Top Indian Automobile Industry News & Updates - 23 Sep 2023,Saturday

🏢 Industry

Vietnam’s VinFast eyes India market, starts hiring process
Vietnam’s first automotive company VinFast is a name not many in India may be familiar with, but the company backed by Pham Nhat Vuong the richest person in the country, it seems the company is eyeing to enter one of the highly competitive but lucrative markets – India.

MoHI wants to hike funds for electric two-wheelers by 165 per cent under FAME II: Report
The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MoHI) is planning to hike funds for electric two-wheelers in the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) Phase-II scheme by about 165 percent, according to a report by ET Auto.

Current EV policy likely to be extended by 6 months
New Delhi: The Delhi government is set to grant a six-month extension to its existing Electric Vehicle (EV) policy due to delays in finalising a new policy, according to an official statement that came after the Transport department meeting on Thursday. The EV policy initially expired on August 8, leading to its temporary extension. The officials revealed that a cabinet note is in progress, with the extension expected to remain in effect for six months or until the new policy is officially notified. The new EV Policy, a pivotal component of the transport department’s initiatives, has faced delays following the termination of contractual advisers, consultants, and fellows in July.

“We are committed to promoting electric mobility in Delhi and ensuring a smooth transition to cleaner transportation options. Extending the existing EV policy is a step towards our goal of significantly increasing the number of electric vehicles on our roads and creating a sustainable urban environment,” a senior officer from transport department stated. They lamented the loss of technical expertise in shaping key policies, including the new EV policy and regulations for cab and bus aggregators, following the departure of the contractual experts. These experts played a vital role in evaluating feedback and refining policies.

Connected vehicles to boost e-SIM demand by 3 mn in 1-1.5 years
New Delhi: Increased focus of automakers on connected vehicles is likely to spur demand for embedded sims (e-sims) by as much as 3 million over the next 12-18 months. This, industry experts said, would drive growth in enterprise business for telecom operators.

Evaluating 28 proposals from startups for chip design: MoS IT
As the government looks to increase the adoption of semiconductor design-linked scheme (DLI) by allowing the participation of foreign and large Indian companies, it is currently evaluating at least 28 proposals from startups for chip design, minister of state (MoS) for electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Friday.

West Bengal to use only electric vehicles in administrative functioning
As a measure to control rising pollution levels in the state because of automobile fuel emission, the West Bengal government has taken a decision to only use electric vehicles for all administrative functions.

A tale of two Indian cities: How Singur's loss became Sanand's gain

In October 2008, facing a public protest led by the then West Bengal opposition leader Mamata Banerjee against land acquisition, Tata Motors chose to withdraw its Nano small car project from Singur and move it to Sanand, a new industrial estate in Gujarat not far from Ahmedabad.

Design takes centre-stage as carmakers re-invent the wheel for EVs
“When most things become the same, it’s only the design that differentiates,” says Pratap Bose, chief design officer, auto and farm sector, Mahindra & Mahindra, who has crafted a new design language for its upcoming range of electric SUVs. All the models-- including the electrified models based on the existing fossil fuel-based models and the born electric (developed ground up) ones will be based on the company’s newly developed Inglo architecture but will have their own distinctive identity, explained Bose.

🎤 Interviews & Features

2023 Tata Nexon vs Tata Punch: Features, price, engine and specifications comparison
The new Nexon is offered in Smart, Smart+, Smart+ S, Pure, Pure S, Creative, Creative+, Creative+ S, Fearless, Fearless S and Fearless+ S. The ‘+’ option gets additional features whereas the S denotes the addition of the sunroof in each variant. The price starts from Rs 8.1 lakh and goes up to 15.5 lakh (both prices Ex-showroom).

MotoGP Bharat Grand Prix overshadows World Car-Free Day 2023 – Oh, the irony!
The multiple barricades and traffic snarls leading up to the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) are testimony to the excitement around MotoGP Bharat Grand Prix 2023, taking place this weekend – from September 22 to September 24. “Can I get a parking pass?” has been a common follow-up question to “Do you have passes to the MotoGP?” that I’ve endured in the past few days. Among all that hullabaloo, let’s not forget that today – September 22 – is World Car Free Day, a day that’s almost a complete non-event this year.

