Be ready to pay more cess when registering your vehicles
Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) across Karnataka will soon collect additional cess of INR 500 each for two-wheelers and INR 1,000 each for cars (non-transport vehicles) during registration.

Scheme to push battery part production
New delhi: The ministry of heavy industries (MHI) is preparing a concept note to garner support for a scheme to promote domestic manufacturing of battery components, MHIjoint secretary Vijay Mittal said.
 

Empowering the automotive revolution: AI-driven customer experience and workforce skills for EV era
New Delhi: The growing demand for EVs (electric vehicles) in India is driven by the need to customise customer experiences. This can be supported by AI (artificial intelligence), which can act as a relationship manager to address buyers’ essential needs. AI can provide recommendations and facilitate tailored conversations, whether in pre-sales or after-sales.

Vehicle to Load (VtoL), the next game changer in the EV mobility space
India's ambitious push towards electric mobility is rapidly transforming the automotive landscape. A strong focus on cleaner alternatives, combined with advancements in technology, is driving the rapid adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), especially within the two-wheeler and three-wheeler segments.

EV ecosystem potential declines, yet India to see 5x growth in green funding by 2030: Crisil
India is likely to see a surge in green investments in infrastructure over the next five years, with an estimated Rs 31 lakh crore expected to come into the sector by 2030, according to a report by Crisil Intelligence released at its infrastructure summit in the capital. Crisil says this investment push aligns with India’s ambitious net-zero goals and the increasing importance of sustainable practices across industries from mobility to energy. However, some sectors like the EV ecosystem need a push – as there has been a decline in investment potential year on year.  

IIT Bombay introduces e-Postgraduate diploma in e-mobility for upcoming EV professionals
IIT Bombay, in partnership with Great Learning, is launching an 18-month e-Postgraduate Diploma in e-mobility starting March 2025. This industry-focused program aims to equip professionals with skills needed for the growing electric vehicle sector. The curriculum, designed and delivered by IIT Bombay faculty, covers key areas like electric vehicle design and battery technology, culminating in an on-campus graduation ceremony with alumni status conferred.

Form panel to consider phasing out petrol, diesel vehicles: HC to Maha govt
 

New US AI chip export controls raise concerns for India’s semiconductor ambitions
 

IBC to set up lithium-ion gigafactory in Karnataka with an initial investment of ₹390 cr
 

Mahindra XUV 3XO hybrid on cards, debut in 2026
While Mahindra is focussing heavily on its Electric Origin SUVs, the company hasn’t given up on combustion engine-powered vehicles, and isn’t likely to do so in the distant future. However, the homegrown carmaker can adopt different means of electrification for its ICE range which includes hybrids, to meet upcoming strict emission standards.

Safety First: Skoda Kylaq scores 5 stars in Bharat NCAP rating
Skoda made history by sending its first vehicle, the Kylaq, for Bharat NCAP crash testing and it aced the test, earning a perfect 5-star rating for both adult and child occupant safety.

Maruti Suzuki stock hits 12-week high; rallies nearly 4% on healthy outlook
 

Bharat Mobility Expo 2025: Top 5 most anticipated electric SUVs
The biggest automotive spectacle of the year is around the corner — Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025. The grand annual automobile exhibition has been broadly divided into three focus areas— passenger vehicles and two-wheelers; components; and construction equipment. 

EV market in India could double up in two years: Hyundai
The best-selling mid-size SUV, the Hyundai Creta, is ready to go green! Its electric version will make its world debut on January 17 at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025. We caught up with Hyundai’s Chief Operating Officer, Tarun Garg, who’s confident that after selling over 1.1 million Cretas – and a whopping 190,000 units last year – the electric version is all set to be a “charge” above the rest. 

Mahindra XEV 7e leaked ahead of unveil, features revealed
Mahindra unveiled the first two of its Electric Origin SUVs in November 2024 in the form of BE 6 and XEV 9e. Bookings of selected variants of BE 6 and XEV 7e will begin from 14 February 2025. The next Electric Origin SUV in the pipeline will most likely be the XEV 7e. Test mules of the fully electric SUV have been spied on multiple occasions in recent months.

