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Category: Automotive

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Auto and Car news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Jaguar I-Pace Black Edition Unveiled

    Jaguar I-Pace Black Edition Unveiled

    Jaguar has added a new Black Edition in the I-Pace range for the SE and HSE variants. The Black package adds a dark, glossy finish to the grille, mirror caps, window surrounds, and rear badges, while the 20-inch, five-spoke wheels are finished a gloss black look as well. And even the Black Badge Edition is available in all body colors that you generally see on the Jaguar I-Pace. On the inside, there are Ebony leather sports seats and a matching headliner. The cabin trim is finished in gloss black. A full panoramic roof and privacy glass are also part of the package.

    Needless to say, mechanically the Jaguar I-Pace Black Edition remains unchanged. It is powered by electric motors making a total of 390 bhp and 696 Nm of peak torque. There’s an 11-kilowatt onboard charger and 100-kilowatt DC fast charger. According to Jaguar, the base version of the I-Pace can cover 286.2 miles or 460.6 km on a charge. The SE Black brings down this figure to 279.9 miles or 450.5 km, and the HSE Black offers 279.0 miles or 449 km of rang on a full.

    Jaguar had also introduced the Black Badge edition recently and the new I-Pace’s Black edition follows up on the same styling language. The theme is largely the same by adding lots of glossy, dark accents to the sports car. Deliveries of fhe standard Jaguar I-Pace will start in May this year and we expect Jaguar to introduce the I-Pace Black Edition in our market soon.

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  • Bike maker hopes to electrify regional markets

    Bike maker hopes to electrify regional markets

    The man behind Dat Bike, the only made-in-Vietnam motorbike brand, is holding fast to his dream of becoming the Elon Musk of the bike industry.

    Dat Bike, a startup brainchild of Nguyen Ba Canh Son, a former Silicon Valley developer, got a shot in its arm in 2018 by raising $2.6 million in seed funding from a group of investors led by Singapore venture capital firm Jungle Ventures.

    Jungle Ventures rarely invests in premature projects like Dat Bike, so the decision was described as “exceptional.” This is true, considering that Son and his Dat Bike were firmly rejected until then.

    “You should never dive into electric bike making,” an investor told Son bluntly a few years ago.

    “You are gifted, but you sell what no one wants. This is not the right time for electric bikes in the market. I will consider an investment if you come up with another project,” the investor added.

    Son also believed then that the market was not ready for him. He saw that the way brands advertised electric bikes usually disappointed the customers as the real life performance failed to match the marketing hype.

    Electric bikes these days can only cover just half the range and power of their petrol-fueled rivals. Currently, the electric bike owners are mostly young students, who are not allowed to ride powerful motorcycles.

    The rejections did not deter Son, who constantly kept in mind the motivation that made him take the plunge. When Son was a developer in Silicon Valley, he became bored with the job at a property management agency. The workload was heavy but meaningless and the handsome remuneration did not stop him from quitting his job and looking for a new path that would deliver value and convenience to people.

    Around this time, the production of electric vehicles was an emerging, attractive business in the U.S. However, startups often failed due because they were premature for the market. Son believed he had a better chance making electric bikes for Vietnam.

    He returned to Vietnam in 2018 with all his money and loans, pouring everything into his dream project, Dat Bike.

    Son wanted his bikes to have the ability to replace petrol-fueled ones that were polluting the local air. He wanted that buyers not have to compromise neither power nor convenience when using the greener alternatives.

    Starting with roughly $1 million, Son invested in a factory and then opened a flagship store in HCMC. The number of buyers was relatively modest at a few hundred, a month, but since November 2020, things have been looking up with revenues rising 35 percent a month since November 2020.

    Dat Bike has been recognized by the Ministry of Transport as Vietnam’s first domestic electric bike manufacturer that sources parts locally. Standing out from other competitors was a factor that influenced Jungle Ventures to invest in Dat Bike.

    Consumers are more and more likely to switch to greener products, but they are not ready to compromise the convenience of regular vehicles. Amit Anand, founding partner with Jungle Ventures, said it was noteworthy that public awareness of the need to preserve and protect the natural environment has been rising.