Tata Nexon.ev Vs Mahindra XUV400: Price, specs, features comparison
Tata Motors recently launched the facelifted Nexon EV, rechristened as Nexon.ev. The electric crossover has seen a significant revamp in design and some minor changes in specifications. It directly squares off against the Mahindra XUV400. Let us look at how both these subcompact electric SUVs fare against each other.

Delhi government mulls incentives for converting old cars to electric, but is it worth the cost?
Delhi Transport Minister, Kailash Gehlot, has hinted at potential incentives for individuals interested in retrofitting their aging petrol or diesel vehicles with electric conversion kits in the capital city. He also revealed that the present electric vehicle (EV) policy will be extended for six months, with a new policy in the works that may include incentives for EV conversions.

🚗 Cars / SUVs

Nissan announces festive offers for Ganesh Chaturthi
Nissan has unveiled a host of offers for its customers in Maharashtra and Gujarat, to celebrate the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. These special offers are valid for the month of September on the purchase of the Nissan Magnite.

Hyundai India introduces motorsport-inspired i20 N Line starting at INR 11.2 lakh
New Delhi: Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) Friday launched its motorsport-inspired Hyundai i20 N Line starting at INR 11.2 lakh.

2024 Skoda Superb and Kodiaq teased: Expected to get petrol, diesel and hybrid powertrains
Czech Automaker Skoda recently revealed the interior images of the Skoda Superb and Kodiaq SUV. The company has now teased the images of both vehicles being tested in different climate and temperature conditions. The global launch of these vehicles is expected to happen by the end of 2023 while the India launch could take place sometime in 2024.

2023 Hyundai i20 N Line loan EMI on Rs 2.2 lakh down payment: Details explained
Source Credit: Sahil Kukreja, The Times of India

After introducing a mid-life facelift for the third-gen i20 in the Indian market earlier this month, Hyundai has followed with the updated version of the i20 N Line - the sportier version of the hatch. Along with the makeover, the i20 N Line now gets a new 6-speed manual transmission which replaces the iMT (clutchless manual) gearbox that was previously offered with the car.

Planning to buy the new Hyundai i20 N Line and wondering how much EMI would you have to pay? Here’s a table showing the variant-wise on-road (Delhi) price of the performance-oriented hatch, and the lowest monthly installment you would have to shell out for it, keeping in mind an average tenure, ROI, as well as down payment -

Variant	On-road price (estimated)	Tenure	Interest rate	Down payment	EMI
N6 6MT	Rs 11.12 lakh	5 years	10%	Rs 2.22 lakh	Rs 18,961
N6 7DCT	Rs 12.79 lakh	5 years	10%	Rs 2.56 lakh	Rs 21,731
N8 6MT	Rs 12.93 lakh	5 years	10%	Rs 2.58 lakh	Rs 21,981
N8 7DCT	Rs 14.18 lakh	5 years	10%	Rs 2.84 lakh	Rs 24,104

MG Hector, Hector Plus are now more affordable: Check out the new price list
Source Credit: Prachi Ahluwalia, The Economic Times

MG Motor India has reduced the prices for its Hector and Hector Plus SUVs in the Indian market. The MG Hector is now affordable by up to Rs 1.29 lakh, while the MG Hector Plus receives a price cut of up to Rs 1.37 lakh. The diesel variant of both SUVs has received a massive price drop. Here are the complete details.

MG Hector prices revised
The MG Hector price in India now starts from Rs 14.73 lakh and goes up to Rs 21.73 lakh (both prices, ex-showroom). The Style MT variant receives a price cut of Rs 27,000, while the Savvy Pro 1.5P CVT variant is now affordable by Rs 66,000. Talking about the diesel variants, the Shine 2.0D MT is now priced at Rs 17.99 lakh, affordable by Rs 86,000 and the Smart Pro 2.0D MT receives the maximum price cut of Rs 1.29 lakh. Below are the updated variant-wise prices of MG Hector:

