Page 7 - Automakers

Nissan expands research ties in China as part of bid to regain market share

Nissan Motor Co. is expanding its research ties with a leading Chinese university as it and other foreign car companies try to claw back market share in the important Chinese market. The Japanese automaker announced Sunday that it would launch joint research next year with Tsinghua University on reaching Generation Z defined for this project as those born between 1995 and 2009 and on the social responsibility of automakers in battery recycling, charging stations and other electric vehicle-related issues. The major auto companies were caught flat-footed by a boom in electric vehicles in China that has given rise to new Chinese competitors that have gobbled up market share at home and are now moving into Southeast Asia, Europe and other overseas markets. Nissan's sales in China plunged 34% in the six months from April to September compared with a year earlier. Market conditions in China have become extremely tough, Masashi Matsuyama, the head of Nissan's Chinese investment company,

Divergent trends in consumer spending: Auto shines, FMCG stumbles on demand

The share of the automobile sector, including makers of auto ancillaries, in corporate net sales rose to a 10-quarter high of 10.05 per cent during July-September 2023

Hyundai to install new plant in S Korea, to produce 200,000 EVs a year

Hyundai will invest 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) building the plant, which will cover 548,000 square meters of land at a former motor racing circuit

Nissan, Honda get some relief as weak yen amplifies uptick in sales

It raised its full-year forecast by nearly 13% to 620 billion yen due to a favourable impact of a weak yen and improvements in global retail sales, excluding China

Toyota Kirloskar Motor reports 66% jump in sales in October to 21,879 units

Earlier this year, media reports stated that Japanese auto major Toyota is looking to set up a third manufacturing plant in India

M&M reports highest-ever SUV, commercial vehicle monthly sales in October

In the utility vehicle segment, Mahindra recorded the highest sales for the fourth consecutive month

1,200-km range, 10-min charge: Toyota near solid-state battery breakthrough

If successful, Toyota said that solid-state batteries will double the range of EVs up to 1,200 km, and the charging time will be 10 minutes or less

Rush hour: Why automakers are pouring Rs 1.75 trn into their factories

One reason for the rush to increase capacity is that automakers do not want to miss the bus on electric vehicles

Ashok Leyland launches the new ecomet Star 1915 truck with 18.49T GVW

The latest truck by the company is suited for long-distance applications, designed for fuel efficiency and faster turnaround time

Strikes against automakers spread to nearly 38 locations in 20 states

The president of the United Auto Workers said on Friday the union will expand its strike against major automakers by walking out of 38 General Motors and Stellantis plants in 20 states. Ford was spared additional strikes because the company has met some of the union's demands during negotiations over the past week, said UAW President Shawn Fain. The union is pointing to the companies' huge recent profits as it seeks wage increases of 36 per cent over four years. The companies have offered a little over half that amount. The UAW has other demands, including a 32-hour work week for 40 hours of pay and a restoration of traditional pension plans for newer workers. The companies say they can't afford to meet the union's demands because they need to invest profits in a costly transition from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles. The UAW's contract with the automakers expired at midnight on September 14, and workers walked out of a Ford assembly plant near Detroit, a GM factory in ...

What's at stake as 13,000 workers go on strike at major US auto makers

About 13,000 auto workers have walked off the job at three targeted factories after their union leaders couldn't reach a deal with Detroit's automakers. The United Auto Workers union is seeking big raises and better benefits from General Motors, Ford and Stellantis. They want to get back concessions that the workers made years ago, when the companies were in financial trouble. A small percentage of the union's 146,000 members walked off the job at a GM assembly plant in Wentzville, Missouri; a Ford factory in Wayne, Michigan, near Detroit; and a Stellantis Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio, at 11.59 pm Eastern time on Thursday. Shawn Fain, the combative president of the UAW, says the targeted strikes will give the union leverage in contract talks and keep the auto companies guessing about its next move. It could also make the union's USD 825 million strike fund last much longer. Both sides began exchanging wage and benefit proposals last week. Though some incremental progress appears to

United Auto Workers union go on historic strike on 'Big Three' firms

The walkouts at the Detroit Three will halt production of the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler and Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck, along with other popular models

Demand, strong SUV off-take propel domestic PV sales to record high in Aug

Domestic passenger vehicle sales hit a record in August led by highest-ever monthly dispatches from Maruti Suzuki on the back of festive demand and the continued strong offtake of SUVs. Hyundai Motor India, Mahindra & Mahindra and Toyota Kirloskar Motor also reported strong dispatches to dealers last month. Tata Motors, however, saw a dip in domestic passenger vehicle sales in August. "The month of August was a very good month for the industry. Passenger vehicle sales in August stood at 3,60,897 units. This is the highest ever monthly sales in any month in any year in the industry," Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Senior Executive Officer (Marketing & Sales) Shashank Srivastava said. The previous highest for the industry was 3,55,400 units reported in September 2022, he added. The industry wholesales last month grew by 9.7 per cent to 3,60,897 units as compared with 3,26,980 units in August 2022, Srivastava said. In the April-August period, the industry sales crossed the 17 lakh ...

Indian automakers post rise in August sales ahead of festive season

In the passenger vehicles (PV) category, sales for Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra and Mahindra grew 16.4% and 25%, respectively, for the month compared to a year earlier

As Indian mkt matures, global automakers aim to make India an export hub

Global automakers are looking to turn India into an export hub, as people are shifting from local demand to pricier vehicles and that may spur more 'India-first' models

Arnab Roy to be Maruti Suzuki's new CFO from January 1, Ajay Seth to retire

Ajay Seth, current CFO of the company, will step down from his post on December 31 on account of superannuation

Bullish on green mobility, Tata Motors unveils new identity for EV biz

Tata Passenger Electric Mobility on Tuesday unveiled a new brand identity as it gears up to introduce ten new battery electric vehicles by 2026. As the EV offering grows, spurred by surging consumer demand and a robust, thriving product lineup, customers expect a unique experience across all touchpoints, from the brand to the product and its ownership cycle, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, a unit of Tata Motors, said in a statement. TATA.ev, the new brand identity for the company's electric business, is the first step towards providing differentiated and meaningful experiences for customers in the form of a collective initiative to move towards an electric future, it added. Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Head Marketing, Sales and Service Strategy Vivek Srivatsa said the automaker is entering a new era with TATA.ev. "Our new brand identity for electric vehicles underlines our commitment to accelerate the adoption of clean energy mobility solutions," he noted. With a dominating

Honda to hike City, Amaze prices from Sept to offset impact of input costs

Honda Cars India on Tuesday said it plans to increase vehicle prices from next month in order to partially offset the impact of rising input costs. The automaker currently sells two models -- City and Amaze in the domestic market. "We have been trying to absorb accumulated cost pressures as much as possible. We will carry out a price revision on City and Amaze from September to partially offset the impact of increasing input costs," Honda Cars India Vice President (Sales and Marketing) Kunal Behl told PTI. The company is currently deciding on the quantum of the price increase, he added. Currently, price of compact sedan Amaze starts from Rs 7.05 lakh, mid-sized sedan City from Rs 11.57 lakh and City e:HEV (hybrid) from Rs 18.89 lakh (ex-showroom).

Tesla cuts prices 2nd time in 3 days, concerns of reigniting price war

The automaker announced last month that global production would drop in the third quarter due to downtime for factory upgrades, without offering specifics

Leader as challenger: What does Maruti's EV onslaught mean for Tata Motors?

"We will have at least six models and will start from the premium end, maybe with a sports utility vehicle," says R C Bhargava, Chairman, Maruti Suzuki India