    “It is just something most brands don’t pursue right now. They mostly import finished units or assemble parts. This lack of core development and control results in the market lagging behind in power and design, making it difficult for people to make the switch. Dat Bike offers the customer a better option,” Anand said.

    A Dat Bike representative affirmed Anand’s statement, saying they believe that they are a game-changer in the market. Dat Bike is focused on high-end quality, which is expected to help the startup convince bike buyers to switch to greener alternatives.

    Dat Bike claims that its first generation products rival petrol bikes in power and range. Its 5,000W motor helps accelerate from 0-50 km/h in just three seconds, three times more powerful than other electric bikes in the market. One full charge can help maintain the power enough for 100km, roughly double the capacity of other competitors.

    Dat Bike currently uses the lithium-ion batteries, the same one used by the latest Tesla models. The battery has a life expectancy of 10 years.

    Lithium-ion is one of the safest battery chemistries available and can be dumped at recycling yards.

    The startup claims that its batteries get fully charged in roughly three hours, 100 percent faster than other contenders in the Vietnam market. It aims to shorten the charging time to just one hour in near future.

    “I heard doubts expressed when people first saw our latest model, but I’m not worried at all,” said Son. “The design is not one size fits all. And this is the just the first step of many to come.”

    He said the design can be easily tailored to a variety of customer tastes. Developing new designs is much less challenging than ensuring the electric engines will rival or even surpass that of petrol engines, which is Dat Bike’s focus right now.

    Since its entry into the market, Dat Bike’s supply has fallen short of demand due to limited budget and small production capacity. The investment from Jungle Ventures is slated to help the startup complete orders from Vietnam and other countries in the region.

    Dat Bike plans to expand by building its supply chain in Southeast Asia, where the vast majority of households own two-wheeled vehicles. Trade within Southeast Asia is tariff-free, compared to huge taxes for imported bikes in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. The tariff scheme grants local companies huge advantages compared to outsiders and that may help Vietnam’s electric bike makers become a regional powerhouse.

    China, India and Southeast Asia are the three largest bike markets in the world. While the first two have been almost occupied by domestic manufacturers, Dat Bike is probably the first local maker in the region. The startup’s pioneering position is another main factor that has influenced Jungle Ventures.

    “Dat Bike is exceptional among our projects, one of the few that we decided to invest in at a very early stage. We want to back Son and help him make his dream to be the ‘Elon Musk’ of bike industry come true,” said Anand.

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  • Royal Enfield Apparel Business To Focus On Brand Partnerships

    Royal Enfield Apparel Business To Focus On Brand Partnerships

    Royal Enfield is bullish on its range of apparel and merchandise and sees the business post healthy growth in the next couple of years, with double-digit growth figures in the financial year 2020-21. Puneet Sood, Head of Apparel Business, Royal Enfield said that the brand’s line-up of casual wear, motorcycle riding gear and accessories offers accessibility not just in price but also availability. And he says that the Royal Enfield apparel range is not just for Royal Enfield customers, but for “anybody in love with motorcycling”.

    “We intend to keep growing organically. Revenue has grown over the past few years, and even during 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we recorded double digit growth. Our apparel range is available through multiple channels, and the idea is to target anyone who is in love with motorcycling. The motorcycling community decides where we go from here, and we’ve taken feedback seriously, so you’ve seen a dedicated range of women’s riding gear, as well as customization of apparel and helmets through the Make It Yours program,” Sood said.

    Over the past few months, Royal Enfield has launched brand partnerships with names like Levi’s and Knox. The Royal Enfield X Levi’s range of riding denims have been well-received in the market, and Royal Enfield followed that up with a new range of jackets and riding gear with British safety experts Knox, introducing riding jackets with Knox armour, as well as riding gloves and knee guards. But it’s not just brand partnerships, and Royal Enfield’s own range of riding gear has been well-received, not just in India, but also in overseas markets.

