Engine management on a budget

Tata Technologies engineers at the recent SAE Convergence event provided an inside look at how they developed the Nano's low-cost EMS and reduced development time and cost with extensive use of modern tools.

When the groundbreaking Nano was first conceived by Tata Motors product developers, existing low-cost cars available in India were not affordable to common people. The new car was targeted at the average Indian family of four, which at the time was using a two-wheeled vehicle for commuting, irrespective of season.

Vehicle goals included a fuel economy target set at 20-40% below that of the existing lowest-cost car. While fuel economy was critical, launch performance and driveability could not be compromised, particularly for acceleration from traffic signals. It was decided to optimize the car mainly for city and urban driving, so the top-speed target was set at 105 km/h (65 mph). In an Indian city, around 90% of the time the average speed on roads is about 50 km/h (31 mph), and the top speeds achieved range from 60 to 80 km/h (37 to 50 mph).