Top Indian Automobile Industry News & Updates - 15 Jan 2024,Monday
🏢 Industry
Registration of 15-year-old govt vehicles to be cancelled: Himachal Deputy CM
Terming it as a "year of reforms" in the transport department, the deputy chief minister said the fitness certificates of private vehicles would be issued through automatic testing stations. Earlier, it was done manually.
LMG Manufacturing opens new facility in Germany
LMG Manufacturing, a subsidiary of JHI International part of the Dr. Abhay Firodia Group of Companies, has opened its new aluminum die-casting facility in Hoym/Seeland, Germany. The company caters to high precision electro-mobility parts for European customers.
Hyundai to invest Rs 7,000 crore in GM’s Pune plant
Hyundai Motor India, the country’s second largest carmaker, will invest Rs 7,000 crore in the inoperative General Motors plant located near Pune, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced.
Surge in demand for skilled electric vehicle talent as Indian manufacturers race to meet green mobility demands
Demand for skilled electric vehicle talent is poised to reach an all-time high in 2024 as EV manufacturers race to meet the growing appetite for green mobility solutions through new products and capacity expansion, said experts at Deloitte and CareerNet and company executives.
Bengaluru, world's second-most congested city, now has the highest number of cars in India, overtakes Delhi
As per the Delhi Statistical Handbook 2023, Bengaluru has surpassed Delhi to become the Indian city with the highest number of private cars. As of March 31, 2023, Bengaluru had a total of 23.1 lakh private cars, exceeding Delhi's count. The report from TOI indicated that as of the same date, Delhi, the national capital, had a total of 79.5 lakh vehicles, with 20.7 lakh being private cars.
Tesla makes big plans for India: May set up factory, make new car for developing nations
As India moves closer to drafting a new electric vehicles (EV) policy, Tesla is in advanced talks to make an entry into the country and may be open to committing nearly $30 billion in investments, directly and indirectly, over the next five years in a manufacturing plant, and battery ecosystem and ancillary industries, people closely involved with the company’s official business plans said.
Budget 2024: What the government can do to charge up India's EV sector
Budget 2024 expectations: Reduction in taxes, extension of FAME scheme and focus on charging ecosystem say EV stakeholders
Automobile exports from India dip 21% in 2023: SIAM
Auto exports dip 21% in 2023 as markets abroad face monetary crisis: Siam
The EV Equation, Hyundai's number 2 spot gets a Tata challenge
On six occasions over the last two years, more consumers chose In buy a car from the Tata Motors stable than from Hyundai Motor Indeed, as Tata Motors snaps at Hyundai's heels with a market share of 14%,the number two position in India's car market has probably never been so hotly contested. With a share of 15%, Hyundai is closing the spot which it has heldfor much of the time since the mid-90s.
📝 After HC blow, GM staff union may focus on compensation
📝 Uber launches EV autos in Ayodhya, to start UberGo & intercity rides soon
📝 Tatas roll out cars out of acquired Ford India plant in Gujarat
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🎤 Interviews & Features
Positive impact of improving truck driver comfort
The statistics from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for the year 2021 to 2022 show an increase in accidents caused by Trucks and Lorries. The data can be correlated to increasing temperatures leading to an increase in the miserable conditions of truck drivers.
Exploring the future of electric vehicle batteries
The landscape of electric vehicles (EVs) has witnessed an unprecedented surge in recent years. Post-COVID, subsidies (such as the FAME II scheme) and various state policy incentives drove substantial growth in the passenger, private, and commercial segments across India. Despite the COVID-19 slowdown, the industry has been picking up relatively faster than before. Cumulative EV sales, led by the two and three-wheeler segments including passenger vehicle and commercial vehicle sub-segments is headed to touch 1.5M units in 2023. Even with these exponential figures, it’s essential to acknowledge that we’re merely scratching the surface of large-scale EV adoption.
