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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.

  • Tesla Co-Founder Straubel Aims To Build World’s Top Battery Recycler

    Tesla Co-Founder Straubel Aims To Build World’s Top Battery Recycler

    Tesla co-founder J.B. Straubel wants to build his startup Redwood Materials into the world’s top battery recycling company and one of the largest battery materials companies, he said at a technology conference Wednesday. Straubel aims to leverage two partnerships, one with Panasonic Corp, the Japanese battery manufacturer that is teamed with Tesla at the Nevada gigafactory, and one announced weeks ago with e-commerce giant Amazon.

    With production of electric vehicles and batteries about to explode, Straubel says his ultimate goal is to “make a material impact on sustainability, at an industrial scale.”

    Established in early 2017, Redwood this year will recycle more than 1 gigawatt-hours’ worth of battery scrap materials from the gigafactory — enough to power more than 100 Tesla cars.

    That is a fraction of the half-million vehicles Tesla expects to build this year. At the company’s Battery Day in late September, Chief Executive Elon Musk said he was looking at recycling batteries to supplement the supply of raw materials from mining as Tesla escalates vehicle production.

    Redwood’s partnership with Panasonic started late last year with a pilot operation to recover materials at Redwood’s recycling facilities in nearby Carson City, according to Celina Mikolajczak, vice president of battery technology at Panasonic Energy of North America.

    Mikolajczak, who spent six years at Tesla as a battery technology leader, said: “People underestimate what recycling can do for the electric vehicles industry. This could have a huge impact on raw material prices and output in the future.”

    Straubel’s broader plan is to dramatically reduce mining of raw materials such as nickel, copper and cobalt over several decades by building out a circular or “closed loop” supply chain that recycles and recirculates materials retrieved from end-of-life vehicle and grid storage batteries and from cells scrapped during manufacturing.

    In September, Redwood said it received funding from Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, following an investment by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, backed by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

    “I’m excited about the work we can do together,” Straubel said of Amazon. “They have batteries in many devices,” from consumer electronics to data centers, as well as future electric delivery vehicles and drones.

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  • Musk Says Tesla To Use New Batteries

    Musk Says Tesla To Use New Batteries

    Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Wednesday the company will produce Model Y with a new structural battery design and technology at its Berlin factory next year and that could result in a “significant production risk”.

    The U.S. electric carmaker plans to manufacture a new version of its Model Y crossover vehicle, and possibly even battery cells at the site. Last month, Musk said that Tesla will use its Germany-based plant to demonstrate a radical overhaul of how its cars are built.

    The company plans to start the production of Model Y at Gigafactory Berlin during the second half of 2021.

    Tesla’s new battery cell – a larger cylindrical format called 4680 that can store more energy and is easier to make – is key to achieving the goal of cutting battery costs in half and ramping up battery production nearly 100-fold by 2030.

    The company’s new structural battery pack requires the new 4680 battery cells in order to work.

    Musk said on Wednesday that it will take about two years for Tesla factories in Fremont and Shanghai to embrace the new technology.

    “Fremont and Shanghai will transition in 2 years when new tech is proven,” Musk said in a tweet.

    The company said last week that it delivered 139,300 vehicles in the third quarter, a quarterly record for the electric carmaker.

    Tesla’s delivery push has been supported by its new Shanghai factory, the only plant currently producing vehicles outside California, as it is also building a new vehicle and battery manufacturing facility near Berlin.

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  • Tesla To Buy German Battery Assembly Maker

    Tesla To Buy German Battery Assembly Maker

    Tesla, the California-based electric vehicle manufacturer will soon be acquiring a German battery assembly manufacturing company. As per a report filed by Reuters, the EV maker has agreed to buy ATW Automation company, which is a subsidiary of the Canadian ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. It majorly focuses on assembling battery modules and packs for the auto industry. As per a German media report in September, the company was on the brink of liquidation due to a massive slump in orders.

    Last month, the company announced that certain assets and employees at one of its Germany-based units would be sold and transferred to a third party. However, the company did not disclose the name of the company. Based in western Germany, ATW has completed over 20 battery production lines for international automakers.

    As far as Tesla is concerned, the company plans to ramp up battery production in the coming year. And, the EV maker recently confirmed during an event that it would sharply reduce the cost of battery packs within the next three years. The company is also building its third Gigafactory near Berlin, which will also include a battery plant. It also aims to initiate construction at its new vehicle factory in Texas later this year.

