Command centre for vehicle tracking becomes operational
With the Union ministry of road transport and highways making the installation of vehicle location tracking devices with “panic buttons” mandatory in all public service vehicles under Rule 125(H) of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, the UT administration on Tuesday implemented the directions in the city.

Alternate fuel cars in demand, research points 40 percent urban Indians have strong desire to purchase
The Indian automotive landscape is undergoing a transformative shift with several consumers opening up to the idea of switching towards more clean fuel. In fact, a recent report on the Indian Automotive Industry Trends and Outlook Report by GfK, a leading German market research company, finds that nearly 40 percent of urban Indian consumers express a strong desire to purchase alternative fuel cars.

PLI for batteries may be tweaked, half of sops to boost grid
The government is likely to reserve half of the 20 GWh (gigawatt hours) cell manufacturing capacity under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) battery storage systems for the general grid, a senior official said Wednesday.

Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, M&M in focus on strong sales momentum, price hikes
The festive season is likely to have propelled sales growth for passenger vehicle manufacturers as Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, Tata Motors Ltd and Mahindra & Mahindra ltd amongst others.

Delhi govt notifies Motor Vehicle Aggregator scheme, mandates companies to switch to EVs by 2030
The Delhi government will notify its 'Delhi Motor Vehicle Aggregator and Delivery Service Provider Scheme 2023' on Wednesday, said Delhi Transport minister Kailash Gahlot. The scheme stipulates all passenger, service delivery, and e-commerce aggregator platforms' vehicles to be electric vehicles after 2030.

NXP’s new UWB chip family brings multiple use cases for OEMs
NXP Semiconductors has announced its TrimensionTM NCJ29D6, a fully integrated automotive single-chip Ultra-Wideband (UWB) family combining next-generation secure and precise real-time localisation with short-range radar to address multiple use cases with a single system.

ETAutoEVC: Policy to accelerate India’s electric transition; OEMs seek clarity, certainty
New Delhi: The Indian vehicle market's electrification has been swift, thanks to OEMs taking risks, building scale and investing in R&D to achieve global competitiveness.

ETAutoEVC: Industry in unison seeks more sops to push sales as FAME III details awaited
New Delhi: The electric vehicle industry is seeking, in one voice, the continuation of purchase subsidies/ incentivisation for three-four more years, till EV penetration reaches at least 25%,or till the industry grows five-fold.

Indian auto industry reports 19 per cent growth in retail sales during festive season
 

Upcoming subcompact SUVs in 2024: Sonet facelift to Taisor
The SUV market has boomed in recent years with the advent of smaller sub-4 metre crossovers. These cars provide the road presence of an SUV despite a compact footprint which helps in congested Indian roads, that too at an affordable price tag. Today there is a subcompact SUV/crossover offering from almost every mass-market carmaker in India.

India-bound 2024 Renault Duster makes global debut
The 2024 Renault Duster has made its global debut. It was unveiled in Portugal by Renault’s Romania-based subsidiary– Dacia— the original owners of Duster SUV.  Initially, it will hit the European markets in 2024, and it is expected to go on sale in India sometime around Diwali 2025.

2024 Renault Duster makes global debut with 4x4 and hybrid powertrain
All-New Duster is built on the CMF-B platform which is a flexible platform that was first used on the latest Sandero and Logan models, then on Jogger. The new platform has helped in increasing space for the passengers, and luggage and has also helped in electrification of the SUV.

Mahindra is building a futuristic electrc car that can even sense your mood
Mahindra and Mahindra is in the process of developing a cutting-edge electric vehicle with advanced features. At its Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai, the company is constructing a 'born electric platform' with robust cloud connectivity utilizing 5G and an ethernet backbone, reported the Times of India (TOI).

Dhoni adds Mercedes-AMG G 63 to his illustrious car collection
 The Mercedes-AMG G63 is the performance-spec version of the extremely capable SUV. Power comes from the 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol engine tuned for 576 bhp and a whopping 850 Nm of peak torque. The engine is paired with a 9-speed AMG Speedshift automatic transmission that sends power to all four wheels. 0-100 kmph comes up in 4.5 seconds while the top speed is restricted to 220 kmph. It can be unlocked to 240 kmph with the AMG Driver’s package.

