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Upcoming Electric and Hybrids Cars in India

The Indian car market is growing rapidly. It has just overtaken Japan and emerged as the largest small car market in the world. It is slowly becoming a hub for luxury cars as well. Moreover, in near future the Indian car market will witness a slew of electric and hybrid car launches. Most of these green cars will be displayed at the upcoming Delhi Auto Expo. Below listed are the electric cars and hybrid cars that will be displayed at the 2010 Auto Expo.

REVA NXR and NXG

The main attraction of this Auto Show will be the NXR and NXG from REVA Electric Car Company, India's lone electric car maker. These two cars were the show-stoppers of the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show where they made their first public appearance.

The Reva NXR and NXG are technologically a step ahead of the customary battery operated REVA electric cars that we have here. General Motors was so fascinated by their technology that it decided to sign an alliance with the car company to build an electric version of the Spark.

Chevrolet Spark Electra

The Spark is marketed in India by General Motors through its Chevrolet brand. Now this beleaguered car company has decided to exhibit the electric variant of the Chevrolet Spark at the 2010 Delhi Auto Show. The Spark that we have in India presently will be fitted to an electric motor replacing the petrol engine.

The Spark also comes in a CNG model in Chevy's portfolio. The Spark Electra will go into production by 2011. The price of this electric Spark will be at the higher-end considering the feasibility of electric cars in India.

Mahindra Scorpio Hybrid

SUV maker Mahindra & Mahindra is also set to try its hands at making hybrid cars. It has already designed a micro hybrid Scorpio keeping in mind the Indian market. The Hybrid Scorpio will carry a diesel-electric engine. It will come with a 2.2L 4-cylinder common rail diesel engine (CRDe) that can provide 115 bhp. The engine also has a complementary 288-volt NiMH battery. The Hybrid Scorpio is expected to launch in the United States in 2010 and will be displayed at the Auto Show.

Toyota Prius Hybrid

Japanese car behemoth Toyota will be launching its much-acclaimed Prius Hybrid in India at the Auto Expo 2010. This car is a big hit with Hollywood celebrities and will certainly wow the Mumbai Cine world community as well. The Prius will come to India as Completely Built Unit (CBU) and will be taxed above 100 per cent. This means that the price prices would be above Rs 20 Lakh. The Prius will carry a 98 bhp 1.8-litre petrol engine that is supplemented by a 36 bhp electric motor. The car will grace showrooms in mid-2010.

Tata Nano Electric and Hybrid

Tata Motors will be coming out with an electric version as well as a hybrid variant of its most talked-about small car, the Nano. At this point, nothing is much known about the development of the electric and hybrid versions of the Tata Nano. But we are sure that it will hit the market by 2012. A prototype of the electric and hybrid version of the Nano will be displayed next month at the Auto Show.

Tata Indica Vista Electric

Tata Motors is also considering in bringing out an electric version of the Indian Vista hatchback. The car is under development and testing in Norway. The Tata Indica Vista Electric will be launched in India at the same time as it will be launched in the markets of Europe. The company will make a market study for the car before they introduce it in 2011. But Tata Motors will surely display the Indica Vista EV at the Auto Expo 2010.

Hyundai i10 EV

Hyundai's flagship model i10 now comes in an electric version. In fact, if you remember well, it was showcased at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Now, Hyundai will be introducing the electric version of the popular Hyundai i10 at the upcoming Auto Expo next month. The i10 EV is an all-electric zero-emission car. The Hyundai i10 EV is said to be unveiled in India by none other than Hyundai's brand ambassador Shah Rukh Khan! But remember, there is a difference between an unveiling and a launch! It would be great if Hyundai really brings in the i10 EV to India. The rumour mill says that the Hyundai i10 electric car will have a 66 bhp electric motor.

Honda CR-Z Hybrid

Japanese car major Honda will be bringing the CR-Z Hybrid Concept to view in India. The CR-Z hybrid sportscar concept was displayed at the Tokyo Motor Show in October. Honda is unlikely to launch this car in India as it has had enough from the Civic Hybrid car. The CR-Z will be the first hybrid car to come with a 6-speed manual transmission. It will be launched in Japan in February and hit the US market in the third quarter of 2010.