Tata Motors joins UN-backed LeadIT to propel Transition Towards Net-Zero Emissions
Tata Motors has announced its collaboration with the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT), a prestigious global alliance established by the governments of Sweden and India during the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019. By becoming a member of LeadIT, Tata Motors aims to leverage international best practices, advocate for policy advancements, and collaborate with fellow members to fortify its climate action strategies, thereby accelerating its transition towards achieving net-zero emissions.

Rapido launches SaaS model for auto captains
Rapido has launched its SaaS model for Auto Captains. With this move, Rapido shifts from an aggregator commission-led model to introduce a lifetime zero commission for auto captains, reducing the burden of commission rates and empowering them to take control of their earnings.

Terra Charge partners with Go EV Mobility to develop advanced EV charging hub
New Delhi: Terra Charge, an EV Charging Infrastructure Development company, and Gurgaon-based all-electric end-to-end logistics solution provider Go EV Mobility, has announced an exclusive partnership to establish an advanced Park and Charge facility in Dwarka, Delhi.

Exicom unveils EV chargers with new features for residential use
New Delhi: Exicom, an EV charger manufacturer in India and a partner for automobile players and other ecosystem stakeholders, has unveiled its latest innovation – the Spin Air EV AC Charger.

Govt dithers on subsidy, EV makers fear losing fame
New Delhi : The government has yet to take a call on whether to extend the FAME-II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) incentives beyond 31 March, two officials privy to the discussions said, even as electric vehicle makers seek certainty on continuation of the scheme that aims to promote clean mobility in the country.

Robust performance by Royal Enfield and VECV drives Eicher Motors’ Q3 net profit to Rs 996 crore
Eicher Motors (EML) has announced its financial results for the Q3 FY2024.

Vehicle registrations rise 15% in Jan driven by strong demand for passenger vehicles and two-wheelers
As per data collated by Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA) from the VAHAN portal of the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) as many as 2,127,653 vehicles were registered last month, compared to 1,849,691 units in the same period last year.

Govt mulls component scheme
After achieving success in domestic manufacturing of global electronics products like iPhones, the government is now working on a component-linked incentive scheme to make India both a product nation as well as a component-producing destination.

Ashok Leyland invests further ₹537 cr in electric vehicle arm Switch Mobility

Consequent to the allotment, Ashok Leyland’s shareholding in Optare Plc has increased to 92.59 per cent from 92.19 per cent, according to a company statement.

JLR to hold ‘global sourcing meet’ at Coimbatore engg expo
The Tata group owned Jaguar Land Rover will hold a ‘global sourcing meet’ at the International Engineering Sourcing Show (IESS) to be held in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu between March 4 and 6 – an event to which the highest number of delegates are from Africa.  The Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) holds the IESS periodically; the Coimbatore event is the 11th in the series. Over 450 overseas delegates from 50 countries have registered themselves (so far) for the event, the highest number of whom – 177 – are from 17 African countries.  

We’ll drive investments, back investors with return on investment: Invest India’s Nivruti Rai
How has been your transition from Intel to Invest India?

China’s EV rise, and the rocky road ahead
David Ricardo’s theory of comparative advantage rightly posits that nations benefit from specialising in industries where they hold efficiency gains, leading to mutual gains through trade.

Carmakers offer discounts to clear 2023 stock
Unsold stock of cars made in 2023 has prompted dealers and automakers to offer unusually high discounts to clear the inventory. Carmakers were pumping stocks throughout November and December in the hope that retail demand would clear the inventory. However, overstocking has led to a sharp spike in consumer offers which market watchers say are 15-20% higher than those offered in December. Dealers claim that almost every car model is being offered at a discount, including those that are said to have a waiting period. Cars made in the previous year traditionally struggle to find takers in the new year as they get valued lower at the time of resale. Manish Raj Singhania, president, Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA), said,"At 50-55 days, the stock level is 700,000 units. Even if a minimum of 30 days of stock is taken then the total stock in the market of model year 2023 will be comfortably 350,000-400,000.
 

New Renault Duster breaks cover — Reveals more details
The Renault Duster has been talked about extensively, from its concept form to the Dacia version, which was unveiled last year. Now, the Renault version has been unveiled, showing its final design and the changes compared to the Dacia Duster.

Mahindra to introduce petrol automatic variant on base XUV700 MX trim
Mahindra currently offers its flagship model– XUV700– at prices between Rs 13.99 lakh and Rs 26.99 lakh (both ex-showroom). The mid-size SUV is available in two broad trims– MX and AX, the latter is further segregated into three trims namely– AX3, AX5, and AX7. Offered strictly as a five-seater, the base MX trim is available in both petrol and diesel engine options.