Renault Duster SUV interiors unveiled: Striking design upgrades and modern looks
The 2024 Duster will be the third generation version of the SUV. Sold in European countries under the Dacia brand, Duster has been a household name in India when the French auto giant Renault launched it for the first time back in 2012. The SUV was discontinued from the Indian markets earlier this year. However, it is likely to make a comeback within the next couple of years.

In next 4 years, Tata Power adding 10 GW of renewable capacity: Praveer Sinha
Praveer Sinha, CEO & MD, Tata Power, says “we are again doing a lot of work on EV charging. We do home charging where we have nearly 65,000 chargers. We also do bus charging. We have nearly 600 bus chargers right from Srinagar, Jammu to Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Jaipur. Similarly, we are putting public chargers across the country from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from east to west.”

BioFuelCircle targets pan-India expansion by 2028, aims to connect a million farmers to bioenergy supply chain
New Delhi: BioFuelCircle, a key player in India's bioenergy sector, has announced plans to expand its footprint nationwide by 2028, aiming to integrate one million farmers into its supply chain, Co-founder & CEO Suhas Baxi said in an interview with ET Energyworld. The company, which currently transacts 200 crores annually and operates in six states, is setting its sights on a fortyfold growth over the next five years.

5-door Mahindra Thar spied again, launch in 2024
After enjoying massive success with the second-gen Thar, Mahindra is now working on a bigger, 5-door Thar. Test mules of the larger Thar have been spotted on numerous occasions over the past eighteen months ever since it was announced. While the current Thar is a beast in off-roading conditions, it is not as practical as a family car should be.

Ducati Multistrada V4 S Grand Tour to launch soon in India. Check details
The motorcycle now comes with features such as a tyre pressure monitoring system and fog lamps to improve visibility during the night and there are heated seats and grips as well. Speaking of seats, the pillion seat is now borrowed from Multistrada V4 Rally. Other features on offer are a hands-free fuel cap, a ventilated smartphone compartment and a centre stand.

2024 KTM 1390 Super Duke R & 1390 Super Duke R Evo revealed globally with more torque, sharp styling
The main frame, suspension and braking hardware have been carried over from the 1290 Super Duke R to the 1390 Super Duke R

Hero MotoCorp, TVS Motors, Bajaj Auto share price at 52 week highs as festive sales, wedding season to propel growth
Share prices of Hero MotoCorp Ltd, TVS Motor Company Ltd, Bajaj Auto Ltd with gains of 1-4.5% scaled 52-week highs on Wednesday. The sentiments on two-wheeler manufacturers have improved led by strong festive season sales. The S&P BSE Auto Index is up almost 10% in November as all automobile sales are likely to have caught pace during the festival season

Upcoming Royal Enfield launches: From electric Himalayan to Scrambler 650
Royal Enfield has found the sweet spot with its engines — the J-Series powering the 350cc segment, 650cc twins powering the larger motorcycles, and the new 450cc liquid-cooled motor taking care of the gap between them. With three engines on offer and Harris Performance in the bag, Royal Enfield can create a motorcycle for any segment.

2024 KTM 1390 Super Duke R breaks cover — All you need to know
KTM has unveiled its flagship offering, the 1390 Super Duke R, which gets a massive makeover, from design to mechanicals and electronics. Let’s get straight into the new street naked motorcycle to see what’s new, what’s been updated, and what’s carried over from the 1290 Super Duke. Here’s all you need to know about the new KTM 1390 Super Duke.

Ducati Multistrada V4 S Grand Tour India launch soon, listed on website
After making its global debut in September this year, the Ducati Multistrada V4 S Grand Tour will make its way to India soon. The Italian superbike brand has officially listed the flagship adventure tourer on the country’s website. It sits on top of Ducati’s Multistrada V4 range but gets a lot more touring capabilities thanks to the bunch of accessories on offer.