Variant	New price (ex-showroom)	Old price (ex-showroom)
Style 1.5P MT	Rs 14.73 lakh	Rs 15 lakh
Shine 1.5P MT	Rs 15.99 lakh	Rs 16.34 lakh
Shine 1.5P CVT	Rs 17.19 lakh	Rs 17.54 lakh
Smart 1.5P MT	Rs 16.80 lakh	Rs 17.16 lakh
Smart 1.5P CVT	Rs 17.99 lakh	Rs 18.35 lakh
Smart Pro 1.5P MT	Rs 17.99 lakh	Rs 18.65 lakh
Sharp Pro 1.5P MT	Rs 19.45 lakh	Rs 20.11 lakh
Sharp Pro 1.5P CVT	Rs 20.78 lakh	Rs 21.44 lakh
Savvy Pro 1.5P CVT	Rs 21.73 lakh	Rs 22.39 lakh
Shine 2.0D MT	Rs 17.99 lakh	Rs 18.85 lakh
Smart 2.0D MT	Rs 19 lakh	Rs 19.94 lakh
Smart Pro 2.0D MT	Rs 20 lakh	Rs 21.29 lakh
Sharp Pro 2.0D MT	Rs 21.51 lakh	Rs 22.72 lakh

Škoda produces 3 mn SUVs since 2009
Škoda Auto celebrates production of its three-millionth SUV, a Škoda Kodiaq Sportline, off the line at the Kvasiny plant. Škoda entered the SUV segment with the Škoda Yeti in 2009, integrating these vehicles into its portfolio. Over time, Škoda introduced the Kodiaq, Karoq, and Kamiq series, alongside its first all-electric MEB-based SUV, the Enyaq. The success of the Kushaq in India boosted SUVs to nearly half of Škoda's global deliveries.

🚗 Luxury Cars

BMW M cars and bike are official safety vehicles at MotoGP Bharat
Vikram Pawah, President of BMW Group India, said, "For over 25 years, BMW M Safety Vehicles have always taken the lead as the motorcycle riders compete at MotoGP™. We are thrilled with the debut of MotoGP™ in India. It offers a unique opportunity for fans to witness the BMW M Safety Vehicles in action along with their favorite riders on the racetrack. An experience is also in store for BMW Excellence Club members with hospitality, racetrack laps in BMW M MotoGP Safety Vehicles, and a MotoGP Bharat weekend full of excitement and BMW M Power."

Bentley launches Flying Spur Hybrid in India at Rs 5.25 crore

⛟ Commercial Vehicles

VECV grows 10 times in 15 years
Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles Ltd (VECV) has grown 10 times in the last 15 years, a top company official told FE. In July 2008, when VECV was set up, its turnover was about $200 million, and now it has touched almost $2 billion.

Hry adds 1.3k low-emission buses to its fleet, will induct 720 more by next mth
The Haryana government procured 1,370 new BS-VI diesel buses in September as part of a plan to achieve the clean fuel target set by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM). Officials said the move will facilitate replacement of old buses identified for scrapping in NCR districts. Older BS-III or IV buses will be relocated to non-NCR depots.

Govt extends mandatory fitness testing of transport vehicles through ATS till Oct '24
The government has extended the date of mandatory fitness testing through a registered automated testing station for transport vehicles by five months to October 1, 2024. In April last year, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) said that heavy, medium and light goods and passenger vehicles should mandatorily be vetted at automated testing stations from June 1, 2024, onwards. However, a slight relief has no been offered, stretching the deadline by a few months.

3 out of 5 cityauto operators keen on switch to EV: Study
Surajit Majumder, secretary of the Jadavpur-Ranikuthi-Tollygunge Auto Union, said: “We are now more aware of the subsidies and government policies in place for electric vehicles (EVs). We acknowledge that it will not only reduce our operational costs but also contribute to a cleaner environment."

Tata Motors launches Ace EV in Nepal
New Delhi: Tata Motors, one of the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, Friday launched the new Ace EV in Nepal, with its sole authorised distributor, Sipradi Trading Pvt. Ltd.

Euler Motors joins SIDBI’s Mission 50K-EV4ECO program to promote sales of its HiLoad EV
New Delhi: Euler Motors, a commercial electric vehicle company, is collaborating with the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) for the "Mission 50K-EV4ECO" program transform the EV financing landscape and to catalyse the entire EV value chain.

Volvo Group bullish on India's growing commercial vehicle market
India is well-poised to grow manifold in the next decade and play a greater role in manufacturing operations for the Volvo Group globally, said a top executive at the Swedish maker of commercial vehicles, engines, and construction equipment.

