When Elon Musk lands in India, the red carpet for Tesla — and a few red flags
When Tesla chief Elon Musk is expected to land in India later this month to announce his electric vehicle (EV) investment plans, he will wish for a red carpet no doubt — but there will also be a few red flags in the wings.

EV push: Automakers, energy majors join hands
The first two weeks of April witnessed a flurry of strategic partnerships and investments aimed at bolstering India’s electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing capabilities and charging infrastructure. These moves come as the country prepares for an anticipated surge in EV adoption over the next decade.

Automobile exports remained under stress in FY24, dip 5.5%
New Delhi: Overall exports remained under stress during the last financial year with sizeable drop in commercial vehicles, two-wheelers and three-wheelers, though passenger vehicles grew marginally, said Vinod Aggarwal, President, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) on Friday.

This is how Tesla can produce a INR 20 lakh 'Make in India' EV
New Delhi: Elon Musk is coming to India for the first time to spend at least 48 hours in the country later this month. As all eyes are on what the billionaire would announce during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industry leaders, Tesla lovers have only one question: When will they finally be able to drive a 'Make in India', affordable EV?

Tesla needs India more than India needs Tesla
It's fairly certain that Elon Musk will meet one on one with Prime Minister Narendra Modi this month. Musk posted on X on Thursday that he’s set to meet Modi, and Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources, that the meeting will take place in New Delhi on 22 April. If the meeting does happen, it will probably lead to Tesla announcing a manufacturing plant in India.

Auto, infra sectors give boost to logistic business
Fuelled by rising demand from the automotive and infrastructure sector, the logistic movement has gone up by over 10% and seen rising further on increased orders for container deliveries to port.

Sour grapes? China thinks Tesla's India biz will be doomed
China has not liked Tesla CEO Elon Musk planning to open an electric car factory in India. Musk is set to travel to India later this month and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with plans for a Tesla factory expected to be announced.

PEC students develop tech to make EVs cheaper
A team from Punjab Engineering College has won a cash prize worth INR 30,000 in the grand finale of Bajaj’s OHM challenge for designing a special traction system. Over 1,200 teams from 29 engineering campuses participated in the meet, including from IITs, NITs and IISc Bangalore.

Volume growth, softer commodity prices to drive Q4 margins of auto firms
 

Brand new Tata Nexon DCA’s gearbox gives up — Here’s what Tata Motors had to say
While we are witnessing EVs going up in flames and having technical glitches, ICEs also face trouble. One example is a new Tata Nexon DCA, which faced issues with its gearbox, as reported by a user on Team BHP. According to the user, the Nexon shifted to neutral by itself — something that looks like it’s straight out of a sci-fi movie.

EV transition: An electric vehicle for you, an economic vision for India
In recent years, there has been a lot of buzz around buying an EV. The major reasons cited for an EV transition include savings on fuel expense and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Although these are notable reasons, the question persists — can EVs offer something substantial to the nation as a whole in the coming decades?

Wired for success: A promising future in the EV lane
In India’s exciting start-up landscape, the electric vehicle (EV) industry emerges as the largest potential game-changer. Even amid economic slowdowns and uncertainty, this sector is charting a trajectory of exponential growth, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 49% between 2022 and 2030.

5-door Force Gurkha teased ahead of launch— Thar, Jimny rival
Force Motors has been working on a 5-door version of the Gurkha for a very long time. Test mules of the 5-door Gurkha have been spied on numerous occasions over the past couple of years. However, its launch was only confirmed recently when we received a media ride event for later this month.

Mercedes Benz to evaluate possibility of bringing hybrid cars to India
 

2024 Bajaj Pulsar N250 review: Flagship yet value for money
Bajaj had big aspirations when it first launched the Pulsar N250 and F250 back in 2021 as it marked the beginning of a new era of Pulsars. Sadly, the new flagship Pulsars couldn’t create a significant impact in the market both in terms of sale as well as following.

Electric motorbikes on course to take charge of EV space
Motorcycles are set to power electric vehicle adoption in India in the coming months as traditional manufacturers vie with startups to roll out battery powered versions that match their petrol-driven counterparts in performance and range.

Ather Energy hints at commuter e-motorcycle
It is an open secret. Ather Energy has been working on an electric motorbike concept for some time. The Bengaluru-based electric two-wheeler manufacturer has remained mostly silent about it, but at the second Ather Energy Community Day, Tarun Mehta, the company’s CEO and co-founder, spoke about the challenges of an electric motorcycle and why even global players are having difficulty entering this market.