Expect to sell 18,000 Triumph 400 Twins in Q3 FY2024, expand production to 10,000 per month: Rajiv Bajaj
“So our initial capacity was 5,000 a month but the last quarter we’ve done about 8,000. This quarter we should more than double that to about 18,000, which averages to about 6,000. So out of a capacity of 5,000 a month, we will hopefully be able to squeeze out 6,000 Triumphs on an average this quarter," Rajiv Bajaj said.

Uno Minda launches new range of LED blinkers for two-wheelers
Uno Minda, a leading tier 1 supplier has launched a new range of LED blinkers for two-wheelers in the aftermarket.

How to maintain a luxury car. Key tips
Here are some key tips to follow to maintain the prime condition of your luxury car.

Bharat Petroleum declares ₹21 interim dividend
State owned oil refiner and marketeer Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) has declared an interim dividend of ₹21 per equity share (face value of ₹10 each).

Plastic to crude plant to open in 15 days: Gadkari
Nagpur: Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday said that he will be inaugurating a plant that makes crude oil out of plastic in a fortnight’s time. The unit is coming up at Bela in Umred tehsil of Nagpur.

Sanctioned Russian tanker in limbo shows India’s oil dilemma
A Russian oil tanker sanctioned by Washington is still floating about 1,600 miles from the Indian port where it was due to unload as New Delhi grapples with a dilemma over whether to let the vessel dock.

CNG prices may pinch as cheap gas quota is cut sharply for distributors

New Delhi: The government has sharply cut allocation of cheap domestic natural gas to city gas distributors, which is likely to raise overall gas procurement cost for these companies and prompt them to increase prices of compressed natural gas (CNG).

White Gold for EVs: Mammoth reserves of Lithium likely in California lake, may speed up green mobility revolution
 The projected reserves at Salton Sea is extremely crucial because if true, it could propel this one area as the largest source of Lithium anywhere in the world. It will also power the United States to the top of the list of country's with most reserves. At present, the US has around 1 million metric ton of proven reserve whereas Chile with 9.3 million, Australia with 6.2 million, Argentina with 2.7 million and China with 2 million lead the rankings. But Salton Sea potentially holds as much lithium reserves as all of these countries combined.

Entry-level EVs to close price gap with ICE variants in 18 months, says Tata Motors
Source Credit: Autocar India

With battery costs falling to a record-low of around $130 (Rs 10,800 approx.) per kilowatt hour, there's a potential to see a mass market electric car with a real-world range of 250km that's priced similar to an ICE-powered vehicle within 18 months, says Shailesh Chandra, MD of Tata Passenger Electric Mobility.

Yamaha MT 03 review: The sibling of choice?
Source Credit: Autocar India

The MT-03 is Yamaha’s first twin-cylinder naked bike in India since the OG MT-01. In fact, that’s where its name comes from, but the abbreviation MT translates to something a little different on the smaller current-gen 03, which we will come back to. Instead, let's start with the way this bike looks.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N review: N-thusiasts assemble
Source Credit: Autocar India

The Ioniq 5 N is a car you’d wish Hyundai would bring to India. A proper N car with 650hp in boost mode, a stiffened chassis, redone suspension, smart torque distribution, and a whole host of fun features and never seen before EV tricks, many of which actually work pretty well. So what’s it like? 

KTM 1390 Super Duke R revealed; torquier than every other supernaked
Source Credit: Autocar India

KTM has taken the wraps off the 1390 Super Duke R and the first thing that jumps out at you is that it gets the new headlight design from the 990 Duke. Alongside the ‘standard’ Super Duke, KTM has also revealed the 1390 Super Duke R Evo. 

Kia Sonet facelift to be revealed on December 14
Source Credit: Autocar India

Kia is all set to debut the Sonet facelift in India on December 14, and prices are expected to be announced early next year. This will be the first mid-lifecycle update for the compact SUV since its launch in September 2020, and spy shots of test mules have hinted at notable exterior and interior updates. It will, however, remain mechanically unchanged when compared to the current model.