🏗 Construction & Agri Machinery

Stocks to buy: Escorts, M&M among top picks in tractor market, industry growth expected to be slow
Following a meeting with a zonal manager of the tractor manufacturer Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE), domestic brokerage, Nuvama Institutional Equities, reiterated its 'buy' rating on Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) and stated that Escorts continues to be its top picks.

Share of 41-50 horsepower tractors continues to rise
The Indian tractor market is becoming a strong high horsepower (HP) market, with a steady increase in the share of high HP tractors in the overall pie. Increasing purchasing capacity of farmers, growing farm consolidation with an increasing need for farm power per hectare, and rise in substitution of manual and animal labour for various farming operations continue to drive the structural shift to higher HP tractor sales. The domestic tractor market has seen a gradual upgrade from 31-40 HP tractors to 41-50 HP tractors over the past few years. The share of 41-50 HP increased from 47per cent in FY18 to 54-55 per cent in FY23.

🏍 2/3 Wheelers

TVS Motor announces India’s 1st electric two-wheeler racing championship
TVS Motor Company has announced the launch of India’s first electric two-wheeler racing championship, titled ‘TVS Racing Electric One Make Championship’. The first round will have eight hand-picked participants, who will ride the newly-launched TVS Apache RTE (Racing Throttle Electric) motorcycles, developed solely for the championship.

New Aprilia RS 457 vs Kawasaki Ninja 400 comparison
The sport bike segment, especially the sub-500cc performance motorcycle segment is catching up in India with the launch of the updated KTM 390 Duke, the soon-to-come RC 390, the Kawasaki Ninja 400, and the recently unveiled Aprilia RS 457. We have reviewed the new 390 Duke and since the updated RC 390 is yet to launch, this leaves us with two sport bikes in the segment — the Ninja 400 and the Aprilia RS 457.

Top 10 2Ws in August 2023: Top 3 continue to hold their spots despite Activa’s sales fall
Suzuki's entrant in the top 10 two-wheelers list--Access, with 53,651 units continues to be at the seventh spot, like it was in the month of July. Number 8 spot was bagged by TVS Raider, a jump in 1 position and a 15% M-o-M growth.

Aprilia gets race tech on a road bike
Motorcycles Used in Moto GP and other racing competitions are unlike your road bikes — for instance, in road bikes the gearshift pattern is one down, five/six up, but in Moto GP bikes it's the opposite (the riders push the lever down to up shift and pull the lever upto downshift). But a lot of technology from the track is now finding way into road-legal bikes. For example, the Aprilia RS457,showcased in New Delhi on the eve of MotoGP and which will be launched in India early next year, benefits from the company's Moto GP experience, where it competes as team Aprilia Racing (its riders are Maverick Vifiales, Aleix Espargaro and Lorenzo Savadori). Diego Graffi, chairman &MD of Piaggio Vehicles —the parent company of Aprilia — told FE that from design to engine to performance, everything in the RS457 is inspired by racing.

Commuter motorcycles to premium rides: Global brands lead the way
Mid-sized premium motorcycle sales are poised to grow fivefold within three-four years, as India’s motorcycle market, traditionally dominated by commuter bikes for daily transportation, shifts toward high-performance models with advanced styling and features, Diego Graffi, chairman and managing director of Piaggio India, said in an interview.

Royal Enfield expands its wheels into Central America: Riding the iconic Indian brand wave in Panama
In a move that’s making waves in the world of two-wheelers, Royal Enfield, a division of Eicher Motors Ltd. (EML), has taken its iconic Indian motorcycles to the shores of Panama. This exciting venture was officially inaugurated by India’s Ambassador to Panama, Dr. Sumit Seth, who commended the brand’s independent journey to reach Panama.

Did you know the top 4 MotoGP riders have a Mahindra connection? Here’s how
While Mahindra's Moto3 effort is now defunct, reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia was a part of the team in 2015-16 and was key for the fledgling Indian outfit to turn things around at the time. Bagnaia scored the first podium for Mahindra in 2016 and became a regular at the podium that season. The Italian went on to claim the team’s maiden win at the Dutch TT at Assen at the age of 19. He went on to record another win at Sepang and finished fourth in the championship that season after giving a tough fight for the Moto3 title. The rider graduated to Moto2 the next season.

