BUSINESS
COVID-19 impact | Rising costs, closed showrooms begin to hurt motorcycle makers
As per data shared by an apex dealer association, only 8.65 lakh two-wheelers were registered in April, far less than the typical average of 1.2 to 1.3 million units clocked in a month.
TRENDS
COVID-19 relief efforts | Auto companies step up aid to tackle the pandemic
Automotive companies have stepped up efforts to tackle the pandemic after. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs released a circular that now allows spending on make-shift COVID-19 hospitals, temporary relief camps and other initiatives as CSR activity.
TRENDS
Two-wheeler makers plan Rs 2,000 capex for FY22; multiple launches in the pipeline
Two-wheeler majors such as TVS Motor Company, Hero MotoCorp and Bajaj Auto will spend about Rs 2,000 crore in FY22 as capital expenditure despite the uncertainty of demand because of COVID-19.
TRENDS
April 2021 auto sales: Maruti Suzuki remains top seller
Due to zero sales during April 2020 because of the lockdown there is no comparable figures available. March 2021 give an idea of the demand trend
BUSINESS
This week in Auto | Maruti to shut plants, 2021 Suzuki Hayabusa launched, Mahindra fully buys Meru and more
Here is a wrap of all the important news that broke during the week in the auto industry
TRENDS
Hamara Rahul Bajaj: As he rides into the sunset, the man who gave us Chetak, Priya, Kawasaki and the ubiquitous auto, leaves behind a rich legacy
Credited with making brand Bajaj a household name through the launch of blockbuster models such as the Chetak and Priya in the 1970s, Rahul Bajaj successfully steered the company through The Emergency, License Raj and Economic Liberalisation that began in the 1990s to maintain its position as one of India’s top two and three-wheeler makers
BUSINESS
Your wait for Maruti Suzuki car just got a bit longer
Nine-day production shutdown is set to hit delivery schedules; diversion of industrial oxygen by the plant for medical needs is partial trigger for closure
TRENDS
TVS Motor steps on the investment pedal for electric vehicles
Company plans to sell its only electric two-wheeler, iQube, in more than 20 new cities. A substantial portion of the Rs 600-crore capex lined up for the year will be routed to EVs and emerging technologies, says CEO. Priced at Rs 1,20,000 in Bengaluru, the iQube clocks monthly sales of 250-300 units in the city.
BUSINESS
Maruti Suzuki lags behind in electric vehicles as rivals charge ahead
The underdeveloped status of charging infrastructure, low drive range, dependence on China for lithium-ion cells and high cost of acquisition are making some carmakers hesitate in going all out in the EV segment.
TRENDS
Maruti Suzuki: No impact on production yet but keeping a watch on oxygen supply
While we are small users of oxygen, our vendors who make various components are much larger users. Production can only happen when all of us are able to work to our capacities, said Chairman RC Bhargava.
BUSINESS
Jagdish Khattar: The man who dared to become a businessman at 65
Auto industry leaders and civil servants fondly remember Jagdish Khattar, former IAS officer and the last Indian to be MD of Maruti Suzuki. He led the launch of new models and setting up Maruti’s Manesar plant, while after retirement he saw the boom and bust of his enterprise.
BUSINESS
This Week in Auto: Ola Electric plans new investments, Hero and JLR halt production, oxygen sucks life out of steel plants and more
Hero, Gogoro tie up for EV; COVID-19 cripples EV sales and more: A look at all major headlines from the automotive space this week.
TRENDS
Hyundai junks plan to launch hydrogen car in India
Hyundai was the first car company planning to bring a hydrogen-powered car, also called fuel-cell cars, to India.
BUSINESS
Some luxury car owners are switching to EVs
Though electric vehicles constituted just 0.2% of the total domestic passenger vehicle market in India at the end of FY21, the level of interest from buyers is on the upswing
TRENDS
Bajaj Pulsar NS125 | Does the baby Pulsar pack a punch?
Bajaj Auto has launched the NS variant of the Pulsar 125. It has priced the model significantly higher than other 125cc but lower than the top-end offerings of KTM
BUSINESS
Maruti’s parent Suzuki to partner Toyota for new electric vehicles
The partnership between Toyota and Suzuki in electric vehicles is keenly watched in India, where the Japanese majors have made a big impact in with their conventional vehicles but have lagged behind rivals in emission-free vehicles.
BUSINESS
India gets its first 'designated officer' to oversee vehicle recalls
The appointment ushers change in the vehicle recall procedure, which till now lacked any government intervention; official will have powers to initiate proceedings against an auto maker, if so warranted
TRENDS
Market share: How two-wheeler makers finished FY21
The domestic two-wheeler market went down by 13 percent to 15.11 million in FY21. Check out which manufacturer improved its market share based on the numbers shared by SIAM.
BUSINESS
This week in Auto: Maruti raises prices; Bajaj opens and shuts bookings of Chetak; Govt clears development of hydrogen fuel and many more
Here is the complete look at what made headlines in the auto space during the week
TRENDS
Maharashtra COVID-19 curbs: Automotive companies keep plants running with limited workforce
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government is allowing manufacturing units to continue production but with riders.
TRENDS
EV pioneer M&M fails to produce even a single electric four-wheeler in 2021
The company has invested around Rs 1,000 crore in the EV space. Even the eVerito, the only electric 4W sold by M&M, is being made against confirmed orders now. This means the company is manufacturing only the electric three-wheelers Alfa and Treo now.
TRENDS
Confusion over Maharashtra lockdown guidelines; are auto units allowed to remain operational?
Maharashtra, by far the State worst affected by the Covid outbreak, has imposed these restrictions to contain the rapidly proliferating coronavirus at a time when the automotive sector is witnessing robust demand. The curbs are likely to impact production, leading to extended waiting periods for customers.
TRENDS
Maharashtra hotels fear devastation, mass exodus of migrants if govt imposes lockdown
The hospitality sector was limping back to normalcy after a tumultuous year when the pandemic and lockdowns forced many to shut shop permanently, but new curbs after the alarming rise in infections has killed the nascent recovery.
TRENDS
Car market share: Tata Motors makes a big jump, M&M loses most in FY21
Between July and March there have been changes to the market share pie as well as in the ranking of carmakers. Here are the details of market share split based on registration data (retail sales) provided by FADA