EV race is a marathon, not a sprint: Audi India head
Source Credit: Autocar India

Balbir Dhillon, the head of Audi India has stated that the government of India should extend import duty support for electric vehicles in order to popularise the zero-emission alternative.  

New Renault Duster makes global debut
Source Credit: Autocar India

After a series of online leaks, the new Renault Duster has finally been revealed officially by Renault’s sister brand Dacia in Portugal. The new Duster will go on sale in Europe early next year, after which it'll be available in other markets. The big news is, Renault will bring the all-new Duster to India in second half of 2025. 

Global car sales to experience growth slowdown in 2024, blame it on high-interest rates and weak economies: Study
While the overall passenger vehicle market across the world will be witnessing a sluggish growth pace in 2024, new energy vehicles including greener and cleaner powertrain propulsion-powered vehicles will see sales surge. Interestingly, this comes as a continuation of 2023, as in the current calendar year as well, new energy vehicles are witnessing a surge in sales but the overall sales of PVs are slow. The rating agency stated that passenger vehicle sales are experiencing a flat to low single-digit growth in 2023.

Biden to Limit Chinese Role in U.S. EV Market
The Biden administration is expected to release tax-credit rules on Friday that could shape the American market for electric vehicles, people familiar with the matter said.

World to reckon with future of fossil fuels at COP28 climate summit
The annual United Nations summit from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12 is taking place as the world is poised to shatter another record for the hottest year in 2023, and as new reports confirm countries' current climate pledges are not enough to avert the worst impacts of global warming.

Dacia reveals new Duster in a tougher design
The All-New Dacia Duster opens the next chapter in the story of a model that has grown into a standard-setter in its market. It is an all-round icon, encapsulating everything the Dacia brand stands for: ‘Robust and Outdoor’, ‘Essential but Cool’, and ‘Eco-Smart’. Duster was born in 2010, overhauled for the first time in 2017, and rose to the top by rewriting the SUV rulebook.

Taiwan's Foxconn plans to invest USD 1.54 bn more in India
Taiwanese tech giant and key Apple supplier Foxconn is planning an additional USD 1.54 billion investment in India for "operational needs", as it seeks to diversify production away from China.

Rolls-Royce aims to quadruple profit in five years
Rolls-Royce aims to quadruple profit in the next five years by boosting the performance of its jet engines and bearing down on costs in boss Tufan Erginbilgic's masterplan for Britain's most prestigious engineering company.

Triumph TF 250-X launched in the US
Powering the motorcycle is a 249.95cc, single-cylinder liquid-cooled four-stroke engine. Triumph has not revealed power figures but claims that it has the best power-to-weight ratio, with the new TF 250-X weighing just 103kg. The engine is nestled in an aluminum chassis and the entire motorcycle has been developed ground-up by Triumph.

Sweden's Northvolt weighs Quebec for potential electric plane battery plant
Northvolt is looking at the Canadian province of Quebec as a possible site to industrialize its Cuberg lithium metal battery system for electric planes, the Swedish company's co-founder said on Tuesday, adding that a decision was still years away.

Yorkville to invest in Sono Motors, to help support business operations till end-2024
Munich-based solar technology company Sono Motors has signed investment agreements with YA II PN (Yorkville), which are expected to enable the company to restructure itself, emerge from its self-administration proceedings that have been ongoing since May 2023 and continue its solar integration business.

Former Jaguar Land Rover CEO Thierry Bollore joins About:Energy as Director
London-headquartered About:Energy, a start-up developing battery measurement and modelling capabilities has appointed Thierry Bollore to its Board. In his new role as Director he will be responsible for shaping About:Energy’s automotive and partnership strategy.

Huawei's new smart car firm valued up to USD 35 bn amid advanced stake talks: Sources
Huawei Technologies' new smart car software and components firm is set for a valuation of up to 250 billion yuan (USD 34.67 billion) after it sells stakes to investors including Changan Auto, three people with knowledge of the matter said.