Table Talk. In the driver’s seat at Ashok Leyland
Ashok Leyland, Shenu Agarwal says, is only the second company that he’s worked in. Unlike many CEOs who have moved several companies, Agarwal, the 53-year-old Managing Director and CEO of Ashok Leyland, was for almost 30 years a one-company man with the Escorts group in New Delhi and in the US. Agarwal was the president of tractors and agri-machinery company Escorts Kubota, when he made the transition in December of 2022 to the trucks and bus maker. It’s just the second day of the new year, and Agarwal kept his promise of meeting us after he completed a year in office. We meet Agarwal for a working lunch and conversation at the plush executive lounge of the Leyland office tower at a prominent corner on Chennai’s Mount Road, where traffic surges around in an incessant flow.
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🚗 Cars / SUVs
Citroen C3 Aircross automatic launch in January end
Citroen launched the C3 Aircross in India in September 2023 at a starting price of Rs 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom), making it one of the most affordable SUVs in its segment. However, it does miss out on certain features, even in the top-spec trim, which are present even in the low and mid-spec trims of its competition.
Skoda-Volkswagen registers cumulative sales of 1,45,713 units in 2023
As the calendar turns to 2024, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India’s domestic sales stood at 1,01,465 units, crossing the 1,00,000 units sales milestone for two consecutive years. Complementing this domestic success, exports grew by 32% (year-on-year) with 44,248 units shipped from India. Additionally, the Group’s overall customer deliveries witnessed a 4% growth in the domestic market.
Maruti Jimny Thunder Edition discontinued but discounts continue
Credit bubble in the making in used cars market
When her office shifted locations, Roma was faced with a daunting daily commute from her Vashi residence in Navi Mumbai to Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai. Unwilling to depend on unreliable autorickshaws in BKC, she decided to buy a car. Given her immediate need, Roma opted for a used vehicle, and some quick online searches led her to one of the many wholesale markets in Mumbai. Before Roma could put her bargaining skills to use, the dealer presented her with papers for the sale of a car, financing options for near complete value of the vehicle, and third-party motor insurance for her to sign.
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Electric-Cars / SUVs
📝 Tata Punch EV starts arriving at dealerships ahead of January 17 launch
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🚗 Luxury Cars
Two-seater supercars sales to double in 3 years across India says Infinity Cars’ Lalit Choudary
The sales of luxury cars in India are just a small fraction of the overall passenger vehicle sales in the country but are said to have one of the highest potential globally.
Red Sea crisis: Luxury car-makers feel the pinch
New Delhi: Anxiety is brewing in the automobile industry due to the Red Sea crisis. Car-makers are contemplating re-routing ships, which will invariably lead to more costs. Eventually, the industry is looking at increasing the prices of products. Luxury car-makers, mostly European, import critical components and semi-knocked-down kits to assemble the cars here. Some of them are getting fully-built units, too, through the Red Sea route. “The government has done well by increasing surveillance and managing extreme situation like a ship hijack, which was intercepted. But certainly we are over cautious and people [companies] are continuing. But if the route is changed, then it will increase the cost and transit time,” Vinod Aggarwal, President, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), told businessline.
Travelling with a CXO: Balbir Singh Dhillon
Amongst all luxury carmakers in India, Audi grew the strongest in 2023 — it reported highest sales since 2015 by selling 7,931 cars (89% growth over 4,187 cars sold in 2022), and was the third-largest player after Mercedes-Benz (17,408 cars, 10% growth) and BMW (14,172 cars,18% growth).
"The year has given us the confidence of reaching our previous bests," Balbir Singh Dhillon,head of Audi India, says as we drive from Raipur to Kanha. Our vehicle is the Q3 SUV — its largest selling model. "We marked the year with three new cars (Q3 Sportback, Q8 e-tron, Q8 Sportback e-tron), three limited editions (Q8, Q5, S5) and our SUVs grew 174% “Singh says."Our retail footprint expanded to 29 show-rooms and 41 workshops:'
BMW closes sales gap with Mercedes Benz, reports highest-ever sales of 14,172 cars
📝 Rolls Royce Spectre's India launch confirmed for January 19
📝 Mercedes-Benz plans to double Pune plant capacity to 40k units
📝 Actor Emraan Hashmi adds the Rolls-Royce Ghost Black Badge to his garage
📝 Supercar segment in India to register 30% growth in 2024, says McLaren
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⛟ Commercial Vehicles
MTC to get 100 A/C e-buses this year
The city is set to finally join the list of metros having electric buses. Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) will get 100 e-buses which will not only be supplied but also be operated and maintained by a private entity to be selected through a tender that was floated on Thursday.
