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Tata pulls plug on production of Ace

20th december 2012
Page 7
Page 7, 20th december 2012 — Tata pulls plug on production of Ace
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By David Wilcox TATA MOTORS has pulled the plug on its battery-powered light truck, the Ace, after it failed to meet the standards to qualify for a new UK government grant.

The grant, introduced to kickstart sales of plug-in electric vans, was worth up to £8,000 or 20% of a new vehicle's price, and was designed to offset the high cost of lithium-ion batteries. However, with lead-acid batteries, the Ace's performance did not meet the grant's qualifying criteria for speed and range.

David Ruffell, Tata Motors head of vehicle sales and marketing in the UK, said that, although the downturn in the UK light van market has been a factor in the decision, failure to qualify for the grant was the final nail in the coffin.

"It meant that we were competing on price with more sophisticated vans with lithium-ion batteries," said Ruffen. "It was the law of unintended consequences."

Launched at the CV Show in 2011, the Ace is based on an Indiandesigned small truck powered by a 700cc two-cylinder diesel engine. The 1.55-tonne GVVV electric version uses a 26kW electric motor powered by 10 gel-filled lead-acid batteries. It was developed at Tata Motors' European Technical Centre in Coventry and was offered with boxvan, drop-side or tipper bodies. Assembly of the electric Ace started in March at a factory in Walsgrave, Coventry, where the electric drivetrain was installed in glider chassis from India. Production of the Ace halted in November, with only a handful produced.


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