APAC automakers navigate challenging global vehicle market landscape
Global vehicle sales are anticipated to experience a slowdown in growth in 2024, influenced by weakened economic conditions and higher interest rates, according to Fitch Ratings.

Global Goods Trade Rebounds on Demand for Cars, WTO Says
Global goods trade is recovering from a recent slump amid stronger demand for autos and electronics, the World Trade Organization said in a report that warned geopolitical strains are making the short-term outlook “highly uncertain.”

GM to buy back USD 10 billion in shares, cut Cruise spending
General Motors said on Wednesday it will buy back USD 10 billion in shares and boost its dividend by 33%, even as it cuts spending at its troubled robotaxi unit Cruise and lowered profit expectations following the lengthy auto workers' strike.

Tyre maker Michelin to shut factories in Germany
French tyre manufacturer Michelin said Tuesday it will close two factories and cut more than 1,500 jobs in Germany due to rising costs and competition from cheaper imports.

Edmunds tests the best automotive hands-free driving systems
Ford Bluecruise Ford calls its hands-free driving system BlueCruise and offers it on a handful of its vehicles. BlueCruise allows for hands-free driving on most U.S. highways that don't have traffic signals or intersections. Edmunds tested it on the electric Mustang Mach-E fitted with the latest version called BlueCruise 1.3.

Taiwanese Tesla supplier Hota retools supply chain with first US factory
For years, Hota Industrial Mfg. Co has made gears, shafts and other auto parts in Taiwan and shipped them to large foreign carmakers such as Tesla, Ford Motor and General Motors.

Exicom expands global footprint: Unveils EV chargers in the UK, Europe
Exicom, a power management solutions provider based in Mumbai, has officially entered the UK and Europe markets. The company revealed plans to enhance its distribution network and offer electric vehicle (EV) chargers directly to consumers. At the London EV Show, Exicom introduced a series of scalable and user-friendly DC fast chargers, emphasizing its commitment to simplifying EV charging.

China's Nio teams up with Geely on auto battery swapping
Chinese automakers Nio and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group said on Wednesday they had signed a strategic partnership agreement on battery swapping that would see them work together on standards, technology and model development.

New and more powerful version of Model 3, Tesla's most-affordable EV, to make debut in early 2024
Aussie automotive website CarSales quoted a Tesla representative as saying that the new performance version of Tesla Model 3 is ready for its official unveil and that while it will obviously drive more ferociously, it will also sport some unique styling highlights to give it a more distinct appeal. Do note here that there is already a performance variant of the Model 3 in select markets but the updated performance variant is touted to better the credentials further.

Salton Sea has Lithium to create enough batteries for 382 million EVs
An analysis by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, funded by the United States Department of Energy, has found promising prospects for lithium extraction from California’s Salton Sea, as per a report in the LA Times.

Tesla beats US claim that it fired factory workers amid union campaign
A U.S. labor board has dismissed claims that Tesla Inc illegally fired employees working on Autopilot software at a New York factory to put an end to union organizing.

SUV sales 'offset' carmakers' electric gains, Greenpeace says
A sharp rise in sales of gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles by the world's three largest carmakers has offset any climate gains from the companies' transition to electric vehicles, Greenpeace said Wednesday.

GM says strike cost $1.1 bn but it can absorb rising labour costs

The Detroit automaker on Wednesday reinstated its full-year earnings forecast that was withdrawn after the United Auto Workers began targeting the factories of Detroit automakers with strikes on September 15. Those strikes continued at GM until Oct. 30.

This mightiest 738 bhp BMW M SUV is MotoGP's 2024 track safety car
 Speaking about the MotoGP track safety car, the special XM Label Red comes with some distinctive design elements and features that set it apart from the standard version of the performance SUV. The XM Label Red comes replacing the BMW M2 safety car that was used throughout the 2023 season.

Tesla Cybertruck, due for delivery from November 30, is a production nightmare. Here is why
“Model X became kind of like a technology bandwagon of every cool thing we could imagine all at once," Musk said of the SUV in May 2017. “That is a terrible strategy. You really want to start off simple and add things over time."