    “We launched a new range of credible riding jackets, which are well-ventilated, and with proper safety certification, which can be used not just by our own community here in India, but everywhere around the world. Our range of mesh jackets have been well-received, and new range of riding gloves are also doing very well,” said Sood.

    Royal Enfield’s apparel range is now offered across the globe in geographies wherever Royal Enfield motorcycles are offered on sale. Speaking about markets, Sood added that the response to Royal Enfield’s lifestyle range has been “amazing,” particularly in markets like Europe and Asia-Pacific. The focus, Sood adds, is to make the right products. The partnership with brands like Levi’s worked very well, and Royal Enfield is exploring more such partnerships, which will be purpose-led, and will focus on both products as well as brands.

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  • Car imports from China increase sixfold

    Car imports from China increase sixfold

    Vietnam imported 3,945 completely built-up (CBU) cars from China in Q1, six times over the same period last year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

    Despite the surging number of cars imported from China, the country was the third-largest car supplier of Vietnam, after Thailand and Indonesia.

    Up to 80 percent of the completely built-up (CBU) cars imported to Vietnam in Q1 were from Thailand and Indonesia. The number of imported cars from Thailand was 19,300 units, up 56 percent year-on-year, while those from Indonesia stood at 8,950 units, down 26 percent year-on-year.

    Thailand and Indonesia have always led the list of Vietnam’s car suppliers ever since the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) took effect in 2018, owing to the zero import tariff. Meanwhile, imported Chinese cars are dealt an import tariff of 47-70 percent.

    Vietnam imported around 35,300 CBU cars in Q1, a year-on-year increase of 31.1 percent.

    Auto sales rose by 36 percent year-on-year between January and March to 70,952 units, according to Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA).

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  • Tesla To Launch Self Inspection Over Services In China

    Tesla To Launch Self Inspection Over Services In China

    U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc will launch self-inspection and address customer service issues in China, it said on Weibo late on Tuesday.

    The statement comes after an unhappy customer clambered onto a Tesla car at the Shanghai Auto Show on Monday over a dispute with the company, creating a social media stir and criticism of Tesla from state media.

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  • Tesla Drives On Autopilot Through A Regulatory Grey Zone

    Tesla Drives On Autopilot Through A Regulatory Grey Zone

    The fatal crash of a Tesla with no one apparently behind the wheel has cast a new light on the safety of semi-autonomous vehicles and the nebulous U.S. regulatory terrain they navigate. Police in Harris County, Texas, said a Tesla Model S smashed into a tree on Saturday at high speed after failing to negotiate a bend and burst into flames, killing one occupant found in the front passenger seat and the owner in the back seat.

    Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk tweeted on Monday that preliminary data downloaded by Tesla indicate the vehicle was not operating on Autopilot, and was not part of the automaker’s “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) system.

    U.S. federal road safety authority has yet to issue specific regulations or performance standards for semi-autonomous systems such as Autopilot, or fully autonomous vehicles (AVs).

    Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD, as well as the growing number of similar semi-autonomous driving functions in cars made by other automakers, present a challenge to officials responsible for motor vehicle and highway safety.

    U.S. federal road safety authority, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has yet to issue specific regulations or performance standards for semi-autonomous systems such as Autopilot, or fully autonomous vehicles (AVs).

    There are no NHTSA rules requiring carmakers to ensure systems are used as intended or to stop drivers misusing them. The only significant federal limitation is that vehicles have steering wheels and human controls required under federal rules.

    With no performance or technical standards, systems such as Autopilot inhabit a regulatory grey area.

    The Texas crash follows a string of crashes involving Tesla cars being driven on Autopilot, its partially automated driving system which performs a range of functions such as helping drivers stay in lanes and steer on highways.

    Tesla has also rolled out what it describes as a “beta” version of its FSD system to about 2,000 customers since October, effectively allowing them to test how well it works on public roads.

    Harris County police are now seeking a search warrant for the Tesla data and said witnesses told them the victims intended to test the car’s automated driving.

    Adding to the regulatory confusion is that traditionally NHTSA regulates vehicle safety while departments of motor vehicles (DMVs) in individual states oversee drivers.