MotoGP Bharat 2023: Fabio Quartararo, Franco Morbidelli meet Yamaha employees ahead of inaugural edition

TVS’s latest is a track-ready street fighter
The collaboration between BMW Motorrad and TVS Motor Company has already spawned three motorcycles. The platform sharing, tech co-development and contract manufacturing was always going to extend to multiple models. And many of us knew that a naked motorcycle version from TVS was overdue. The entry to mid-displacement performance motorcycling segment has seen a lot of action over the past couple of years. And even brands like Harley-Davidson and Triumph have joined the fray with motorcycles that are outside of their core focus categories. The naked motorcycle still rules and in the Indian context never lost its appeal given how that body style delivers design appeal, and, an easy riding and an easy ownership experience.

🚲 Electric 2/3 Wheelers

WardWizard appoints Tejas Mehta as CFO, Sanjay Sablok President for Operations
Wardwizard Group a leading electric vehicle manufacturer under the ‘Joy e-bike’ brand has appointed Tejas A Mehta, a seasoned Chartered Accountant with over two decades of financial leadership experience as its new Chief Financial Officer.

Ola Electric showcases its electric motorcycles at MotoGP Bharat
Ola Electric is also an industry partner of MotoGP Bharat. The electric two-wheeler manufacturer has provided 150 S1 electric scooters for mobility duties around the track. The electric scooters will also be there for marshall support.

Delhi govt to deploy electric scooters and e-cycles in Dwarka for last-mile connectivity
New Delhi: In order to strengthen last-mile connectivity, the Delhi government plans to deploy 3,000 electric scooters and e-cycles at 90 locations in Dwarka, said a government statement on Thursday. The government has invited proposals for the deployment of high-speed e-scooters, low-speed e-scooters and e-cycles, the statement said.

Electric two-wheeler sales take a hit after FAME 2 revision says InCred Equities

FAME-II subsidy violation: Hero Electric opposes Rs 130 cr refund demand

🌇 Allied Industries

TVS ILP performs ground-breaking ceremony for new state-of-the-art warehouse in Chennai
TVS Industrial and Logistics Parks (TVS ILP), part of the TVS Mobility Group, has held the groundbreaking ceremony of its state-of-the-art warehouse in the city, the company said on Friday. The city-based firm through the new warehouse has planned to offer support to the vertically integrated solar manufacturing facility of US-headquartered First Solar.

TVS ILP to build warehouse for First Solar
TVS Industrial & Logistic Parks (TVS ILP), part of TVS Mobility Group, is building a new warehouse to support US-based First Solar’s manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu. The 5,70,000 sq-ft warehouse space is intended to serve as a staging area for First Solar’s raw materials and inventory. First Solar is a leading solar technology and manufacturing company.

Uno Minda launches new range of alloy wheels in India with Kosei Aluminium
New Delhi: Uno Minda, a Tier 1 supplier of proprietary automotive Solutions to original equipment manufacturers, recently announced its new premium range of alloy wheels in the Indian aftermarket in collaboration with Kosei Aluminium Co. Ltd., a Japanese global leader in aluminium alloy wheel design and manufacturing

JSW, LG Energy Solution to make EV batteries in India: reports
Indian steel-to-energy group JSW is in early-stage talks with Korea’s LG Energy Solution (LGES) about jointly manufacturing batteries in India, two sources told Reuters, as it presses ahead with plans to build electric vehicles locally.

Micron sets stage for India to be a trusted global supply chain partner: MoS IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar

🌢 Fuels, Lubricants & Charging Stations

Oil prices rise as supply concerns outweigh demand fears
Oil prices rose on Friday as concerns that a Russian ban on fuel exports could tighten global supply outweighed fears that further U.S. interest rate hikes could dent demand, but they were still headed for their first weekly loss in four weeks.

Statiq partners with NPCL to install EV charging stations
New Delhi: Electric vehicle (EV) charging service provider Statiq has signed an initial pact with Noida Power Company Ltd to install EV charging stations at residential complexes in Greater Noida, near the national capital. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) marks a further consolidation of Statiq's recent efforts towards leading the energy transition drive in the Indian e-mobility ecosystem, the firm said in a statement.

