05.12.09
BASF is supplying India’s Tata Motors with products and engineering solutions for its new Nano automobile designed to reduce emissions, enhance fuel efficiency and improve the car’s overall aesthetic look. The Nano project product development involved BASF’s wide network. For example, BASF Catalysts developed a catalytic converter for the Nano to meet India’s current emission standards. The Nano’s plastic air intake manifold is produced by Tata Visteon and employs BASF’s Ultramid glass-fiber reinforced engineering plastic. Generally, air intake manifolds supply the engine with the air it needs for combustion and was traditionally made from aluminum. Replacing it with Ultramid leads to 40% weight saving, which in turn leads to better fuel efficiency and fewer emissions. BASF also provided development support ranging from computer simulation studies in the design phase to component tests in the trial phase, carried out at BASF’s engineering plastics technical centers. BASF’s most noticeable contribution to the Nano will be the color and luster of the vehicle’s exterior, according to the company. BASF has been supplying automotive coatings to Tata Motors since 1998 for the company’s Indica, Sumo, Safari, Indigo and other commercial models. Now, BASF Coatings has been approved by Tata Motors to supply some colors for the Nano as well.