2025 Tata Tiago EV vs MG Comet EV: Battery, Range, Price
It’s a showdown between the most affordable electric cars in India — the updated Tata Tiago EV versus the MG Comet EV. Tata Motors has recently refreshed the Tiago EV, and we’re here to help you decide which one is the better choice without burning a hole in your wallet.

Porsche to steal the show at Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025. Check full line-up
Porsche enthusiasts are set to be dazzled at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 as the German automaker showcases a stellar line-up of its finest ICE and EV models. According to a report from NDTV Auto, the automaker will reveal a mix of favourites from its Indian portfolio and debuting models. The Porsche pavilion promises to be a highlight of the event, which commences on January 17.

Euler Motors secures $20 million in debt funding for expansion
Euler Motors secured USD 20 million in debt funding from responsAbility Investments AG to scale production of its electric commercial vehicles, particularly the Storm EV, and invest in next-generation EV technology. This investment will support Euler Motors' expansion and strengthen its position in India's electric commercial vehicle market. The funding round highlights the growing interest in sustainable transportation solutions and Euler Motors' success in attracting investment from impact-focused firms.

Eka Mobility plans Rs. 2,000-cr investment

Pune-Based Electric Bus maker Eka Mobility will launch 6-7 electric commercial vehicles over the next 18 months and expand production capacity at an investment of Rs. 2,000 core. 

D-Lyft India LLP, a leading supplier of aluminium trusses and alloy e-bike chassis, expands brand portfolio with the launch of Roadgiant Bikes
D-Lyft India LLP has firmly established itself as a global leader, driving innovation and excellence in the manufacturing and entertainment industries. A dynamic umbrella company with a diverse portfolio of thriving brands, D-Lyft India proudly announces the recent launch of Roadgiant Bikes. Designed to redefine cycling accessibility, Roadgiant Bikes is set to offer affordable, eco-friendly bicycles in vibrant designs, catering to riders of all ages and skill levels.

‘We will find Autonomous Driving tech for India’
ADAS, or assisted driving tech, is a hot trend that Mahindra is also betting big on to enhance its SUVs’ appeal. But can Autonomous Driving, or driverless car tech in other words, which is witnessing a mixed industry response, be a mainstream reality? R Velusamy, President – Technology and Product development, Auto Sector, M&M, believes Autonomous Driving can become a reality in India. In this interview with ETAuto’s Sumantra Bibhuti Barooah, the senior technologist also talks about M&M’s new tech journey with the Inglo EV platform, key technology trends, developing India-specific ADAS tech, key technology trends to watch out for, and more.

Carraro India bags Caterpillar order, electric tractors next in line
Beyond this, Carraro India is in talks with a handful of tractor makers both within the country and overseas for their electric foray. This will see supplies of technology, gearboxes, motors and software for their electric tractors.

2025 Bharat Mobility Expo: Two big adventure bikes likely to be showcased
While 2024 was the year of sub-500cc motorcycles, 2025 seems to be the year of adventure motorcycles. KTM, BMW, Hero MotoCorp, TVS and others are set to showcase or launch adventure bikes, some that have seen an update and some new. However, there are big displacement adventure bikes as well at the upcoming Bharat Mobility Expo and here are two interesting ones to watch out for.

Royal Enfield Classic 650 launch delayed, bookings open
Royal Enfield has delayed the launch of the Classic 650 twin, as per reports online. The Chennai-based motorcycle maker was to announce prices of the Classic 650 twin in India this month, however, reports suggest that Royal Enfield will be announcing prices in February 2025. The Royal Enfield Classic 650 was unveiled at EICMA last year.