    Tesla’s future product line-up includes the light-duty Cybertruck and the Semi truck. Both vehicles will require higher battery capacities. The company on Friday announced that it had delivered over 1.39 lakh vehicles globally in the third quarter and aims to sell half a million vehicles by the end of 2020.

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  • Tesla Autopilot Scores Low For Driver Engagement In European Safety Rating

    Tesla Autopilot Scores Low For Driver Engagement In European Safety Rating

    Tesla’s Autopilot has ranked sixth in 10 driver assistance systems evaluated in a European safety assessment, scoring low on its ability to keep drivers engaged. The Tesla Model 3’s Autopilot scored just 36 when assessed on its ability to maintain a driver’s focus on the road. But it gained the highest marks for performance and ability to respond to emergencies, receiving an overall score of 131 and a rating of ‘moderate’.

    In contrast, the Mercedes GLE’s system, which had the highest overall score of 174 and received the top rating of ‘very good’, received a score of 85 for driver engagement. Most other vehicles had scores of 70 or above for driver engagement.

    The European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), which worked with UK insurance group Thatcham Research, called the assessments the first consumer ratings specifically focused on driver assistance systems – technology that automates some tasks, including acceleration, braking and steering support.

    Safety and insurance researchers have frequently warned of the risks of consumers overestimating the systems’ abilities, a misconception increased by some automakers calling their products Autopilot, ProPilot or CoPilot.

    Tesla’s Autopilot has been criticized by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board for allowing drivers to turn their attention from the road and U.S. regulators have investigated 15 crashes since 2016 involving Tesla vehicles equipped with Autopilot.

    “Unfortunately, there are motorists that believe they can purchase a self-driving car today. This is a dangerous misconception that sees too much control handed to vehicles that are not ready to cope with all situations,” said Matthew Avery, a Euro NCAP board member and research director at Thatcham Research.

    In addition to the Mercedes GLE, the BMW 3-Series and the Audi Q8, received the highest rating of ‘very good’ while two models, the Renault Clio and the Peugeot received the lowest rating of ‘entry’.

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  • Red Bull Spent Two Times More In 2019 Than What It Will Be Allowed In 2021

    Red Bull Spent Two Times More In 2019 Than What It Will Be Allowed In 2021

    Red Bull spent $305.04 million dollars in its 2019 campaign to win the F1 world championship which is reflective of the challenges that the big teams are up against in light of the upcoming budget cap that’s incoming. Next season teams will be only allowed to spend $145 million, though this number doesn’t include things like driver salaries. This number was also achieved after a minor reduction of $2.95 million from 2018 which was preceded with years of increasing expenditure. The big three teams – Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull are all in for major restructuring as the budget cap will not allow them to spend as much on their F1 programs. Ferrari has also revealed that it is willing to explore participating in the Indy Car franchise to transfer some of its staff from F1.

    “The directors consider race performance, Championship performance, and a controlled cost base to be principal key performance indicators to assess progress towards strategic goals,” said Red Bull team boss Christian Horner.

    “Costs remain under control and the team is mindful of adaptions necessary for new financial regulations coming into force for 2021,” he added.

    Red Bull’s racing unit remains profitable but just slightly as it made a profit of $0.79 million which is peanuts in the scheme of things. This number also fell when compared to what Red Bull made in 2018. It made $1.18 million in that year when it also finished P3 in the constructor’s world championship behind Mercedes and Ferrari.

    Even these numbers are complicated as Red Bull’s association with its parent company Red Bull Technologies is complex as it employs and hires a lot of the designing and manufacturing staff. The complications are compounded by the fact that Red Bull Technologies is the parent behind the sister AlphaTauri team and also works with Aston Martin on the Valkyrie project.

    The 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 world championships were won by Red Bull with Sebastian Vettel becoming world champion four years in a row, till 2014 ushered in the new hybrid era of F1 engines and Mercedes started to dominate.

  • Tokyo Motorcycle Show Cancelled

    Tokyo Motorcycle Show Cancelled

    The 48th edition of the Tokyo Motorcycle Show has been canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, the Tokyo Motorcycle Show Association has announced. The Tokyo Motorcycle Show was scheduled to be held in the spring of 2021, but considering the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the organizers have decided to cancel the event. The organizers hope to hold the next show in 2022. According to the Japanese publication, Young Machine, the original theme of the 2021 event was meant to be “seeing, touching, and experiencing.”