    When it comes to semi-autonomous functions, it may not be apparent whether the onboard computer or the driver are controlling the car, or if the supervision is shared, says the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

    California has introduced AV regulations but they only apply to cars equipped with technology that can perform the dynamic driving task without the active physical control or monitoring of a human operator, the state’s DMV told Reuters.

    It said Tesla’s full self-driving system does not yet meet those standards and is considered a type of Advance Driver Assistance System that it does not regulate.

    That leaves Tesla’s Autopilot and its FSD system operating in regulatory limbo in California as the automaker rolls out new versions of the systems for its customers to test.

    NHTSA, the federal body responsible for vehicle safety, said this week it has opened 28 investigations into crashes of Tesla vehicles, 24 of which remain active, and at least four, including the fatal Texas accident, occurred since March.

    NHTSA has repeatedly argued that its broad authority to demand automakers recall any vehicle that poses an unreasonable safety risk is sufficient to address driver assistance systems.

    So far, NHTSA has not taken any enforcement action against Tesla’s advanced driving systems.

    White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said NHTSA is “actively engaged with Tesla and local law enforcement” on the Texas crash.

    The NTSB, a U.S. government agency charged with investigating road accidents, has criticized NHTSA’s hands-off approach to regulating cars with self-driving features and AVs.

    “NHTSA refuses to take action for vehicles termed as having partial, or lower level, automation, and continues to wait for higher levels of automation before requiring that AV systems meet minimum national standards,” NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt wrote in a Feb. 1 letter to NHTSA.

    “Because NHTSA has put in place no requirements, manufacturers can operate and test vehicles virtually anywhere, even if the location exceeds the AV control systems limitations,” the letter said.

    REVIEWING REGULATIONS

    NHTSA told Reuters that with a new administration in place, it was reviewing regulations around AVs and welcomed the NTSB’s input as it advanced policies on automated driving systems.

    It said the most advanced vehicle technologies on sale required a fully attentive human driver at all times.

    “Abusing these technologies is, at a minimum, distracted driving. Every State in the nation holds the driver responsible for the safe operation of the vehicle,” NHTSA told Reuters.

    NTSB also says NHTSA does not have any method to verify whether carmakers have adopted system safeguards. For example, there are no federal regulations requiring drivers to touch the steering wheel within a specific time frame.

    “NHTSA is drafting rules on autonomous vehicles, but it has been slow to regulate semi-autonomous vehicles,” said Bryant Walker Smith, a law professor at the University of South Carolina. “There is a growing awareness that they deserve more scrutiny priority and regulatory action.”

    New York has a law requiring drivers to keep at least one hand on the wheel at all times but no other states have legislation that could prevent the use of semi-autonomous cars.

    When it comes to AVs, 35 states have enacted legislation or state governors have signed executive orders covering AVs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

    Such rules allow companies such as Alphabet’s Google and General Motors, among others, to test their Waymo and Cruise vehicles on public roads.

    But regulations differ by state.

    AV regulations in Texas state that vehicles must comply with NHTSA processes, though there are no such federal regulations. The Texas Department of Public Safety, the regulator charged with overseeing AVs, did not respond to a request for comment.

    Arizona’s transport department requires companies to submit regular filings to verify, among other things, that vehicles can operate safely if the autonomous technology fails.

    While most automakers offer vehicles with various forms of assisted driving, there are no fully autonomous vehicles for sale to customers in the United States.

    RED FLAGS

    Concerns about the safety of autonomous driving technology, however, have been mounting in recent years and Tesla has warned about its limitations.

    In February 2020, Tesla’s director of autonomous driving technology, Andrej Karpathy, identified a challenge for its Autopilot system: how to recognize when a parked police car’s emergency flashing lights are turned on.

    “This is an example of a new task we would like to know about,” Karpathy said at a conference during a talk about Tesla’s effort to deliver FSD technology.

    In just over a year since then, Tesla vehicles crashed into police cars parked on roads on four separate occasions and since 2016 at least three Tesla vehicles operating on Autopilot have been in fatal crashes.

