Page 24 - Automobile Industry

Tesla's plan for affordable cars follows playbook of its Detroit rivals

Tesla said the change would allow the company to launch low-cost vehicles swiftly but would result in smaller cost reduction than had been expected and modest volume growth

Donald Petersen, CEO who pulled Ford out of 1980s crisis, dies at 97

Under Petersen, Ford's ad slogan became 'Quality is Job One'

VinFast chief plans to invest $1 bn more from his fortune in EV maker

Pham Nhat Vuong also said Vingroup was considering listing its hospitality unit Vinpearl this year

Hero MotoCorp opens assembly facility with 75,000 units capacity in Nepal

Two-wheeler major Hero Motocorp on Sunday said it has opened an assembly facility in Nepal in partnership with its distributor CG Motors. The facility will have a capacity of 75,000 units per annum and will bring new investments and create job opportunities in the region, Hero MotoCorp said in a statement. Four products - - Xpulse 200 4V, Super Splendor, Splendor+ motorcycles and Xoom 110 scooter -- which have been launched in the country - - will be assembled locally at the new assembly facility located in CG Industrial Park in Nawalparasi, it added. "This is an exciting development for us, CG Motors and for Nepal. The state-of-the-art assembly unit will ensure that our world-class products will now be made in Nepal and available to customers across the country," Hero Motocorp Chief Business Officer - Global Business Unit, Sanjay Bhan said. He further said, "The rapid expansion of the sales and service network will enable us to entrench the market with our world-class products and

Tesla to recall 3,878 Cybertrucks to fix faulty accelerator pedal

A trapped accelerator pedal could cause the vehicle to accelerate unintentionally, increasing the risk of a crash, the auto safety regulator said in a notice

Tesla's Musk likely to unveil $2-3 billion India investment during visit

Musk's visit comes as Tesla battles slowing sales in the major markets of the United States and China, and has this week announced layoffs affecting 10% of its workforce

Daimler India to enter battery electric segment with new gen eCanter

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles on Wednesday said it plans to foray into the domestic battery electric segment with the launch of the all-electric next-generation light duty truck eCanter in the next 6-12 months. The all-new next-generation eCanter had its world premiere in Japan and Europe in the second half of 2022. "The launch of the all-electric eCanter in India, within the next 6 to 12 months, is the first step in our long-term strategy to decarbonise our entire product portfolio," Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) MD and CEO Satyakam Arya said in a statement. However, the reality is that diesel ICE and carbon dioxide neutral propulsion technologies will continue to co-exist in the Indian market for the foreseeable future, he added. "A long-term plan like ours hinges on many complex external factors, some of which are, the availability of a charging and refuelling infrastructure, the availability of green energy, cost parity and wide-scale customer acceptance," Arya .

Automobile exports from India dip 5.5% in FY24 due to monetary crisis

Automobile exports from India declined 5.5 per cent in FY24 due to the monetary crisis in various overseas markets, according to the latest data shared by industry body SIAM. Overall exports stood at 45,00,492 units in the last fiscal compared to 47,61,299 units in FY23. Commenting on the drop in overseas shipments last fiscal, SIAM President Vinod Aggarwal said the situation remains volatile in various overseas markets. "Some of the countries, where we are very strong with commercial vehicle and two-wheeler exports, have been facing foreign exchange-related issues," he noted. The last fiscal saw a sizeable drop in commercial vehicle, two-wheeler and three-wheeler shipments, although passenger vehicles grew marginally. However, in the January-March quarter this year, we have seen good recovery, especially for two-wheelers, indicating better potential for the rest of the year, he said. "We are very hopeful that going forward, the situation will improve," Aggarwal added. In the ..

EVs head for junkyard as mechanic shortage inflates repair costs in UK

Once there are more fully trained EV technicians, repair rather than replace becomes a more viable proposition, an expert said

Sale of entry-level cars, two-wheelers yet to hit pre-pandemic peak

Slow recovery in the rural economy and customers transitioning to purchasing vehicles in higher segments are the primary reasons for the gradual decline

Passenger vehicle wholesales up 8.4% at 4,218,746 units in FY24: Siam

Passenger vehicle wholesales in India rose by 8.4 per cent year-on-year to 42,18,746 units in financial year 2023-24, industry body SIAM said on Friday. The overall passenger vehicle dispatches stood at 38,90,114 units in fiscal year 2022-23. Two-wheeler sales were up 13.3 per cent last fiscal at 1,79,74,365 units, as compared to 1,58,62,771 units in the financial year 2022-23. Vehicle sales across categories rose by 12.5 per cent to 2,38,53,463 units in the period under review, as against 2,12,04,846 units in fiscal year 2022-23.

