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Zika virus causes Indian automaker to change name of new car called Zica

February 2, 2016 3:07 PM

Tata Motors is changing the name of it's new car, Zica, due to it's association with the Zika virus.

Zica

In a public statement,the Indian carmaker promised to reveal a new name for the car in a few weeks.

“Empathising with the hardships being caused by the recent Zika virus outbreak across many countries, Tata Motors, as a socially responsible company, has decided to rebrand the car. The company is determined to place it in the market addressing all relevant needs of the target audience.”

Zica, chosen as an abbreviation for “zippy car”, will be launched on tomorrow (February 3rd), at the Auto Expo in New Delhi.

The Guardian reports that this new car will still carry the Zica label.

In other news, Tata Motors islaunching it's vehicle assembly plant in Lagos, Nigeria, soon.

"We are pleased to announce the start of our project for the assembly of vehicles in Nigeria through our local partner, IPI. Since we started operations in Nigeria, I am pleased to share that we have trained over 200 technicians in our training school for our network partners and key customers," the Managing Director, Mr. Noel Tata, said.