📝 UP CM Yogi Aditayanath flags off 100 e-buses for tourists in Ayodhya
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🏗 Construction & Agri Machinery
📝 TAFE commits to invest ₹500 cr. in TN towards expansion
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🏍 2/3 Wheelers
Two-wheeler exports show revival signals in December 2023 quarter
Two-wheeler exports from India appear to be exhibiting signs of revival with the December 2023 quarter reporting positive growth, supported by a strong increase in shipments of India-built scooters.
Top 5 best-selling two-wheeler brands in December 2023
December 2023 has seen a 15.9 percent increase in domestic two-wheeler sales, with automakers selling a total of 12,11,966 units in December 2023 compared to selling 10,45,052 units in December 2022. Exports have also seen an increase compared to December 2022, as 2,87,512 units were exported in December.
Rapido revenue, losses double
Bengaluru-based ride-hailing platform Rapido nearly doubled its revenue to Rs 144.8 crore in FY22 from Rs 75.6 crore in FY21, the company’s annual financial statement with the registrar of companies (RoC) showed. However, despite a 90% growth in scale, the firm reported losses surging 2.6 times to Rs 439 crore in FY22, as compared to the previous fiscal.
Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 launch confirmed on Jan 21-23
After making its debut in India with the quarter-litre twins– Svartpilen and Vitpillen– in early 2020, Husqvarna is now stepping up its game and gearing up to venture into the 350-400cc segment of motorcycles. As reported previously, the Hungarian brand is planning to launch the Svartpilen 401 in India.
📝 Hero Mavrick 440 spotted ahead of launch. Check out its exhaust note
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🚲 Electric 2/3 Wheelers
Yulu eyes debt funding; to expand into new geographies
Bengaluru: Yulu is in talks to raise a ‘large’ debt capital, as the electric bike rental startup aims to bolster its presence in its existing markets, its chief executive officer Amit Gupta said, adding that the company will expand to another 10-12 cities this year.
📝 Delhi govt again floats tender for electric scooters in Dwarka sub-city
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🌇 Allied Industries
📝 Cyient joins hands with Japanese eVTOL manufacturer SkyDrive
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🌢 Fuels, Lubricants & Charging Stations
Indian Oil to open 300 ethanol fuel stations: Transport minister Nitin Gadkari
Indian Oil Corp , the country's top refiner, will open 300 ethanol fuel stations, federal road transport minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday.
Kiratpur-Keylong green corridor now operational
Himachal Pradesh government has achieved a historic milestone with the operationalisation of the Kiratpur-Bilaspur-Mandi-Kullu-Manali-Keylong green corridor.
BPCL partners Trinity Cleantech to setup fast DC chargers for electric 2Ws and 3Ws
Bharat Petroleum and Hyderabad-based Trinity Cleantech have announced a partnership to setup dedicated DC fast charging points for two- and three-wheelers in Uttar Pradesh. The agreement for a period of 3 years is extendable for another 2 years on mutually agreed terms and conditions.
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🌍 Emissions/Environment
Anti-pollution curbs back in Delhi-NCR as AQI now at ‘severe’ level: Know what is banned and exempted
Amid worsening air pollution in freezing winters, the Union government on Sunday ordered a ban on non-essential construction work and plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).
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💸 Finance & Insurance
📝 Safeguarding Lives on Indian Roads: The Crucial Role of Personal Accident Cover
📝 EV Insurance: Safeguarding your electric vehicle amidst India's green revolution
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📖 Magazines News
Mercedes-Benz EQB long term review, 9,400km report
Two car launches in two days isn’t uncommon in today’s fast-paced and buzzing automotive market, and making the job of attending these back-to-back launches efficient and easy is the Mercedes EQB, which has just entered our long-term fleet. It was at the launch of the EQE SUV at the company’s plant in Chakan that I picked up the EQB with a fully charged battery good for 380km, according to the all-important range meter or range ‘estimator’ (predicted range is never accurate, right?).