    The Tokyo Motorcycle Show is one of the biggest motorcycle events around the world, and the Japanese big four manufacturers usually save some of their biggest new models, as well as the most exciting innovations, and the most important launches for the event. The decision to cancel the show will be a disappointment for motorcycle manufacturers, with several other international shows for the year already canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The most popular European show, the EICMA show in Milan, has been canceled, as well as the Intermot show in Cologne, Germany. The UK’s Motorcycle Live show has also been canceled for this year.

    Instead of a physical event where OEMs usually showcase new models and technologies, manufacturers and organizers are expected to host a series of online reveals and ‘shows’ of their own. The change from a physical show has its advantages, of reaching to a wider audience around the world. But there’s nothing like an actual show, where the latest designs and models are on display to be seen up close and make a more personal connection with upcoming motorcycles.

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  • BMW 4-Series Convertible Unveiled

    BMW 4-Series Convertible Unveiled

    The BMW 4-Series broke cover in June this year and was followed by the M4 earlier this month. Now, we get to see the 2021 convertible version of the BMW M4 which looks even sexier, and somehow the grille looks relatively better on the convertible as compared to the coupe of performance coupe from which it’s been carried over. This time around, the 2021 BMW M4 Convertible gets a soft-top which is 40 percent lighter compared to the hard-top in its predecessor. Now that has also liberated 34 liters more space in its boot at 255 liters and marginally more headroom as well.

    The roof can open or close within 18 seconds and at speeds of up to 50 kmph. The M440i also gets a remote key function for the roof as standard while it’s optional on the 430i. The top is finished in black as standard and you also have the option of a moonlight black top that has a metallic shimmer, which looks more stylish. Other than its marginally reduced height thanks to the soft top, the convertible measures equal to the coupe in other dimensions. Then, BMW has given it some updates to up its torsional rigidity like stiffer side skirts, an Aluminium shear panel at the front, and reinforced transmission tunnel, and a rigid rear floor plate. The engineers also put attention into extra noise reduction with a focus on the intake system, engine cover, and underbody.

    The engines are carried over from the 4 coupe range as well. The 430i gets a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, turbocharged engine that belts out 252 bhp 400 Nm of peak torque. The rear-wheel-drive convertible clocks triple-digit speeds in 5.9 seconds while the top speed is limited at 209 kmph which can be further increased to 249 kmph. The range-topping M440i has a 3.0-liter, inline six-cylinder, turbocharged engine which is coupled with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system and it develops 377 bhp and 500 Nm. The rear-wheel-drive model clocks triple-digit speeds in 5.0 seconds while even here the top-speed is limited to 209 mph as standard while can be upgraded to 249 kmph. Both engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission while the M440i also gets a M Sport rear differential as standard.

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  • Bentley’s New Engineering Test Facility In UK Nears Completion

    Bentley’s New Engineering Test Facility In UK Nears Completion

    A new state-of-the-art engineering test facility, built at the headquarters of Bentley Motors in Crewe, UK, is nearing completion. In place of the traditional final beam marking the occasion, a native British Oak tree was planted by Members of the Bentley Board for Manufacturing and Engineering, laying down roots for the future. The engineering test facility is the latest phase in on-going development at the Pyms Lane site where all Bentleys are handcrafted. With topping out traditionally celebrated with the final construction beam being fitted, Bentley instead planted a tree to signify the company’s continued commitment to increasing sustainability and developing biodiversity around its site in Crewe.

    Dr. Matthias Rabe, Member of the Board for Engineering commented “This new facility will further enhance our already industry-leading, modern factory headquarters and will enable us to grow as we look towards the electrification of our model range. Additionally, and crucially, it will allow us the independence to test our own engines as we rapidly accelerate our journey towards electrification.”

    The facility will complete full internal construction and open in 2021, covering more than 4,600 square meters over two stories. There will also be a dedicated laboratory to run Real Driving Emissions (RDE) using the latest state-of-the-art portable emissions measurement systems. Bentley’s Technical Conformity department will be based in the test center, with over 100 people working in the building.

    The center will allow Bentley to meet increased consumer demand for its current range of ultra-luxury vehicles, including the performance-orientated Flying Spur, the Continental GT, and the New Bentayga. The British marque has already confirmed that it will offer hybrid or electric variants of all of its models by 2023. It will allow Bentley to carry out the latest WLTP fuel and efficiency test procedures more swiftly in-house.

