin, leaving a lonely Volvo as the only company left of Ford’s Premium Automotive Group.

Details of the deal include Tata’s assurance that they will continue to buy engines from Ford for Jaguar and Land Rover and Ford’s continuing to contribute to the pension fund of both marques.

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