Page 27 - Automobile Industry

With growing economy, Siemens has high hopes from Indian biz, says exec

Rebellius, head of Siemens' Smart Infrastructure business, said India was a priority for future investments as it upgrades its electric grid and invests in renewable energy

General Motors, Magna, Wipro team up for automotive software marketplace

The joint venture, SDVerse, will link the buyers and sellers through a digital platform, where the software's features and attributes can be listed

Tata Sons listing: Tata Group stocks rally on hopes of value unlock

Automobile Corporation of Goa (ACG) gained the most at 14 per cent followed by Tata Chemicals and Tata Investment Corporation (TIC) at around 5 per cent each

Banyantree backed Popular Vehicles and Services to launch IPO on March 12

Popular Vehicles and Services Ltd, which is engaged in automotive dealerships, is set to launch its Initial Public Offering (IPO) on March 12. The initial share sale will conclude on March 14 and the bidding for anchor investors will open for a day on March 11, according to the Red Herring Prospectus (RHP). The IPO comprises a fresh issuance of equity shares worth Rs 250 crore and an Offer For Sale (OFS) of 1.19 crore equity shares by Banyantree Growth Capital II, LLC. At present, promoters hold a 69.45 per cent stake in Popular Vehicles and Services and Banyan Tree owns over 30 per cent stake in the company. Proceeds of the fresh issue will be used for payment of debt and general corporate purposes. The Kerala-based company is a leading diversified automotive dealership in the country with a presence across the automotive retail value chain, including the sale of new passenger and commercial vehicles, services and repairs, spare parts distribution, sale of pre-owned passenger ...

BYD plans to cover 90% of India's EV market in 2024, to target major towns

Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD plans to cover 90 per cent of the EV market in India by the end of the year as it strengthens leadership position in EVs priced above Rs 30 lakh category, a senior company official said on Tuesday. BYD India, which launched its electric sedan SEAL priced between Rs 41 lakh and Rs 53 lakh, is working to achieve homologation certification from ARAI for its electric SUV Atto 3 which will lift the restriction on import volume of 2,500 units. Homologation is the process of certifying vehicles for roadworthiness under rules specified by the government for all vehicles made or imported into the country. "Our target is that we cover 90 per cent of the EV market in India. That is what we are planning to do by this year, which means we will be present in major towns, and tier I cities. "Wherever we see the electric vehicle penetration is high, wherever the electric vehicle sales are, where it is growing," BYD India, Senior Vice President of Electric Passeng

Expect India to be third largest market among 118 nations: Mercedes-Benz

The company also plans to tap smaller cities as it looks to establish sales outlets in 10 new locations ranging from Jammu to Kottayam to scale operations, Sardien stated

Maruti Suzuki's total sales rise 15% to 197,471 units in February

Maruti Suzuki India on Friday said it has reported a 15 per cent year-on-year increase in total wholesales at 1,97,471 units in February. The company had dispatched a total of 1,72,321 units in the same month last year, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) said in a statement. The total domestic passenger vehicle sales grew 9 per cent at 1,60,271 units as against 147,467 units in the month a year ago, it added. Sales of mini segment cars, comprising Alto and S-Presso, declined to 14,782 units as against 21,875 units in February 2023. Sales of compact cars, including Baleno, Celerio, Dzire, Ignis, Swift, Tour S, and WagonR, also declined by 10 per cent to 71,627 units as compared to 79,898 units in the year-ago month. Utility vehicles, including Brezza, Ertiga, Grand Vitara, and XL6, recorded sales of 61,234 units last month, growing 82 per cent over 33,550 units in the month a year ago, the company said. MSIL said its exports last month stood at 28,927 units as compared to 17,207 units

Behind Apple's doomed car project: False starts and wrong turns

Throughout its existence, the car effort was scrapped and rebooted several times, shedding hundreds of workers along the way

Tata Group firm Agratas to build UK's biggest EV battery plant in Somerset

Agratas, Tata Group's global battery business, on Wednesday confirmed that it will build Britain's biggest electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility in Somerset, south-west England. The so-called gigafactory, announced last year, will be built on the Gravity Smart Campus near Bridgwater in Somerset with a community-first approach, involving locals to learn more about and be a part of the project. The company said the 40 GWh factory is set to contribute almost half of the projected battery manufacturing capacity required for the UK automotive sector by the early 2030s. "Our multi-billion-pound investment will bring state-of-the-art technology to Somerset, helping to supercharge Britain's transition to electric mobility whilst creating thousands of jobs in the process, said Tom Flack, CEO of Agratas. "We care deeply about the communities we operate in, so it's imperative to us that we work with, and listen to, our new neighbours as we build our factory in Somerset. That's why .

Hybrids, gas powered vehicles fuel legacy automakers' shares past EV rivals

Electric vehicle demand has slowed of late, suggesting the transition away from traditional internal combustion engine vehicles will take longer than expected

Domestic commercial vehicle industry to see 4-7% dip in volumes: ICRA

Domestic Commercial Vehicle (CV) volumes are expected to dip 4-7 per cent year-on-year next fiscal with high base effect kicking in, rating agency Icra said on Tuesday. The volumes are expected to remain muted through the January-March quarter on account of a perceived pause in the infrastructural activities as the model code of conduct kicks in ahead of the general elections. "Icra estimates the domestic CV industry volumes to register 2-5 per cent year-on-year growth in volumes in FY24. Subsequently, the industry's sharp upcycle is expected to plateau in FY25, with a decline of 4-7 per cent in volumes," the rating agency stated. Icra Ratings Vice President & Co-Group Head Kinjal Shah said he expects the long-term demand for CVs to remain intact. The continued focus on infrastructure capex, emphasis on private participation in infrastructure, construction, defence and manufacturing activities would remain a long-term positive for the CV industry, he said. "However, in the near .