Hero MotoCorp says got “all the ingredients” to grow its market share
New Delhi: The country’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp on Wednesday said that it has got “all the ingredients” to grow its market in all the key five premium or power brands – Xtreme, Xpulse, Mavrick, Karizma and Harley-Davidson X440 – with new product line-up starting from the upcoming Bharat Mobility Global Expo.

2W domestic wholesales decline continues in December
Mumbai: Domestic wholesale sales of two-wheelers have declined for two consecutive months for the first time in over a year, the pace of decline accelerating in December indicating a potential slowdown in the segment, demand hit by stress in the rural economy as well as decreased incentives by companies and dealers.

2025 Honda Dio launched at Rs 75k: Here’s what’s new
Honda Motorcycles & Scooters has launched an updated Dio in the market at a starting price of Rs 74,930, making it close to Rs 1500 more expensive than the outgoing model, making it close to Rs 1500 more expensive than the outgoing model. It is available in two variants: STD and DLX at Rs 85,648 (both ex-showroom).

Updated Honda CBR650R and CB650R launched in India
Honda has launched the updated CBR650R and the CB650R in India. The new Honda CBR650R is priced at Rs 9.99 lakh, while the naked Honda CB650R is priced at Rs 9.20 lakh, both ex-showroom. Both motorcycles take a completely different approach at what they offer, but share a lot of components, including a creamy in-line four. Bookings are open for both and deliveries will commence from February. 

Hero Destini 125 vs Suzuki Access 125: Price, Features, Spec
Hero MotoCorp has revamped the Destini 125, preparing to challenge the best-selling Suzuki Access 125 in the 125cc scooter segment. The 2025 Destini 125 comes with a fresh, chic yet retro design, new features, and several hardware updates. Let’s see how it stacks up against the Access 125.

Hero to rev up brand strategy

New Delhi: Hero Motocorp, the country's largest two-wheeler player, will focus on individual brands and leverage the strength of each brand to main-tain lead over rivals like Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India(HMSI). "We have some of the strongest brand names in the market — such as the Splendor — and will make sure each brand excels in its segment:' Niranjan Gupta, CEO, Hero Moto-Corp, told FE."We are calling them `power brande. Besides the Splendor, the Xpulse has become a powerbrand and is today India's highest-selling adventure tourer. The Xtreme is on its way to becoming a power brand, and so are the Karizma and the 440-cc platform (Mavrick 440 and Harley-DavidsonX 440),"he said. Gupta said in scooters, the focus is on turning the Pleasure, the Xoom and the Destini into power brands. The Xtreme, for instance, has three products — 125R, 160R and 160R 4V — and at the recent EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, the Xtreme 250R was launched to strengthen to `Xtremes brand. The company also launched the Xpulse 210 (in addition to 200 4V) and the Karizma XMR 250 (in addition to XMR 210)."We have a lot more in store at the upcoming Bharat Mobility Show: Gupta said. 

Vehicle dispatches to dealerships jump 12 per cent in 2024, two-wheelers lead charge

Automobile dispatches from manufacturers to dealerships rose 12 per cent in 2024, driven by strong consumer sentiment and robust two-wheeler demand, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said on Tuesday.

Rural sales could rebound in 'big way' in next 4-8 quarters: Hero Moto CEO
 

Strong case for GST reduction on 2-wheelers up to 125 cc: Hero MotoCorp CEO
 

Hero Motocorp bets on steady EV market growth, eyes pan-India expansion
Hero MotoCorp, India’s largest two-wheeler maker expects it can build an exhaustive pan-India presence for its electric vehicles (EVs) over the next four quarters, a top company official told Mint on Wednesday.

Amazon Great Republic Day Sale: Best deals on Bajaj Chetak 3501
Bajaj has finally updated the Chetak electric scooter, which was first showcased in 2020. The newly launched Chetak 3501 series comes with a key upgrade. Amazon is offering multiple deals on the scooter, which starts at Rs 1.27 lakh, ex-showroom Bengaluru. However, you can grab it for as low as Rs 1.16 lakh on the e-commerce platform. Here’s how you can avail the discounts and get the best price on the Chetak 3501.