    Tesla says it has used 1 million cars on the road to collect image data and improve Autopilot, using machine learning and artificial intelligence.

    U.S. safety regulators, police and local government have investigated all four incidents, officials told Reuters.

    At least three of the cars were on Autopilot, police said. In one of the cases, a doctor was watching a movie on a phone when his vehicle rammed into a police trooper in North Carolina.

    Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Accidents and investigations have not slowed Musk’s drive to promote Tesla cars as capable of driving themselves.

    In a recent Tweet, Musk said Tesla is “almost ready with FSD Beta V9.0. Step change improvement is massive, especially for weird corner cases & bad weather. Pure vision, no radar.”

    Tesla also says it has used 1 million cars on the road to collect image data and improve Autopilot, using machine learning and artificial intelligence.

    Tesla’s Karpathy said he has ridden in his Tesla for 20 minutes to get coffee in Palo Alto with no intervention.

    “It is not a perfect system but it is getting there,” he said in a “Robot Brains” podcast in March. “I definitely keep my hands on the wheel.”

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  • Walmart leads US$2.75bn investment in self-driving car startup Cruise

    Walmart leads US$2.75bn investment in self-driving car startup Cruise

    Walmart has led a US$2.75 billion investment into self-driving carmaker Cruise, valuing the company at $30 billion.

    The investment marks increasing faith in the concept by the international retail giant which has already partnered with Cruise in a trial delivery service in Scottsdale, Arizona, announced last November.

    “Over the years we’ve been doing a lot to learn more about the role autonomous vehicles can play in retail, and we’ve seen enough to know it’s no longer a question of if they’ll be scaled, but when,” said John Furner, president, and CEO at Walmart US, explaining the investment.

    He said the new funds would help San Francisco-based Cruise work with Walmart to achieve its goal of developing a last-mile delivery ecosystem “that’s fast, low-cost and scalable”.

    Cruise’s all-electric fleet of self-driving cars – based on the Chevrolet Bolt EV – has already attracted substantial investment from Microsoft, General Motors and Honda.

    Furner said Walmart has been impressed by Cruise’s “differentiated business model” since the two companies began their pilot project last year, its unique technology, and unmatched driverless testing. “We also value our shared commitment to a zero-emissions future.

    “As delivery has become a staple in our customers’ lives, we’re focused on growing our last-mile ecosystem in a way that’s beneficial for everyone – customers, business, and the planet. With their all-electric fleet powered by 100-per-cent renewable energy, Cruise is a natural partner as we work to take collective action on climate change,” Furner said.

    “We’re doing this not only in our own operations where we are targeting zero emissions by 2040 and have set a goal to be powered by 100-per-cent renewable energy by 2035, but also throughout the supply chain and our environmental initiative, Project Gigaton, one of the largest private-sector consortiums for climate action.”

    Meanwhile, Cruise says it plans to begin deploying a limited number of its Origin vehicles for ride-hailing services in Dubai from 2023, its first overseas commercial service.

    “We are focused on our path to commercialization right now but the IPOs happening in the space right now are a great indication of the strength of the industry and the opportunity self-driving presents,” a Cruise spokeswoman told Reuters in a statement.

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  • Used automobile import quotas fail to attract interest

    Used automobile import quotas fail to attract interest

    The auction of import quotas for used cars at low tariffs under a free trade deal has been canceled after it failed to attract interest.

    Under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a certain number of used cars can be imported annually, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade auctions the right to import them.

    This year, the quota was for 72 vehicles, and the deadline for bidding was March 31, but no bids were received for them.

    The auction was first held last year, and two importers won the quota for 66 cars.

    According to a car dealership, enterprises are not interested in bidding since they have to comply with stringent import regulations.
    “Car dealerships prefer buying cars that are manufactured locally since the procedures are a lot less complicated.”

    The annual quota will increase to 150 by 2034. The ministry said the auction would continue to be held next year.

