Page 20 - Automobile Manufacturer

Xiaomi to deliver first batch of electric vehicles this month in China

The smartphone maker, China's fifth-largest, said in a Weibo post that 59 of its stores in 29 cities nationwide will take orders for its new Speed Ultra 7 (SU7) sedan

M&M posts 40% growth in SUV sales in Feb, overall production grows by 26%

The company has been increasing its production steadily and as of February 1, it had opened bookings for around 226,000 SUVs

Hyundai to target performance-oriented niche segment with N Line range

Hyundai Motor India is seeking to address a niche, yet growing segment of buyers who are performance-oriented through its N Line range of products, according to company COO Tarun Garg. The company, which currently offers the N Line range on its two models -- i20 hatchback and compact SUV Venue -- that has styling and performance upgrades compared to the normal offering, on Monday also introduced its mid-sized SUV Creta priced between Rs 16.82 lakh and Rs 20.29 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). "In 2021, we sold 3,196 (units of ) N Line. In 2022, we sold 7,560 N Line and in 2023, we sold 9,718 N Line...overall 22,000 N Line....the numbers are increasing. At the same time, frankly, I don't think volume is an objective in N Line. We understand it's a niche market," Garg said in an interaction. On the objective behind introducing more products under N Line, he said, "We believe even if there's a niche, I think it's our responsibility to give the set of customers who are looking to have a very .

Polls may rev up 2-wheeler sales but passenger vehicles likely to be a drag

But passenger vehicle sales may hit slow lane, say industry experts

Auto retail sales jump 13%, PV sales scale record high in February

PV sales moved up by 12 per cent to 330,107 units as compared to 293,803 units in February last year

Passenger vehicles industry estimated to grow up to 9% this fiscal: ICRA

The domestic passenger vehicle (PV) market is estimated to grow by six to nine per cent in the current financial year over the preceding fiscal, according to ratings firm ICRA. In absolute terms, the PV industry will clock a sales figure of 4.2 million units in the current fiscal. The report said that dealer inventories remain high despite strong retail sales, and the pace of growth is expected to taper off in the coming financial year. ICRA said that during the recently concluded festive season, retail sales grew six per cent year-on-year. The inventory levels in the industry remain high at 50 to 55 days at the end of January 2024. The utility vehicle (UV) segment continued to expand led by a shift in customer preferences coupled with a slew of product launches. The demand for the entry car segment remained muted, the report said. The availability of alternative fuels like CNG and electricity is steadily on the rise aided by the introduction of new models. The capital expendi

Govt denies reports of extension of EV subsidy scheme FAME-II beyond Mar 31

The government on Thursday said it has not extended the flagship scheme to promote electric mobility FAME-II beyond March 31, according to officials. The Ministry of Heavy Industries denied media reports claiming that the Centre has granted a temporary four-month extension to the scheme till July 31, with an outlay of Rs 500 crore for the period. Subsidies under the second phase of the FAME Scheme will be eligible for e-vehicles sold till March 31, 2024, or till the time funds are available, the Heavy Industries ministry stated last month. It also shared that the outlay of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India (FAME-II) programme has been enhanced from Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 11,500 crore. The ministry had said in the statement that the second phase of its flagship scheme to promote adoption of EVs in India -- FAME II -- was "fund- and term-limited". As per the revised outlay, electric two-wheelers, electric three-wheelers, and electric four-wheelers ar

Tata Motors to hike commercial vehicle prices by up to 2% from April 1

Tata Motors, India's top automaker by revenue, had last hiked prices for its CV range by up to 3% in January

EAC-PM pitches for mandating EV sales by all automobile manufacturers

The Economic Advisory Council to the PM (EAC-PM) has proposed the introduction of a transferable mandate, prescribing a certain percentage of auto manufactured must be electric vehicles. The advisor also suggested ensuring greater adoption of EVs in the government fleet to enhance demand for electric vehicle cars. In its working paper, the EAC-PM also suggested encouraging the leasing of vehicles as opposed to outright purchase by introducing a suitable GST rate differential for leasing. The paper has been co-authored by EAC-PM chairman Bibek Deroy and Director Devi Prasad Misra. "Hitherto, our policies for the promotion of EVs have focused on subsidies, tax breaks, charging infrastructure etc. While we see a significant increase in the number of two- and three-wheeler EVs, the adoption of EVs in the LMV (cars) segment has remained sluggish. "... the introduction of transferable mandates prescribing for a certain percentage of vehicles manufactured to be EVs will be an efficient w

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

ICAT awards its first PLI Automotive Certificate to Ola Electric Tech

Automotive testing agency International Centre for Automotive Technology on Monday awarded the PLI-Automotive Certificate to Ola Electric Technologies under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme. "Ola Electric's Battery Electric Vehicle - 2W (Ola S1 Pro Gen2) met the criteria of minimum DVA (domestic value addition) of 50 per cent for the Automotive PLI certificate, demonstrating their commitment to the indigenisation of advanced automotive technology products," International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) said. Ola S1 Pro (Gen2) two-wheeler, which has been on-road since September 2023, will now be able to avail incentives under the PLI scheme from the date of issuance of the certificate, a senior Ola Electric official said. "With this certificate, which has gone through a process of due diligence, OLA will now be entitled to a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) payable by the Ministry of Heavy Industries," ICAT Director Saurabh Dalela told PTI. ICAT, Manesar, is one

'Panel to examine auto firms' requests for more incentives under PLI'

A government-formed panel will examine requests from auto manufacturers seeking quarterly incentive payouts and inclusion of more components under the production-linked incentive scheme, according to an official on Monday. "This year, the incentive (under Auto PLI) will be given annually but a committee has been formed in the ministry that will look into the requests of OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers). "One of the requests is that certain (Advanced Automotive Technology) AAT components be included. We have only 103 components," Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Heavy Industries Hanif Qureshi said. In January, Union Heavy Industries Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey told PTI that the government constituted a committee to examine the auto industry's demand for including more components in the PLI scheme for automobile and auto components. The committee will be chaired by an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and will have 11 members, including those fr

Electric two wheeler volume remains flat despite sharp price cuts

The top four electric two-wheeler manufacturers -Ola, TVS, Bajaj and Ather - account for over 86.45 per cent of the market

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 .

Driving an industry

R C Bhargava's latest book is a step-by-step recounting of the Maruti story, but its real value lies in the many lessons that the story holds both for policymakers as well as manufacturers

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