So, when INVENT 2011 snubbed Kaar as a business idea in the very first round, we were concerned. It was either we had messed up somewhere so very bad, or that Mr. Rizvi had missed a trick. We decided to find out.
We sent our spies to all sorts of places in Europe, and decided to look over the internet ourselves. The aim: to compare a fuel-efficient car with...well, everything else.
Fuel Economy
But first, we take a look at something much closer to our homes. My home.
EME College is about 12 km from my home. The return journey takes 12 x 2 = 24 km, something I do almost everyday.
My Daihatsu (hope the spellings are correct) Cuore does about 24 km to 1 kg of CNG, which costs (these days Rs. 58.55/Kg). So, one college day costs me, lets say Rs. 59. The same (at Rs. 83.70/L and 14 km/L) on petrol costs me around Rs. 140. On the other hand, if I use the college bus, which charges Rs. 1500/month (about 22 days/month), I have to pay, on average, Rs. 68. Unfortunately, the route I have to take on public transport involves three sub-routes, which totals to Rs. 42/trip, and hence Rs. 84/college day.
The writing is on the wall. Public transport isn't the solution to our fuel-economy problem. Using my car is simultaneously the cheapest and the most expensive solution. Fuel-efficiency of the vehicle draws the line for me. Imagine a car that does, say, 42 km/L (much less than what we expect from Kaar). The trip would cost me just Rs. 46/day. 56 km/L would cost me just Rs. 35/day.
Utility
There can be no denial of the utility of small and personalize-able cars. For the college-student-me, my car allows me flexibility in timings and ability to synchronize my travel timings with those of my classes.
Moreover, I remember a video by Top Gear in which Jeremy Clarkson squeezes into a really small vehicle, which can...well, fit into an elevator, and allows locomotion inside his office!
Fashion-Statement
Who says small and fuel-efficient cars have to look gross all the time?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13088553
Vehicle Cost
This is the Tata-Nano. And the worst thing about it is that it's made by Indian. Among the 10 things TIME reckons you should know about it is that it costs about $ 2000 (PKR Equivalent Rs. 170,000), it's made with less material than conventional cars (as you would expect), it weighs 600 Kgs and gives over 20 km/L.Is Nano a success? Apparently yes. (I wouldn't know for sure with all that economic jargon everywhere on the net). TIME lists it among the 12 most important cars of ALL TIME! That these Indians A-holes are planning to get into Europe in 2011 speaks volumes of its success.
Parking Space
Small cars equals to less congestion on the roads and for parking spaces. Our spies from Italy and France reported Smart Car to be a common sight. There was a yet smaller vehicle in Holland, the name of which we haven't been able to find out yet, and that was apparently a single seater automobile - addressing the above mentioned problems - especially for those with less children and productivity and efficiency in mind.
So, where did INVENT get it wrong? Right here!