  • New GTX Brand Joins The Volkswagen ID. Family

    New GTX Brand Joins The Volkswagen ID. Family

    We knew it would happen sooner or later but Volkswagen is all set to bring in a sporty top-of-the-range model to its electric vehicle range – the new ID.4 GTX. The car will be unveiled on April 28 and the company has already teased the logo. Similar to GTI and GTE, it stands for its own product brand.

    We’ll know more about the car itself, but we know a few details for now. Volkswagen says that the GTX models will impress when it comes to performance and design. An additional electric motor on the front axle brings the all-wheel-drive into the ID. Family. The additional motor switches on intelligently within a few milliseconds when very high performance or strong traction are required. In the new “Traction” driving mode, it is even permanently activated.

    Klaus Zellmer, Board Member for Marketing and Sales at the Volkswagen brand said, “Now the X is building the bridge to the mobility of the future. Sustainability and sportiness are not mutually exclusive but complement each other intelligently. ”

    The new product brand for the ID. Family gives the ACCELERATE corporate strategy a further boost. Volkswagen wants to become the most desired brand for sustainable mobility. The goal is to increase the share of pure electric cars in Europe to 70 percent of sales by 2030. Volkswagen wants to become climate neutral by 2050; around 16 billion euros will be invested in e-mobility, hybridization and digitization by 2025.

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  • Hyundai To Suspend Production At South Korea Plant Due To Chip Shortage

    Hyundai To Suspend Production At South Korea Plant Due To Chip Shortage

    It was earlier this week when Hyundai Motor suspended production at its Asan plant because of a chip shortage. The South Korean carmaker has announced that it will again halt production at its Sonata-producing plant for two days next week due to an electric parts shortage. According to a report from IANS, the automaker will stop operation at its Asan plant on Monday and Tuesday. This Hyundai plant is located around 100 km south of Seoul that produces the Grandeur and Sonata sedans.

    Hyundai has seven plants in South Korea, of which five are located in Ulsan whereas the other two facilities are located in Asan and Jeonju. Moreover, the company has ten overseas plants wherein four facilities are in China and one each in India, Brazil, Czech Republic, Turkey, Russia, and the US. The combined capacity of these plants is around 5.5 million units.

    The carmaker expects the four-day suspension will result in over 4,000 vehicles in production losses. Moreover, the company had also suspended operations at its Ulsan plant, situated 414 km southeast of Seoul, from April 7 to April 14 due to a parts shortage. Moreover, Hyundai produces Ioniq 5 and Kona EV cars at its Ulsan plant.

    The suspension comes because of a shortage of semiconductor parts used in Kona’s front vehicle camera system, along with an issue in Hyundai Mobis Company’s production line, which rolls out the traction motor for the Ioniq 5. The carmaker expects production losses of 6,000 units of the Kona and 6,500 units of the Ioniq 5.

  • Nissan To Focus On Fuel-Sipping Technology And Electrification In China

    Nissan To Focus On Fuel-Sipping Technology And Electrification In China

    Japan’s financially challenged Nissan Motor Co is expected to show off a new “must-succeed” car and explain its green-car strategy for China at the Shanghai auto show which starts on Monday, two company officials told Reuters. The car Nissan plans to show off at the motor show is the significantly redesigned X-Trail sport-utility vehicle (SUV). A similar SUV called the Rogue hit the U.S. market last year. The new X-Trail will be available in China later this year.

    The new car is powered by a fuel-sipping three-cylinder, petrol-powered turbo engine, which one of the sources said might face an uphill battle in gaining acceptance in China where similar technologies have proven unpopular.

    The car is a “must succeed, a must-win car for us,” one of the two sources said. Both sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak with reporters.

    In addition to the X-Trail’s China debut, Nissan’s chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta is expected to tell reporters in Shanghai virtually from Japan on Monday that Nissan’s green car strategy is two-pronged: the company will focus on fuel efficiency-enhancing petrol-electric hybrid technology, as well as battery-electric cars to make its lineup of vehicles in China greener.

    Nissan will focus on fuel efficiency-enhancing petrol-electric hybrid technology, as well as battery-electric cars to make its lineup of vehicles in China greener.