💸 Finance & Insurance

Indian auto insurance technology start-up Roadzen listed on Nasdaq
Washington: Indian start-up Roadzen, which has emerged as a major global auto insurance technology company powered by artificial intelligence (AI), has been listed on Nasdaq.

How to identify fraud and misselling in motor insurance
Rajesh (name changed) wanted to renew his car insurance. On a website that bore the resemblance of a reputable insurance company, he entered his contact details.

Ride into Joy and Security: Exploring the Benefits of Insuring Your EV this Festive Season!
Electric cars, once a futuristic concept, are now hitting the mainstream roads, and it’s no wonder why. These eco-friendly vehicles offer not only environmental benefits but also significant financial advantages. As you ride into the world of electric vehicles (EVs), it’s crucial to consider one more aspect that adds to your joy and security - electric car insurance.

📖 Magazines News

Government plans fresh FAME-II subsidy boost for electric two-wheelers
Source Credit: Autocar India

The Ministry of Heavy Industries is planning to increase the FAME-II subsidy outlay for the electric two-wheeler segment by Rs 1,500-2,000 crore to sustain the momentum for segment penetration before the scheme runs out by the end of the financial year 2024.

Branded Content: Ignite the night
Source Credit: Autocar India

Renault India knows what works in our market, and has just launched exclusive new versions of its Kiger SUV, Triber seven-seater, and Kwid hatchback. The aptly named Urban Night editions for these three already excellent cars provide customers with more bang for their buck, and that’s not just in terms of design. In fact, all three get some features that have never been seen before in their respective segments, underlining Renault’s innovative approach, and its relentless focus on delivering the best cutting-edge tech to its customers.

Hyundai Creta facelift: spy shots reveal expected features
Source Credit: Autocar India

Hyundai India seems to be rigorously testing the upcoming Creta facelift across the country, and new spy shots have surfaced online revealing fresh details about the features and design updates. Sources tell us that Hyundai will begin production of the Creta facelift at its Chennai factory starting January 2024.

Branded Content: Fronx vs Champ
Source Credit: Autocar India

How far would you go to have fun? We’d go to the ends of the Earth, provided we have the right set of wheels. Last month, when an opportunity presented itself in the form of the formidable Nexa Fronx, we pushed more pressing tasks onto the backburner, got into one of the most exciting – and capable – SUVs around, and hit the road. Our destination was Ladakh, which vibed well, you’d agree, with the Fronx’s ‘Frontier Next’ philosophy that has also inspired its catchy name.

Hyundai i20 N line facelift launched at Rs 9.99 lakh
Source Credit: Autocar India

Hot on the heels of the i20 facelift launch in India, Hyundai has now launched the refreshed i20 N Line in our market. The i20 N Line continues to be offered in two trims – N6 and N8 – with prices starting from Rs 9.99 lakh for the N6 manual variant, going up to Rs 12.31 lakh for the top-spec N8 DCT variant.

Honda Hornet 2.0, Dio 125 Repsol Editions launched
Source Credit: Autocar India

Honda has launched Repsol Editions of the Dio 125 and Hornet 2.0 for Rs 92,300 and Rs 1.4 lakh, respectively, which will be sold via its Red Wing outlets. Both models have been introduced just ahead of the MotoGP race in India this weekend.

Volkswagen Virtus 1.5 TSI GT Plus long term review, 10,500km report
Source Credit: Autocar India

Here in Mumbai, we’ve just been through one of the worst monsoons in recent memory, and while that’s put a huge dampener on most aspects of our lives, it also presents a unique opportunity for us car reviewers. Any extreme weather is a pressure test for a car, and given how badly gouged-out the roads get each year, my unabashed preference for sedans over SUVs is sure to be put to the test too.

Tata Nexon EV facelift waiting period stretches up to 10 weeks
Source Credit: Autocar India

Tata Motors recently overhauled its Nexon ICE and EV line-up with a major facelift inside and out. The company has also carried forward existing Nexon and Nexon.ev bookings to the facelifted SUV, and we’ve now got our hands on the waiting period for the Nexon.ev.