Feature: Experiencing new Continental tyres on track
Source Credit: Autocar India
The latest product on Continental’s India portfolio is the Cross Contact HT tyres for sedans and SUVs, with sizes ranging between 15-18 inches. The tyres, according to the company, are fit for both on- and off-road, and are tailor-made for Indian roads. Continental is, however, currently present only in the aftermarket space in India. In an interaction with Autocar India, Samir Gupta, the company’s India MD, and head of Central Region, BA Tires APAC, says, “The aftermarket business itself is big for us, so we want to establish our footprints there first. Globally, however, we have tie-ups with carmakers like Mercedes-Benz, Ford, MG and others.”
Kia Sonet facelift variants and features explained
Source Credit: Autocar India
The Kia Sonet facelift was recently launched at an introductory price of Rs 7.99 lakh-14.69 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The updated Sonet received a few cosmetic changes like a new headlamp and tail-lamp design, a new front and rear bumper, complemented by a few feature updates.
Updated Mahindra XUV400 price, variants explained
Source Credit: Autocar India
Mahindra just launched the refreshed XUV400 line-up with prices starting from Rs 15.49 lakh, going up to Rs 17.49 lakh (ex-showroom). These prices are introductory and applicable till May 31, 2024, with deliveries set to begin from February 1.
BYD reveals new U7 flagship luxury EV sedan
Source Credit: Autocar India
BYD’s new upmarket Yangwang brand has revealed its third production car: a 1,000hp plus luxury saloon aimed at performance variants of the BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE. Set to go on sale in China first during the second half of 2024, the new four-door is based on BYD’s e4 platform – the same structure that underpins the Yangwang U8 SUV and U9 supercar.
BMW sees strong performance from high-end models, corporate sales in India
Source Credit: Autocar India
BMW Group India, which registered 18 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth in 2023 by cumulatively selling 14,172 cars under its BMW and Mini brands, also registered a 56 percent growth in corporate sales. The company saw corporate sales contributing to about 40 percent of its overall CY23 volumes and is confident of future growth in the category.
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📰 International News
Volkswagen sales growth driven by mass-market brands, Audi
Volkswagen's increase in sales last year was driven by its mass-market cars and premium brand Audi, whose sales outstripped pre-pandemic deliveries at 1.9 million vehicles, according to data released on Friday.
Indonesia's president visits Vietnam's EV maker Vinfast and says conditions ready for a car plant
The Vietnamese EV maker has said it will invest USD 1.2 billion in Indonesia and build a factory with the potential to make up to 50,000 vehicles every year. Green SM, an EV taxi operator that is mostly owned by VinFast's founder, also announced an investment plan of USD 900 million in Indonesia.
Protest ends at Chile's lithium salt flats with promise of Boric visit
Protesters agreed to end demonstrations that had blocked access to the Atacama salt flat in Chile, the world's largest lithium deposit, with the promise of a visit by President Gabriel Boric.
Swedish EV maker Polestar misses target for 2023 deliveries
Polestar Automotive Holding , reported 2023 deliveries on Thursday that fell short of its target, as the Swedish electric vehicle (EV) maker's higher-priced models struggled to generate demand in an uncertain economy.
Chevy Blazer Troubles Add to GM’s EV Growing Pains
As one of the nation’s first owners of General Motors’ new electric Chevrolet Blazer, James Hattin was loving the SUV—before the problems began.
📝 EV motor maker EuroGroup Laminations to expand production in Mexico
📝 Hyundai, Kia's sales of eco-friendly cars to hit 1 mn units in US
📝 LG opens first EV charging station factory in the US
📝 Hydro says 20 workers in Sweden may lose job over Tesla union conflict
📝 EV maker Lucid recalls over 2,000 luxury sedans due to faulty component
📝 Stellantis posts 5.9% rise in 2023 European registrations
📝 Tesla gets a $94 billion reality check as EV winter sets in
📝 The best and most frivolous car tech is going straight to EVs
📝 From Honda's Saloon to Hyundai's MOBION: The next-gen electric vehicles revealed at CES 2024
📝 CES 2024: Mercedes-Benz EQG can perform tank turn, shows off in Las Vegas Strip
📝 Honda uses AI to create new advertisement for Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline SUVs
📝 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N becomes meaner with N EV Performance parts
📝 Ford EcoSport 1.0-litre EcoBoost variants recalled in the US
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