China's EV makers order record number of ships to support car exports

BYD alone exported over 240,000 cars in 2023, about 8 per cent of its global sales, and plans to export up to 400,000 this year

Electric vehicle retail sales grow across segments in FY24, says Fada

Electric vehicle retail sales in India increased last fiscal with all the segments, including passenger vehicles and two-wheelers, witnessing enhanced registrations, according to automotive dealers' body FADA. The overall sales of electric passenger vehicles rose to 90,996 units in 2023-24 as compared to 47,551 units in FY23, registering an increase of 91 per cent. Tata Motors led the segment with registrations of 64,217 units, up 66 per cent over 38,728 units in the 2022-23 financial year. Similarly, registrations of electric two-wheelers rose by 30 per cent to 9,47,087 units in 2023-24 fiscal as compared to 7,28,205 units in FY23. Ola Electric led the space with retail sales of 3,29,237 units, followed by TVS Motor Company with registrations of 1,82,969 units. Electric three-wheeler retail sales rose 56 per cent to 6,32,636 units last fiscal as against 4,04,430 units in FY23. Mahindra Group retailed 60,618 units last fiscal, registering a growth of 69 per cent over 35,916 units

Cruise to resume 'robotaxi' tests with safety drivers in Phoenix, Arizona

The company is set to announce and begin the testing as early as Tuesday, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter

Maruti Suzuki eyes export of 300,000 units in FY25, 800,000 by 2030

On the back of record exports last fiscal, Maruti Suzuki India is confident of its overseas shipments crossing 3 lakh units in FY25 as part of gradual scaling up to meet the target of up to 8 lakh units by 2030, according to a senior company official. The company plans to launch more models in its various export markets that span over 100 countries while also enhancing distribution network, having taken best practices from India such as making bank finance available at dealerships, strengthening service facilities and parts availability to the export markets. "Till about three years ago our exports were in the range of 1 to 1.2 lakh cars a year. Both as a national vision and as a business ambition, we decided to scale up drastically and from those levels and in 2022-23 we reached about 2.59 lakh units exports and in 2023-24 we completed 2.83 lakh," Maruti Suzuki India Executive Director Corporate Affairs Rahul Bharti told PTI. He further said, "The interesting part of this is that i

EV sales to rise 66% this year after nearly doubling in 2023: Report

The rapid growth in sales comes at a time when EV growth in other key markets such as the United States and China are slowing

Tesla misses sales estimates in first drop since 2020, shares decline 5.5%

Shares of Tesla fell 5.5% to $165.54 as of 9:33 a.m. in New York. The stock is down about 33% this year

HMSI reports 81% surge in domestic sales at 358,151 units in March

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India on Tuesday reported an 81 per cent year-on-year jump in domestic wholesales at 3,58,151 units in March. The company had dispatched 1,97,542 units to its dealers in March 2023. Exports increased 95 per cent to 28,304 units last month from 14,460 units in March 2023, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) said in a statement. The total sales rose to 3,86,455 units last month against 2,12,002 units in the same month last year, it added. Besides, the grew 12 per cent to 48,93,522 units in FY24 compared to 43,50,967 units in FY23, HMSI said.

Maruti Suzuki's total sales increase by 10% to 187,196 units in March

Maruti Suzuki India on Monday reported a 10 per cent rise in total sales at 1,87,196 units in March this year as compared to 1,70,071 units in the same month last year. In the year 2023-24, the company crossed an annual total sales milestone of 20 lakh units with highest-ever yearly domestic sales of 1,793,644 units and record exports of 2,83,067 units, Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) said in a statement. In March, the company's total domestic dispatches to dealers, including passenger vehicles and light commercial vehicles and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) sales, stood at 1,61,304 units as compared to 1,39,952 units in the year-ago month, a growth of 15.26 per cent, MSI said in a statement. Passenger vehicle sales in the domestic market were at 1,52,718 units last month as compared to 1,32,763 units in the year-ago period, up 15 per cent, it added. Sales of mini-segment cars comprising Alto and S-Presso models were marginally higher at 11,829 units as compared to 11,582 units i

Only 5% looking to buy 4-wheeler may purchase EV this year: Survey

Only 5 per cent of those looking to buy a four-wheeler in the country are likely to buy an electric car this year, according to a survey. The survey, based on the response of 40,000 people from across 319 districts, also found that more than half of the "existing or prospective car owners" are willing to buy an electric car if it is available in the Rs 8-10 lakh price range. Car sales in India crossed 4 million units last year while 72,321 electric four-wheelers were registered, according to the survey conducted by online consumer pulse aggregator platform, LocalCircles. If the 5 per cent of the existing/prospective car owners, as found in the survey, buy one car each and the annual car sales maintains the 2023 numbers, it indicates a demand of 200,000 electric cars this year, LocalCircles said. Of the 40,000 respondents who participated in the survey -- conducted over a period of three months -- 42 per cent are from tier-1 cities, 34 per cent from tier 2 and the remaining 24 per c