Minda partners Flash Electronics to develop EV platform
Minda Corporation has announced a strategic partnership with Flash Electronics to create the fastest-growing EV platform in the country.

V2G tech can rewrite energy playbook in India
This vision isn't far-fetched. In India, where reliable energy access remains a challenge in many regions, Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology is expected to rewrite the energy playbook. V2G facilitates bi-directional energy flow, allowing EVs to transfer surplus electricity back to the grid or directly power localised needs when not serving their primary purpose. It also helps integrate renewable energy more effectively by storing surplus energy from sources like solar or wind and releasing it when needed, thus lowering operational costs. Furthermore, V2G is seen to aid in demand management by discharging energy from EVs during peak times, reducing strain on the grid and avoiding expensive energy sources.

MeitY convenes industry meet to accelerate innovation in rechargeable battery technology
The event highlighted the progress made by the center in indigenous manufacturing technology for lithium ion, sodium ion and lithium-polymer. The meet explored opportunities for industry collaboration in R&D initiatives. The centre is committed to advancing and scaling up indigenous manufacturing technologies and applications in EV, Mobile and electronics, with a focus on local machinery for rechargeable battery cells.

Steelmakers set to see a dent in profits for 3rd quarter in a row
Profits of most steelmakers are set to decline year-on-year for the third consecutive quarter in this financial year, even as the consumption of steel in the country increased during the period, according to analysts and brokerages.

LTTS to see reduced hiring as automation rises; Q3 revenue up 3 per cent QoQ
L&T Technology Services (LTTS) anticipates a decline in net hiring numbers in the coming years, driven by increasing automation and productivity improvements, Amit Chadha, CEO & MD told FE.

Eccentric Engine Raises $5 Million in Pre-Series A funding
Eccentric Engine, (now Eccentric), a 3D tech partner for most automotive players, today announced that it has raised $5 million (Rs 43 crore) in Pre-Series A funding co-led by Exfinity Venture Partners and Arkam Ventures. This marks the first external funding for the company, with the vision to expand Eccentric’s global footprint and to accelerate further development of its proprietary One3D platform that aims to democratize 3D visualization internationally.

First major revelation by researcher of fuel burn radiation technology
Dr. Murtaza Ali Hamid, the researcher behind fuel burn radiation technology, today provided detailed information about his research and made several surprising claims.

CEAT Q3 Results: Net profit falls 46% to Rs 97 crore on high raw materials cost
CEAT Q3 profit falls 46.48% to 97.03 cr

India rushes to pay for Russian oil ahead of sanctions cutoff
India’s state refiners are rushing to speed up payments for Russian crude, hoping to complete their trades before a dramatic expansion of Washington’s curbs on Moscow’s oil industry effectively comes into force next month, people familiar with the matter said.

Indian refiners shift diesel supplies to Africa and Asia
India's diesel exports to Europe - its largest and most lucrative market - is declining, forcing exporters to shift supplies to Africa and Asia.

India to achieve 20% ethanol blending target in 2 months: Nitin Gadkari
India will achieve its target of 20 per cent ethanol blending in the next two months, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday. The practice of blending ethanol with petrol began in 2001 as a pilot project.

US sanctions on Russian oil tankers to hit imports, Trump’s stance key: Official
 

Delhi air pollution: GRAP IV restrictions reimposed as AQI crosses 390
The Centre’s panel on Delhi-NCR’s air quality invoked stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on Wednesday, following a sharp decline in air quality due to adverse weather conditions. An official order revealed that calm winds, low temperatures, and foggy conditions contributed to the accumulation of pollutants, which led to the air quality index (AQI) soaring from 275 on Tuesday to 396 by 6 pm on Wednesday.