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  • Tesla To Support The Electricity Grid Soon In The Future

    Tesla To Support The Electricity Grid Soon In The Future

    Tesla has announced that in the future its electric cars will be able to feedback the stored energy back to the electricity grid. Tesla’s Model S Long Range Plus model can drive up to 644 kilometers using its 100 kWh battery which is often not fully utilized by its owners unless they plan on going on a long trip. While Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk hasn’t specified when it is coming, he did say at its battery day event that the feature was in the works. The billionaire however clarified that this feature wouldn’t be game-changing as the very concept of electric mobility.

    “Vehicle-to-grid sounds good, but I think actually has a much lower utility than people think,” Musk said.

    Musk instead was of the belief that users should start augmenting the electricity that comes in the household with Tesla’s PowerWall which is a battery-based electricity solution that Tesla sells in the US augmented with solar panels. “I think it’s actually going to be better for people’s freedom of action to have a Powerwall and a car,” said Musk.

    Using the PowerWall, users can even go off-the-grid and be fully self-sufficient on their power needs. That being said, having a Tesla with a 100 kWh battery at home can be very handy in the case of a blackout.  “The amount of energy storage you have driving on four wheels is much more than any electric utility will ever build and put on the grid,” says Gerbrand Ceder, a professor of materials science and engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.

    “So it now starts to make sense that you use this as a resource to stabilize the grid,” he added.

    This news comes as Tesla also announced its new tabless batteries which are more efficient and powerful. Tesla also announced that it was developing a new vehicle at the $25,000 price point which may even have the potential to come to India.

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  • Harley-Davidson Decides To Discontinue India Operations

    Harley-Davidson Decides To Discontinue India Operations

    Harley-Davidson has decided to discontinue its sales and manufacturing operations in India, as part of restructuring actions that the company refers to as ‘The Rewire’ strategy. On Thursday, Harley-Davidson informed its employees of additional restructuring costs amounting to $75 million in 2020, which includes discontinuing the iconic American brand’s operations in India. Total costs associated with ‘The Rewire’ strategy outlined by Jochen Zeitz, President, Chairman and CEO of Harley-Davidson amount to $169 million this year. The motorcycle brand expects to complete the restructuring actions from August to be completed within the next 12 months, which will include optimizing its global dealer network, exiting certain international markets and discontinuing its sales and manufacturing operations in India. In India, Harley-Davidson will reduce the workforce by approximately 70 employees.

    In a statement to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Harley-Davidson outlined the development, adding some details about the restructuring costs.

    “As a result of the actions approved from August 6, 2020 through September 23, 2020, the Company expects to incur restructuring expenses of approximately $75 million in 2020, of which approximately 80% are expected to be cash expenditures, including one-time termination benefits of approximately $3 million, non-current asset adjustments of approximately $5 million, and contract termination and other costs of approximately $67 million. Full implementation of these Rewire actions may require the Company to commit additional funds for additional contract termination and other costs. Including previously disclosed restructuring charges, the Company expects total restructuring expenses associated with Rewire restructuring actions approved through September 23, 2020 of approximately $169 million in 2020. The Company expects to complete the restructuring activities approved through September 23, 2020 within the next 12 months. Announcements associated with additional actions under The Rewire are expected to occur, some of which will likely result in additional restructuring charges,” Harley-Davidson said.

    Harley-Davidson India has responded with a press statement saying that the company is “evaluating options” to continue to serve its customers. While H-D India has said that the manufacturing facility in Bawal will be closed down, and the sales office in Gurugram will be significantly reduced in size, there is still no concrete announcement on how the brand will support its existing customer base in India. All Harley-Davidson India has said is that the dealer network will continue to serve customers through the contract term. Harley-Davidson has 33 dealerships across India, and each dealership will have a different contract term, but how existing customers will be served in terms of spares and service in the future is still not clear. In fact, with the closure of the manufacturing facility in India, the Harley-Davidson Street 750 range will likely be discontinued, as will be assembly operations. But there’s still some hope that the brand will continue to have some presence, importing models from its facility in Thailand, and with India’s Free Trade Agreement, that may work out to be cost-effective as well.

