New Indica Electric to make its Norway debut by fiscal-end

New Delhi, Aug 25 (UNI) Tata Motors today said it will launch its first electric car-- Indica Electric-- by the end of this fiscal in Norway, followed by other countries.

''The 'Indica Electric' will be launched in Norway this fiscal and will go to other markets on a later stage,'' Tata Motors President (Passenger Cars) Rajiv Dube told reporters at a press conference while announcing the launch of the Indica Vista in the capital here.

The new Indica Electric will use lithium ion batteries for high energy and power density and is expected have an approximate range of 200 kilometers, he said.

However, Mr Dube refused to comment on media reports saying the company is working on five prototypes of electric vehicles on the Indica platform.

Worldwide automakers are facing the heat for polluting the atmosphere. Most of the developed countries particularly the US and European Union have already proposed strigent emission norms from this year.

At the same time these countries are offering rebates for electric and hybrid vehicles.

The advantages of rolling out the car in Norway is that it offers surplus power and the respective Government is encouraging customers to shift to battery-operated vehicles.

Already Norway is the home for two electric car makers -- 'Th!nk' and 'Kewet'.

UNI AK MP AS1846