Skoda Kylaq scores 5 star Bharat NCAP rating
The Skoda Kylaq has achived a 5-star rating in both adult and child occupant protection in Bharat New Car Assessment Program’s (BNCAP) safety tests. The Kylaq scored 30.88 out of 32 in adult occupant protection (AOP) and 45 out of 49 for child occupant protection (COP). The crash test scores awarded make the Kylaq the best performing ICE-powered sub-four-metre SUV in BNCAP's crash tests conducted thus far.

2025 Tata Nexon variants, features, transmissions explained
Tata has rejigged the Nexon SUV's line-up for 2025, and it is currently available in four trims – Smart, Pure, Creative and Fearless. Tata has also updated the prices of nearly all variants – now starts at Rs 7.99 lakh (ex-showroom) – although the mechanicals remain unchanged.

Skoda VW developing India specific EV platform
Skoda Auto Volkswagen India, the local subsidiary of Europe’s largest carmaker, Volkswagen AG, has decided to go with its own internal, electric vehicle architecture while continuing to explore alliances and partnerships in the country. Previously, the company had explored Mahindra’s INGLO EV platform and NFA or New Flexible Architecture for internal combustion engine vehicles.

Tata Harrier EV, Sierra and Avinya concepts to be showcased at Auto Expo 2025
One of the most sprawling stalls at the upcoming Auto Expo 2025 will be that of Tata Motors. The homegrown carmaker will have a decided focus on EVs, but new models with other green technologies, such as flex fuel and CNG, are also expected to be showcased. Tata Motors will also display a few special editions and concepts at the pavilion. Let’s take a closer look at what to expect.

KTM 390 SMC R full specifications revealed; India launch this year
KTM 390 SMC R was recently showcased at the 2024 edition of EICMA. KTM did not disclose any specifications for the SMC R then, but now it has revealed data for the motorcycle on its official website.

Honda CB650R, CBR650R relaunched
Honda has relaunched the CB650R and CBR650R in India, a day after we reported that the company was planning to do so. The CB650R is priced at Rs 9.20 lakh, while the CBR650R is available for Rs 9.99 lakh.

Honda Dio updated with new TFT display, priced from Rs 74,930
Honda has once again updated one of its two-wheelers. This time, it’s the Dio, which gets a new TFT display and is now OBD2B-compliant.

Aston Martin Vantage Roadster facelift revealed
Aston Martin has taken the wraps off the Vantage Roadster facelift less than a year since the British brand brought out the Vantage Coupe. Expected to launch in India this year, the updated convertible shares much with the coupe, from its styling and cabin to its features list and Mercedes-AMG-sourced V8 engine.

Mahindra XUV 3XO hybrid under development; could arrive in 2026
After creating a buzz around EVs, Mahindra plans to expand its powertrain line-up to include various hybrid technologies. Sources familiar with the matter indicate that the company is exploring hybrid powertrains, from strong hybrids to range extenders, to broaden its portfolio.

Maruti low cost electric hatchback in the works
 

Hero Splendor electric launch in 2027
 

VW braces for another tricky year with no new EVs
Volkswagen AG had a poor 2024, with sales falling and Europe’s biggest automaker even raising the prospect of closing factories in Germany. This year could be even worse.

Hyundai Motor raises alarm at BYD's entry into South Korean market
Hyundai Motor Group's think tank on Wednesday cautioned against underestimating BYD, China's largest electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, as it plans to enter South Korea's passenger car market.

From sci-fi to reality: XPeng’s vision for flying cars likely to take-off by 2026
Flying cars have long captured the imagination of science fiction enthusiasts, but Chinese automaker XPeng’s Aero HT Land Aircraft Carrier promises to bring this vision to life by 2026. With a price tag of ₹1.96 crore (€220,000), this ambitious creation has already turned heads at major events like the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in 2024 and CES 2025 in Las Vegas, reportedThe Telegraph.

Chip industry groups slam expected rules in private letter to Biden
A half-dozen trade groups from the semiconductor and manufacturing industries sent a private letter to US president Joe Biden complaining that new export controls expected this week were rushed through without consulting them.