Leasing of lithium-ion batteries for 3-wheelers to be rolled out soon in Kolkata
Leasing of batteries for 3-wheelers to be rolled out soon in Kolkata

Uno Minda appoints Rakesh Mehta as Chief Human Resource Office
New Delhi: Uno Minda, a leading auto parts manufacturer informed the company's investors about the appointment of Rakesh Mehta as the new Chief Human Resource Office, with enforcement from 12 April 2024. Rakesh Mehta is a veteran who was earlier part of JSW Energy Ltd. and was serving as Sr. Vice President & Head - Human Resources before joining Uno Minda. During his tenure, he was spearheading Cultural Transformation through designing and driving HR best practices in the Energy business, the company stated.

Niger and China sign crude oil MoU worth USD 400 mn
Niger has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese state-owned oil giant China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) worth USD 400 million linked to the sale of crude oil from its Agadem oilfield, Niger state television RTN reported late on Friday.

EV financing start-up Revfin to raise around ₹2,000 crore in the next year
New Delhi: Electric vehicle (EV) financing company Revfin has said that it will raise anywhere between ₹1,500 crore and ₹2,000 crore in the next one year to sanction instant loans to the customers and expand its market across the country. Started in 2018, Revfin’s primary idea was to provide loans to people living in small towns who don’t get access to credit from traditional financial institutions.

Toyota Taisor to be sold as Starlet Cross overseas
Source Credit: Autocar India

Toyota recently launched the Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor in India, and sources now say that the made-in-India SUV will be rebadged and sold as the Toyota Starlet Cross in international markets. The Taisor is essentially a rebadged Maruti Fronx with some brand-specific design tweaks.

Aprilia RS 457 vs KTM RC 390 comparison review
Source Credit: Autocar India

This story comes from the exciting new CoASTT High Performance Centre in Coimbatore. We were there for the annual Autocar track day and since both these bikes were a part of that story, we really couldn’t resist sharing a quick comparison with you as well. After all, these are the two most sporty track-oriented motorcycles that are currently manufactured in India. This is not a story of comfort, practicality, or anything as mundane as that – those are all evaluations for a later date. Today, we answer just one question – which bike can lap the track faster?

New Maruti Swift India launch on May 9
Source Credit: Autocar India

The new Maruti Swift will go on sale in India on May 9, 2024, Autocar India can confirm. The all-new Swift will be one of the major launches for Maruti this year and will be followed by the market introduction of the all-new Dzire compact sedan later this year.  The new Maruti Swift (Codename: YED) gets fresh yet familiar looks, new interior and features and all-new petrol powerplant.

Jeep Wrangler facelift launch on April 22
Source Credit: Autocar India

The Jeep Wrangler facelift is all set to be launched in India on April 22, 2024. Introduced globally about a year ago, the facelifted Wrangler is finally headed here with a refreshed design and new features.

Next-gen Maruti Swift to get bigger touchscreen, six airbags
Source Credit: Autocar India

Maruti Suzuki’s next big launch for India, the all-new Swift, is set to arrive in the coming months. Internally codenamed YED, the next-gen Swift is expected to be more feature-laden than its predecessor.

2024 Bajaj Pulsar N250 review: More Tech For Your Buck
Source Credit: Autocar India

It's been two years since Bajaj launched the N250 and the F250, hoping they'd serve as a suitable replacement for the classic Pulsar 220F. Despite being a capable product, the N250 didn't receive the same level of acceptance as the 220F and the sales figures reflected that sentiment. Well, Bajaj has been listening and decided to update the N250. The asking price has gone up by Rs. 800 over the previous model and here's everything new over the existing N250.

Harley-Davidson X440 factory visit: Hero’s Garden Factory
Source Credit: Autocar India

Harley-Davidson partnered with two-wheeler giant Hero MotoCorp to start a new chapter in India. The X440 became the fruit of their combined efforts and was unveiled to the world mid last year. Since then, Harley-Davidson has been rather tight-lipped about its future plans for India and there is surely a lot resting on the shoulders of this locally made machine. To shed some more light on its product, Harley-Davidson invited us to Hero MotorCorp’s Neemrana Plant, where the X440 is built.

Feature: Visiting Mahindra's future proof EV development facility
Source Credit: Autocar India

At  the heart of the electric vehicle (EV) revolution lies the battery cell, and those companies that assert mastery of this elemental component wield significant influence in shaping the future of electric mobility. But only a handful of companies possess advanced cell technology and it’s these companies that control the EV supply chain. 

Maruti Suzuki Jimny AT long term review; 10,000km report
Source Credit: Autocar India

I was recently asked by a lifestyle magazine what my favourite cars from what’s available in India are, and this is what I said: “My dream 5-car garage from what is currently available here would be a Suzuki Jimny that I’d keep in Goa; it’s pretty useless in the city but brilliant off-road and it’s cute as a button. The last of the mid-engined V8 Ferraris that Pininfarina designed – a 458 Italia, though I’d have to buy that used now. The retro-cool Porsche 911 S/T would have to be a part of the fleet because it’s simply focused on pure and attainable driving pleasure and not ridiculous rocketship performance. A Mini Cooper for the city, and then to relax, a Range Rover.”