    In January, Nissan said all its new vehicles in key markets, including China, would be electrified by the early 2030s, as part of its efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

    The strategy comes as regulatory pressure in China grows on carmakers to slash emissions.

    China is a key pillar of Nissan’s turnaround strategy, which involves focusing on producing profitable cars for China, Japan and the United States, rather than chasing all-out global growth pursued by ousted boss Carlos Ghosn.

    The company is scrambling to slash its production capacity and model line-up by a fifth and to cut fixed costs by 300 billion yen ($2.8 billion). Nissan aims to achieve a 5% operating profit margin and a sustainable global market share of 6% by the end of fiscal year 2023.

    It wasn’t immediately clear how much detail Nissan plans to share on its China strategy on Monday.

    The two sources said Nissan nonetheless plans to start taking “pre-orders” in China for its upcoming electric Ariya SUV before the end of this year.

    Nissan also plans to launch a hybrid “e-Power” version of the Sylphy compact car this year and an e-Power X-Trail as early as next year.

    A company spokeswoman said Nissan plans to showcase in Shanghai the redesign X-Trail crossover, as well as the introduction of Nissan’s e-power petrol-electric hybrid technology to China. She declined to comment otherwise.

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  • Bentley’s 2021 Pikes Peak Race Car Unveiled

    Bentley’s 2021 Pikes Peak Race Car Unveiled

    Bentley has revealed its 2021 Pikes Peak Racecar. The Continental GT3 Pikes Peak, designed and built to compete for the Time Attack 1 record at this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, will be the first competition, Bentley, to run on renewable fuel, ahead of a goal to offer sustainable fuels to Bentley’s customers around the world.

    The modified Continental GT3 racer, based on Bentley’s race- and championship-winning car, will power its way through the 20 km course running on biofuel-based gasoline. Various blends of fuels are currently being tested and evaluated, with possible Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reductions of up to 85 percent over standard fossil fuel. This first step marks the start of a longer program that will investigate both biofuels and e-fuels for their potential to power the Bentleys of past and present in a sustainable way.

    Bentley’s ambitious and transformational Beyond100 program will see the brand become the world’s leading sustainable luxury mobility company, with the entire Bentley model range offered with Hybrid variants by 2023 ahead of Bentley being BEV-only by 2030. The adoption of renewable fuel for this project signals the start of a long-term ambition for Bentley, initiating a research and development program that aims to offer renewable fuels to Bentley customers in parallel to Bentley’s electrification program. This two-strand strategy is set to maximize the pace of Bentley’s progress towards outright carbon neutrality, as part of its Beyond100 journey.

    To break the record, the car will have to complete the nearly 5,000 ft climb, which includes 156 corners, at an average speed of more than 126 kmph to cross the finish line in less than nine minutes and 36 seconds. To help achieve this ambitious target, Bentley has once again turned to three-time Pikes Peak champion and former “King of the Mountain’ Rhys Millen (NZ) – who holds individual class records. It was with Millen that Bentley captured its two existing Pikes Peak records – the Production SUV record attained in 2018 with a Bentayga W12, and the outright Production Car record scored in 2019 with a Continental GT.

    With the start line at 9,300 ft, the course climbs to 14,100 ft – where the air is 1/3 less dense than at sea level. This environment means that the Continental GT3 Pikes Peak features modifications both to its aerodynamics package and its engine, turning it into the most extreme iteration of a Continental GT – ever.

    The biggest rear wing ever fitted to a Bentley dominates the rear of the car, sitting above a highly efficient rear diffuser that surrounds the transaxle gearbox. This rear aerodynamic package is balanced by a two-plane splitter at the front, flanked by separate dive planes.

    The biggest rear wing ever fitted to a Bentley dominates the rear of the car, sitting above a highly efficient rear diffuser that surrounds the transaxle gearbox.

    The engine is Bentley’s proven racing power unit, developed from the 4.0-litre turbo V8 fitted to the Continental GT V8. For the Continental GT3 Pikes Peak, engine modifications together with the use of carefully selected biofuel will ensure the engine develops significant horsepower despite the rarefied conditions it will operate in. Short side-exit exhausts will ensure the car sounds as dramatic as it looks.