MG Hector, Hector Plus prices slashed by up to Rs 1.37 lakh
Source Credit: Autocar India

MG Motor India has significantly slashed prices for both the Hector and Hector Plus SUVs – the former by up to Rs 1.29 lakh and the latter by up to 1.37 lakh. It is the diesel version of both SUVs that see the maximum drop in price. This could be in response to slow sales as both SUVs are selling just about 2,000 units a month combined, whereas segment leaders like Mahindra XUV700 and Scorpio N are selling well above 6,000 units a month on average.

📰 International News

US opens probe into about 240,000 Ford EcoSport vehicles
U.S. auto safety regulators have initiated an investigation into approximately 240,000 Ford EcoSport vehicles manufactured between 2018 and 2021, following a series of consumer complaints regarding oil pump failures.

Toyota to speed up EV production, aims for over 600,000 vehicles in 2025- Nikkei
Toyota Motor will speed up production of electric vehicles of its Toyota and luxury Lexus brands, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Friday.

UAW to strike more GM, Stellantis plants, has made progress with Ford
The United Auto Workers will say it has made real progress towards a deal with Ford Motor but expand its strikes against rival automakers General Motors and Stellantis, according to sources familiar with talks.

UAW Poised to Expand Strike to More Auto Factories
The United Auto Workers union on Friday is set to expand its strike against Detroit automakers, barring any last-minute signs of significant movement in labor-contract negotiations.

For Tesla and Musk, auto strike carries benefits and risks
The United Auto Workers strike against the Michigan automakers would seem to be nothing but good news for Tesla, the electric vehicle maker that has upended the industry and stolen customers from Ford Motor, General Motors and Stellantis, which owns Jeep and Ram.

EU set to demand e-fuel cars have no climate impact
The European Union is set to demand that cars running on e-fuels must be 100% carbon neutral if they are to be sold beyond 2035, a draft document showed, after Germany demanded e-fuel cars be exempted from the phase-out of new polluting vehicles.

Detroit Three automakers enter final hours to avoid wider UAW strike
The Detroit Three automakers and the union representing the companies' U.S. hourly workers on Friday entered the final hours to reach new labor agreements before the current coordinated strike expands to include more plants.

China climate envoy says phasing out fossil fuels 'unrealistic'
The complete phasing-out of fossil fuels is not realistic, China's top climate official said, adding that these climate-warming fuels must continue to play a vital role in maintaining global energy security.

Why can’t Americans buy cheap Chinese EVs?
EV variety is easy to find outside the US. Where American drivers now have about 50 electric cars to choose from, Europe’s array is almost double that, and China’s nearly triple. With that variety come more small and midsize options, and more cars with price tags that won’t break the bank.

Europe's trade chief heads to China: Seeking easier business terms amid electric car probe
Europe's trade chief will push Beijing for fewer restrictions on European businesses on a four-day visit to China, when he can expect tough conversations over a planned EU investigation into electric car imports.

France's Eramet and Suez pick Dunkirk for EV battery recycling
Eramet and Suez have chosen Dunkirk as the location for a planned electric vehicle (EV) battery recycling facility as the partners look to tap into a battery production belt being developed around the northern French port, they said on Friday.

Auto industry slams Britain's petrol car ban delay and confusion
Carmakers, which have invested billions on electric vehicles, slammed Britain's move to delay a 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, saying it would disrupt supply chains and slow the transition to greener cars.

China to control half the world's hydrogen electrolyser capacity
By the end of 2023, China will control half the world's installed capacity of electrolysers for producing low-carbon hydrogen amid a slowdown in new projects due to inflation, according to an International Energy Agency report released Friday.

Lexus is benchmarking Tesla for its next-generation EVs, aims to make cars using giga-casting
Lexus is slated to preview its next-generation electric car that will launch in 2026 through a concept debuting at the Japan Mobility Show next month, claimed the report. The next-generation EV will be built on a modular architecture as the automaker has said. It will come with significantly altered production methods and a completely re-imagined software platform as well. "We have also prioritized vehicle design to embody the essence of Lexus," he reportedly said while also adding that the auto company plans to make it easier to build and simply as much as possible. “One of our first steps will be modifying and rethinking our production methods," he said.

Automobile Industry

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