TVS Motor buys Killwatt shares worth Rs 35 cr to hike stake to 49%

TVS Motor Company on Monday said its Singapore-based arm has increased stake in the Germany-based electric mobility products and components start-up Killwatt GmbH to 49 per cent with the acquisition of an additional 8,000 equity shares for 4 million euros (over Rs 35 crore). TVS Motor (Singapore) Pte Ltd has agreed to acquire a further 8,000 equity shares in Killwatt GmbH following which its shareholding will increase from 39.28 per cent to 49 per cent by way of newly issued shares of the latter, TVS Motor Co said in a regulatory filing. The total consideration for the acquisition of 8,000 equity shares in Killwatt GmbH is 4 million euros, whereby 2 million euros will be paid on or before March 4, and the remaining 2 million euros will be paid at a later date, subject to the completion of a specific pre-agreed milestone by Killwatt GmbH, it added. Killwatt is a privately held firm engaged in businesses comprising development, design, manufacture, sale and distribution of products an

No country other than India has better prospects for future: Maruti Suzuki

There is no other country in the world better placed than India in terms of future growth, Maruti Suzuki India Chairman RC Bhargava said on Monday. Speaking at an event here, the veteran industry leader noted that the country needs to get rid of the old baggage of various defunct laws, regulations and practices to move ahead. "I can't see any country in the world today which has better prospects for the future than India has," Bhargava said here when asked about the future of the country. He noted that the western countries have reached a certain level where growth is now a dicey matter. "Whether they grow or they're getting into recession and things. People have lost that ethos of working. People want a much more luxurious kind of life. They want good things to come without working," Bhargava said. On the other hand, in India people are aspiring to greatly improve not only their own future, but the future of their families and children, he stated. "And that hunger is going to dr

TVS launches TVS HLX 150F to mark best-selling model's milestone sales

Automaker TVS Motor Company on Monday announced that its best-selling TVS HLX line of two-wheelers has crossed the milestone of 3.5 million units in sales in international markets, and that it is launching the TVS HLX 150F, with added features, to mark the occasion. The company said it was expressing "its gratitude" to customers by launching the model with added safety features, better suspension and better styling, among other things. "The TVS HLX line was first made available 10 years ago in Africa and is now available in 50 countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia. The company expressed its gratitude to customers by launching TVS HLX 150F a new offering that has the powerful yet efficient ecothrust engine, added safety features, a superior suspension and better styling, courtesy new graphics and exciting colours," a company release said. The features include trapezoidal LED headlights that are brighter yet energy efficient, pillion handle rail for better grip, a rear load

Volvo Car India restructures management team headed by Jyoti Malhotra

Volvo Car India on Monday said it has restructured its management team headed by Jyoti Malhotra through both internal role changes as well as external talent acquisition. The exercise carried out over the past few months is aimed to secure long-term strategic transformation and direct-to-consumer online sales, Volva Car India said. It is a subsidiary of Swedish luxury carmaker Volvo Cars. As part of the rejig, Kalpit Shishodia, who led the customer service function since 2017, has been promoted to the role of director commercial operations to oversee all revenue generating functions under sales and service. This is to ensure profitable growth, including sales of new and used cars, parts, accessories and related value chain as well as the required tech support for all products, the company said. Similarly, Prashant Khanna has been elevated to the role of director business transformation and retail development. Khanna, in his new role, is responsible for leading the transformation o

A self-driving car ride

Autonomous vehicles are not just the future but a present reality

Wireless charging for electric vehicles getting closer to reality: Report

This is the promise of wireless EV charging, an inductive transfer of electrons that would eliminate the need for all those pesky cords

New guidelines for overage vehicles plying on Delhi roads. Check details

The norms apply to petrol-run vehicles above the age of 15 years and diesel-run vehicles above the age of 10 years. These vehicles are banned in Delhi

Electric vehicle startup Vidyut raises $10 mn from 3one4 Capital, others

Electric vehicle startup Vidyut on Tuesday said it has secured USD 10 million capital funding comprising equity and debt in Series A fundraising for expanding its bouquet of services. The Series A funding round was led by 3one4 Capital along with participation from new and existing investors such as Saison Capital, Zephyr Peacock, Force Ventures, Alteria Capital and CEO of Udaan Capital Sujeet Kumar, the company said in a statement. Vidyut said it will now offer EV insurance, lifecycle management, and EV resale, and it is also looking to expand its presence to 40 cities. The company said it aims to double the headcount by the end of next fiscal as it prepares to build a full-stack EV ecosystem and that it will utilise the fresh capital to scale its offerings to the EV ecosystem. "Our focus is not just on financing but on elevating the entire EV ownership journey for India's SMBs, who are the backbone of our economy," said Gaurav Srivastava, Co-founder of Vidyut. Founded in 2021, .

US to soften tailpipe rules, slow electric vehicle transition through 2030

The Environmental Protection Agency in April 2023 proposed requiring a 56% reduction in new vehicle emissions by 2032