3 Wheeler for the Price of a 4 Wheeler, WHY?


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I am talking about our rickshaws, also known as Autos. After speaking to some rick drivers, I came to know that a Bajaj RE 4S costs close to 1.7 Lacs on road. RE 4S CNG costs more!


That's almost the price of a Nano which is a proper 4 wheeler with 4 doors, AC, steering, etc.

Why does the rick cost so much?
 
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well i also have got same question but i think autos are not costly but cars have become cheaper now! [;)]
 
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Isnt that exactly why the Tata Nano is termed as a fantastic piece of frugal engineering ?
[;)] Unfortunately they made a lot of noise terming it as a 'cheapest car' which is not the best thing to do in the marketing world!!
 
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Maybe the registration, permit charges and taxes would be higher because it is a revenue generating product which nano is not.
 
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Imagine what will happen if an Ape auto crashes with a car. The probable answer lies in the aftermath.

My colleague's 800 and an Ape passenger auto-rickshaw collided with each other some years back.

Guess what happened? The auto had two small dents behind the driver's seat area-the size of one's palm and my friends car was damaged to the tune of 25,000 Rs. The bonnet, the right fender, the windscreen, the right front door & window glass, the right front wheel plus tyre, the right head light and park light and the front bumper were totaled. The right side A-pillar was also pushed back.

The auto had turned turtle, But there was only an 8 inch tear on its canopy and the two dents, that was about it. Say some 1000 rupees damage. Surprised? I dont know about Bajaj autorickshaws, But Ape makes them a little too strong.

And by the way my friend banged his nose onto the steering wheel on impact and bled a lot, He was fine otherwise. It happened cause he did not wear his seat belt.
 
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@ raj: I am not sure but may be on road price is high due to higher road tax for commercial vehicle.
 

lxi.

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I talked to a Auto driver while travelling, he had got the auto on that day only. So, i asked about the cost-
He said 2.10lacs for the diesel model of Piaggio Ape!
I was Shokked!
 
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I am talking about our rickshaws, also known as Autos. After speaking to some rick drivers, I came to know that a Bajaj RE 4S costs close to 1.7 Lacs on road. RE 4S CNG costs more!


That's almost the price of a Nano which is a proper 4 wheeler with 4 doors, AC, steering, etc.

Why does the rick cost so much?
Isnt that exactly why the Tata Nano is termed as a fantastic piece of frugal engineering ?
Unfortunately they made a lot of noise terming it as a 'cheapest car' which is not the best thing to do in the marketing world!!
if we consider manufacturing costs, then an auto should be much cheaper than the Nano.
Auto rickshaw prices were increased gradually over a period of time because of the demand.
Many young people who cannot find a job end up in buying an auto (mostly with the help of family and also with hire purchase)
So the Manufacturer was enjoying a ready market with lot of demand and thus kept on increasing the price.

Meantime, Nano is an innovation. Its not just cutting. It was a different approach to design and manufacturing. (remember Nano has 37 patents goes in to its making). So they could limit the cost.

That is the reason why industrial world is appreciating Nano and TATA Motors. This development is even considered as the coming of age of Indian Engineering and Manufacturing.
 
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Perfect , Apt way to put it, nobody bothered to do a nano with the rickshaws(thank god, our streets are a nightmare already ) - a lot of thought and engineering has gone in making the Nano!
 

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