    Further modifications include cooling air scoops in place of the rear windows, and the obligatory stopwatch mounted to the roll cage next to the steering wheel, to allow Rhys Millen to keep track of his sector times up the mountain.

  • Honda Motorcycle Scooter India Sets Up New Overseas Business Vertical

    Honda Motorcycle Scooter India Sets Up New Overseas Business Vertical

    Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has announced setting up a new overseas business vertical with the aim to promote India as a global export hub for Honda. HMSI says that the new vertical will spearhead the company’s ambition to export two-wheelers to other global markets. The new overseas business vertical aims to unlock new synergy by integrating Honda 2Wheeler India’s export-import sales function with quality, purchase, development, homologations, manufacturing and logistics. It will be located at HMSI’s Manesar facility.

    Elaborating on Honda’s vision for the new overseas business expansion, Mr. Atsushi Ogata – Managing Director, President & CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “With an eye on the future, Honda 2Wheelers India aims to further consolidate its No. 1 position in Honda’s global motorcycle business while unlocking the next chapter of ‘Make in India, for India & the World’ in the BS-VI era. With this major organizational restructuring, the company is strengthening its business constitution and improving competitiveness to meet the high expectations from Global Honda”.

    HMSI started exporting its two-wheelers with the launch of Honda Activa in 2001. It was in 2015 that Honda reached the 10 lakh milestone for two-wheeler exports. Currently, HMSI exports to 35 markets across Europe, Central & Latin America, Middle-East, Japan and the SAARC nations. Honda also says that the recent mid-size motorcycle launches in India, like the CB500X, CB650R and the CBR650R have solid potential to further help the company to establish India as hub for global markets.

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  • Auto sales make recovery in Q1

    Auto sales make recovery in Q1

    Auto sales rose by 36 percent year-on-year in the first quarter to 70,952 units, with all categories of vehicles achieving double-digit growth.

    Passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles were up 34 percent and 43 percent, according to the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA).

    Truong Hai Auto Corporation, or Thaco, which assembles several brands of cars and trucks, led the market with a 37 percent share, followed by Toyota (20.2 percent) and Mitsubishi (10.7 percent).

    Hyundai Accent was the best-selling car in the first quarter with 4,804 units, followed by Mitsubishi Xpander (4,602) and VinFast Fadil (4,148).

    Last year sales had fallen by 8 percent to 296,634 units as the Covid-19 pandemic badly affected the economy, hitting people’s incomes and discretionary spending.

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  • Renault To Partly Idle Spanish Plants Until End Of September Over Chip Shortage

    Renault To Partly Idle Spanish Plants Until End Of September Over Chip Shortage

    French carmaker Renault has started negotiations with unions to extend the partial idling of three of its four factories in Spain until the end of September as a preemptive measure in case a global semiconductor shortage lingers. Carmakers around the world have been impacted by the shortage of chips used in engine management and driver-assistance systems, which come mainly from Asia, especially Taiwan.

    Renault had already partly idled its Spanish plants in response to the shortage, on the expectation that chip supply would return to normal in the second half of the year.

    It is now proposing further stoppages at factories in Palencia and Valladolid for a total of between 31 and 39 days, a company spokesman said on Tuesday, as a precautionary measure in case the shortage extends into the third quarter.

    That would involve putting up to 9,000 workers on furlough, he said. The actual idling will depend on future chip supplies.

    The UGT union said in a statement Renault intended to cease output at the factories at its key European production hub for one to three days a week between April and late September.

    The COVID-19 crisis has driven up demand for chips used in consumer electronics such as laptops and phones, and manufacturers are struggling to keep up.

    Some Chinese suppliers have also been hit by U.S. sanctions imposed under former President Donald Trump.

    Renault is due to disclose first-quarter revenues next week and may update its sales projections. The company at this point expects it may sell 100,000 fewer cars in 2021 because of the chip shortage, a spokesman reiterated on Tuesday.

    The group said last month it would start producing five new hybrid SUV models in its “second home” Spain in 2022-2024.

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