Tata Punch lineup rejigged, 10 variants removed
 

Citroen India elevates Shishir Mishra as Brand Director
 

Tata.ev reduces prices up to INR 1.2 Lakh following battery price fall
Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd (TPEM), a subsidiary of Tata Motors, today announced a reduction in prices of its EVs – Nexon.ev and Tiago.ev, with the objective of making EVs more accessible to Indian customers. 

Naveen Patnaik launches affordable bus service in 5 more districts of Odisha
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday launched affordable bus service to remote areas in five more districts of the state.

Domestic tractor sales fall for the second straight month in January
Chennai: Domestic tractor sales reported a double-digit decline (year-on-year) for the second straight month in January due to weak agricultural activities. Total domestic tractor sales stood at 55,589 units in January 2024 compared with 65,635 units in January 2023, a decline of 15 per cent, according to the data provided by the Tractor & Mechanisation Association (TMA).

Triumph Scrambler 1200 X launched at Rs 11.83 lakh— What’s new?
Triumph has launched a more accessible derivative of its flagship scrambler in India. Called Scrambler 1200 X, this fully-imported CBU model is priced at Rs 11.83 lakh (ex-showroom) and has been listed on the company’s official India website. This makes it more affordable than Scrambler 1200 XE but Rs 1.10 lakh more expensive than the outgoing XC trim. 

Suzuki Gixxer recalls 250cc models– Gixxer, Gixxer SF, V-Strom SX
Suzuki has issued a recall of its 250cc models namely— Gixxer 250, Gixxer SF 250, and V-Strom SX. All these models are powered by a 249cc oil-cooled, single-cylinder engine. Reportedly, this recall has been issued on account of a faulty camshaft resulting in an abnormal wear of the exhaust cam lobe. 

Born in India, 'world's first' cargo 2W aims to be a disruptor in logistics
Mumbai: On a recent trip to Pune, I rode a two-wheeler which stands out for many reasons. For starters, its form factor is different from any other two-wheeler ever seen in India. In fact its maker, Qargos, calls it the world’s first cargo scooter. The designed and made in India electric cargo carrier, made a public debut in Dallas, USA, on Sunday, in a conference by software technology major Dassault Systemes.

Mixed Fortunes for Hero MotoCorp in Q3
In Q3, Hero MotoCorp saw a 3% sequential volume growth, accompanied by a stagnant average selling price, resulting in a 3% increase in operating revenue to INR 19,724 crore. While the gross margin expanded by 130 basis points to 32.7%, higher marketing expenses for electric vehicles restrained the benefit at the operating profit level.

New blue shade introduced in Jawa 350, launch soon
Commemorating Mahindra’s annual Blues festival, Classic Legends showcased the all-new Jawa 350 Blue at its experience zone. Launched last month at a price of Rs 2.14 lakh (ex-showroom), the Jawa 350 is a successor to the older Jawa standard. The new blue colour scheme is the fourth shade on offer with the modern retro motorcycle. 

Kinetic E-Luna vs rivals comparison
The new Kinetic E-Luna brings back a lot of memories for some, however, given the nature of the vehicle, it will see popularity in the commercial use space instead of personal mobility. That said, the new E-Luna primarily competes with the Okinawa Dual-100 And Odysse Trot, which are also making a name for themselves in the commercial space. Here’s how the E-Luna compares against them.

Wardwizard Innovations dispatches 3,225 units of E2Ws in January 2024
New Delhi: Wardwizard Innovations & Mobility Limited, a premier electric vehicle manufacturer known for its 'Joy e-bike' brand, has reported 146% increase in the of sales of its electric two-wheelers in January 2024 to 3,225 units compared to 1,310 units in January 2023.

Eicher expects exports of Royal Enfield to pick up after two-year slump
India's Eicher Motors said on Tuesday that it expects international sales of its Royal Enfield motorcycles to pick up in the next two to three quarters after struggling with exports for nearly two years.  

L&T Tech partners BlackBerry to accelerate development of SDVs for automakers
L&T Technology Services, a leading digital engineering and R&D services company has announced a strategic partnership with BlackBerry, a security software and services company.

Kalyani Group to invest Rs 26,000 crore in Odisha
Kalyani Steel Limited has proposed to invest Rs 26,000 crore to set up a titanium metal and aerospace components manufacturing and integrated advanced specialty steel and automotive components manufacturing complex at Gajamara in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district, an official said on Tuesday. The state cabinet on Monday evening approved a special incentive for the unit as it is going to be the first aerospace and defence manufacturing complex in Odisha, Chief Secretary P K Jena said while briefing media persons here.

