Page 20 - Automobile Manufacturer

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

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

Maruti Suzuki bets on strong hybrids to drive growth in green vehicles

The company anticipates that 25 per cent of its sales will come from strong hybrids in the foreseeable future

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

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

Toyota Industries faces crackdown for engine emissions cheating: Report

"The regulator will weigh the severity of the misconduct before deciding whether to do the same for engines used in Land Cruiser vehicles and HiAce vans," the report said

RenewSys to set up PV modules, cell manufacturing units in Telangana

RenewSys India Pvt Ltd on Monday signed an MoU with the Telangana government for setting up multiple PV modules and PV Cell manufacturing units in the state with a phased investment of around Rs 6,000 crores. RenewSys is a company headquartered in Singapore and it has set up integrated manufacturing facility of solar PV modules and its key components Encapsulants, Backsheets, and PV cells, an official release said. With the signing of the MoU, the company has committed to make a phased investment of around Rs 6,000 crores generating direct employment for over 11,000 people over the next five years and to further expand its operations in Telangana, it said. The MoU was signed in the presence of state IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu in the factory premises at Fab City in Maheshwaram on city outskirts. As per the MoU, RenewSys will be setting up solar PV modules, solar PV cells manufacturing units and Aluminum plant between FY 24 and FY 28, the release said. RenewSys India

Hyundai recalls more than 90,000 Genesis vehicles in US due to fire risk

Hyundai is recalling more than 90,000 Genesis vehicles due to a fire risk and owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until a repair is completed. The recall includes certain 2015-2016 Genesis, 2017-2019 Genesis G80, Genesis G90, and 2019 Genesis G70 vehicles. A letter from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that water may enter the starter solenoid and cause an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving. Hyundai said in documents that it has confirmed a dozen thermal incidents with starters in the US from September 29, 2017 to July 9 of 2023. Thermal incidents generally involve smoke, melting of components or fires. It wasn't clear from the documents if there had been any fires. The documents said there were no crashes or injuries. Dealers will install for free a remedy relay kit in the engine junction box.

UP emerges as top state in total vehicle sales, Maharashtra 2nd: SIAM

Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of vehicle sales in October-December 2023, followed by Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, according to Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. As per data from Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Uttar Pradesh clocked a total sales of 8,22,472 units across passenger and commercial vehicles; and two and three-wheeler categories. Maharashtra was second with 6,88,192 units across the four categories followed by Gujarat with 4,21,026 units and Tamil Nadu 4,19,189 units in the quarter. Uttar Pradesh witnessed the highest number of three-wheelers sold in the quarter at 23,859 units, followed by Maharashtra (20,495), Gujarat (19,743) and Bihar (14,955). Similarly, in the two-wheeler category, Uttar Pradesh topped the list with a total of 6,73,962 units sold in the state, followed by Maharashtra (5,15,612), Madhya Pradesh (3,35,478) and Tamil Nadu (3,24,918). However, in passenger vehicle sales, Maharashtra clocked the highest

India outpaces peers in light vehicle sales growth: S&P Global Mobility

Sales grew 35% in CY23 compared to pre-pandemic level of CY19