Electric 2Ws & passenger vehicles offer ₹1.5 lakh cr revenue potential for auto parts makers
Chennai: The electrification of the two-wheeler and passenger vehicle segment in the country presents a ₹1.5 lakh crore plus opportunity in this decade for the Indian auto parts manufacturers, according to analysts at Icra. The battery-powered vehicles in the two-wheeler segment are expected to account for 1/4th of the volumes by 2030, up from about 6-8 per cent in FY2025. Similarly, electric products will make up about 15 per cent of the passenger vehicle market by 2030, up from a projected 4-6 per cent in FY2025.

Bosch reports ₹518 cr profit in Q3, announces interim dividend
Bengaluru: Engineering and technology major Bosch reported net profit of ₹518 crore, marking a y-o-y increase of 62.43 per cent compared with ₹318.9 crore for the same quarter last year. The increase is driven by sales in the automotive segment. The Board of Directors have declared a special payout in the form of an interim dividend of ₹205 per equity share of ₹10 each, company said in exchange filing.

Component makers to invest upto Rs 25,000 crore towards capacity expansion and technological developments in FY2025 says ICRA
Automotive component makers are expected to invest Rs 20,000 crore to Rs 25,000 crore in FY2025 towards expanding capacity and technological developments in FY2025 says rating agency ICRA. The auto component industry on the other hand will grow 9-11 percent finding, driven by healthy domestic demand, despite a high-base and moderate growth in exports.

Applied Materials expands collaboration with Indian semiconductor firms
US -based chip equipment supplier Applied Materials will collaborate with semiconductor supplier organisations to reduce the time to commercialisation in India, said a senior executive.

How to order a High-Security Registration Plate (HSRP) number plate for your vehicle via SIAM
The government of India amended a new type of vehicle number plate called the High-Security Registration Plate (HSRP) to solve several issues related to the identification of vehicles a few years ago. These number plates will have special features such as a 3D hologram, reflective film with an inscription, which says ‘India,’ and a laser-etched serial number, which makes it tamper-proof.

Tata Elxsi’s new Global Design and Engineering Centre opens in Pune
Tata Elxsi, one of the world’s leading design and technology service providers has expanded its presence in Pune with the inauguration of a new Global Design and Engineering centre in Sukhwani Business Hub, Chinchwad.

Reliance, Mahindra, JSW among participants in battery PLI pre-bid meeting
Reliance, Mahindra, JSW, and TVS Lucas are among the 18 companies that participated in a pre-bid meeting for setting up 10 GWh battery manufacturing facilities under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. Sops worth around INR 3,620 crore are being offered in this round.

StoreDot claims its XFC tech achieved 160km range in 4-minute charge
Israel-based StoreDot, a leading company working on extreme fast charging (XFC) battery technology for electric vehicles, has progressed well on the development of its next-phase technology roadmap. This builds on its previously announced introduction of production-readiness cells capable of 100 miles (160km) in 5 minutes this year, and 100 in 3 minutes by 2028, as the company continues its path towards commercialisation. 

HPCL, Ultraviolette sign MoU to deploy EV charging stations
Ultraviolette has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with HPCL (Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited) at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2024 to install electric vehicle charging stations at key HPCL fuel stations across India.

GAIL, IGL walk away with Reliance gas; bid at $11 per million BTU
State-owned gas utility GAIL (India) Ltd and the nation’s largest city gas operator Indraprastha Gas Ltd have walked away with most of the coal seam gas that Reliance Industries Ltd auctioned, sources said. Reliance earlier this month conducted an e-auction for sale of 0.90 million standard cubic metres per day of gas it will produce from coal-bed methane (CBM) block SP (West)-CBM-2001/1 in Madhya Pradesh.

Pulse Energy partners multiple charging networks across India
Pulse Energy, an EV charger aggregator has announced its partnership with ChargeZone and over 20 other charging networks across India. The partnership is aimed at offering a unified EV charging experience to EV users and fleets.

Vehicle loan demand continues to surge in Q3, boosting retail portfolio of banks
Hyderabad: Demand for vehicle loans continues to surge in the current financial year. pushing up significantly the overall retail portfolio of banks in the third quarter. As per the numbers of major banks for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, there was a strong double-digit growth in vehicle advances, also indicated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data.  “This festive season, especially in the third quarter during October - November 2023, witnessed sustained interest among new vehicle buyers, which actually began from the first quarter of the current fiscal year itself,” a senior SBI official told businessline . 

Toyota Corolla Cross facelift revealed
Source Credit: Autocar India

Toyota has released the first set of pictures and details of the facelifted version of the popular Corolla Cross. Essentially an SUV version of the Corolla sedan, it sits on the modular TNGA-C platform which is also shared with the Innova Hycross in India.

Ethiopia bans import of petrol, diesel cars
Source Credit: Autocar India

The African nation of Ethiopia is surging ahead with its plans for zero-emission travel, Alemu Sime, the country's Minister of Transport and Logistics, announced on January 30. “A decision has been made that automobiles cannot enter Ethiopia unless they are electric ones.” One of the major reasons for this decision is Ethiopia’s inability to afford importing gasoline due to limited foreign exchange resources, the minister said.  

Tata Nexon EV now priced from Rs 14.49 lakh
Source Credit: Autocar India

Tata Motors just announced a price cut on two of its most popular EVs – the Nexon EV and the Tiago EV. Prices for the Nexon EV now start from Rs 14.49 lakh for the Creative+ MR variant, and go up to Rs 19.29 lakh for the Empowered+ LR variant. Let’s take a closer look at how the prices have been affected across the board.

Tata Punch now has 22 variants, down from 28
Source Credit: Autocar India

Tata Motors has rationalised the Punch’s line-up by discontinuing some slow-selling trims like the Camo Edition and adding new top-spec Creative variants. The brand’s smallest SUV is now priced between Rs 6.13 lakh-10.20 lakh, and is available in a total of 22 variants; including 5-speed manual and AMT gearbox options, but excluding the five CNG trims.

Tata Tiago EV prices now start from Rs 7.99 lakh
Source Credit: Autocar India

Tata Motors has just revised prices for its all-electric hatchback, the Tiago EV, and we now know the exact prices for each variant. The Indian brand claimed that it was passing on a reduction in battery cell prices to the customer, which has resulted in a price cut for its EV line-up. 

Tata Nexon EV, Tiago EV prices slashed by up to Rs 1.20 lakh
Source Credit: Autocar India

Tata Motors has announced a price cut on the Nexon EV and the Tiago EV, bringing down the starting price on both models by Rs 25,000 and Rs 70,000, respectively. Tata Motors says battery cell prices have reduced in the recent past, and it has now passed that down to the customer.

Citroen India appoints Shishir Mishra as its new brand director
Source Credit: Autocar India

Shishir Mishra, the director and head of sales and marketing synergy at Stellantis India, has been moved to lead the Citroen brand in the country. Mishra’s appointment as the brand head is part of the company's plans to revamp the management structure and offer sharper focus to individual brands. Late last month, Stellantis India brought in Priyesh Kumar as the Jeep brand head. 

JLR turns focus to PHEVs amidst global slowdown in EV sales
Source Credit: Autocar India

Back in 2021, Jaguar Land Rover had revealed an ambitious plan to introduce as many as six new EVs by 2026 under the Land Rover brand, and fully electrify the Jaguar brand from 2025 onwards. However, amidst a slowdown in EV demand globally, Jaguar Land Rover has gone back on its words, and is now slowing down the introduction of EVs in favour of introducing more plug-in hybrids in the short term.

Ultraviolette partners with HPCL to set up e-bike chargers pan India
Source Credit: Autocar India

At the recently concluded Bharat Mobility Expo 2024, Ultraviolette Automotive signed an MoU with HPCL to set up charging stations for electric bikes across India. 

BMW 7 Series India review: Seventh Heaven
Source Credit: Autocar India

With every new generation, BMW’s 7 Series has offered the ultimate in luxury that the carmaker has to offer, while maintaining its driver-focused approach. However, where each of the former six generations were a big improvement over the last, this seventh-gen (G70) is a quantum leap ahead.

JSW plans to build EVs, battery plant in Odisha
Source Credit: Autocar India

The JSW Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Odisha to set up an integrated electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturing plant at Cuttack. The investment is estimated at Rs 40,000 crore and will help generate employment for 11,000 people.

France cuts EV subsidy for higher-income buyers
The French government on Tuesday cut by 20% a subsidy higher-income car buyers can get for purchasing electric and hybrid vehicles in order to keep from overrunning its budget to boost the number of electric cars on the road.

California lawmakers call for stricter regulation of autonomous vehicles
California lawmakers and labor unions rallied on Monday to call for laws to not allow autonomous trucks without human drivers, amid rising safety concerns after accidents involving self-driving taxis from General Motors and Alphabet.

BorgWarner to supply dual inverter with boost function to Chinese automaker
American component supplier BorgWarner has secured a contract with a major Chinese OEM to supply its dual inverter with boost function on a series of the automaker’s plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and range extended (REEV) electric vehicle passenger car platforms.

Toyota says president, chairman of scandal-hit Daihatsu unit to step down
President, chairman of scandal-hit Daihatsu unit to step down, says Toyota