    Harley-Davidson has been under pressure in recent years, with sales of the American motorcycle brand slowing down in several markets around the world. And India seems to be one such market, where Harley-Davidson has been present since 2009, and where the first Harley dealership came up in July 2010. Harley-Davidson still led premium motorcycle sales in India over the last few years, led by the made-in-India Street 750 models. Harley-Davidson also had assembly operations in India at its plant in Haryana, assembling several models from completely knocked down (CKD) kits. In the last financial year, Harley-Davidson sold fewer than 2,500 units in India, and between April-June 2020, only about 100 Harleys were sold in India, making it one of the worst-performing international markets. And just about 10 years since the iconic brand set up shop in the world’s largest motorcycle market, it’s now time to wind up manufacturing and sales.

    Earlier this year, Jochen Zeitz replaced former CEO Matt Levatich as President, Chairman and CEO of Harley-Davidson. Levatich was in Harley-Davidson for 26 years, and with increasingly slowing sales in recent years, his exit was seen as a move to give new strategic vision to revive the brand internationally. ‘The Rewire’ plan outlined by Zeitz intends to re-look Harley-Davidson’s product strategy, as well as focus on about 50 markets, mainly in North America, Europe and parts of Asia Pacific, that represent the “majority of the company’s volume and growth potential.” And India, the world’s largest motorcycle market, seems to have been given the miss from those important markets where Harley-Davidson sees potential growth.

  • Harley-Davidson Street 750 To Be Discontinued

    Harley-Davidson Street 750 To Be Discontinued

    Harley-Davidson has announced the brand’s decision to discontinue sales and manufacturing operations in India, as part of the brand’s ‘Rewire’ strategy. Harley-Davidson India has released a press statement saying that the company will shut down its manufacturing facility in Bawal, and the sales office in Gurugram will be significantly reduced in size. The made-in-India Harley-Davidson models, the Harley-Davidson Street 750 and the Harley-Davidson Street Rod will now be discontinued. According to a source, a decision to discontinue the Street range was taken months ago, and that is why Harley-Davidson India was offering massive discounts on these models.

    Only last month, Harley-Davidson announced massive price cuts on the Street range of motorcycles. The Street 750, India’s highest-selling Harley-Davidson motorcycle, is also the most affordable, and the company announced a price cut of ₹ 65,000, lowering the price to ₹ 4.69 lakh (Ex-showroom). The Harley-Davidson Street Rod, on the other hand, was offered with price cuts of ₹ 77,000 with prices starting at ₹ 5.99 lakh (Ex-showroom). In fact, Harley-Davidson Street 750 used to Harley-Davidson India’s highest-selling model, accounting for over 80 percent of Harley-Davidson’s sales in India for several years in a row.

    According to one source familiar with the developments, the price cuts for the Street range were announced to liquidate existing stock of motorcycles. With Harley-Davidson planning to shut down manufacturing operations in India, both the Street 750 and Street Rod would have been discontinued anyway. Now, Harley-Davidson has said that the dealership network in India, totaling 33 across the country, will continue to support existing customers through the contract term. But each dealership will have a different contract term and there’s still no concrete announcement on how existing customers will be served in the future, in terms of service and spares.

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  • Maruti Suzuki Launches Its Car Subscription Programme In Delhi, NCR And Bengaluru

    Maruti Suzuki Launches Its Car Subscription Programme In Delhi, NCR And Bengaluru

    Expanding its vehicle subscription program – Marti Suzuki Subscribe, to newer cities, the carmaker today launched it in Delhi, NCR (Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurugram) and Bengaluru. Earlier in August, the company had launched a pilot program for its vehicle subscription model, in partnership with Myles Automotive Technologies, in Pune and Hyderabad. However, this time around, the company has partnered with Orix Auto Infrastructure Services India to offer its car subscription program to individual buyers in Delhi, NCR and Bengaluru. The carmaker says that with this subscription model, it aims to offer easy, and flexible car ownership options to its customers.

    The subscription plan will include a duration ranging from 12 to 48 months, depending on customer preference, and will involve an all-inclusive monthly subscription fee. There will be no down payment, and the monthly charge will cover expenses like maintenance, zero dep insurance, and 24×7 roadside assistance. And all this will be handled by Orix India, through Maruti Suzuki’s dealer channel. To give you an example, the subscription fee for a Swift Lxi in Delhi, for a tenure of 48 months, starts at ₹ 14,463 (including taxes). In July too the company had launched a subscription program with Orix in Bengaluru and Gurugram, but now the prices have come down.

    After the completion of the subscription tenure, the customer can either opt to upgrade to a new vehicle, extend the tenure, or buy the car at market price. Under the new program, customers can select their desired Maruti Suzuki car – Swift, Dzire, Vitara Brezza or Ertiga from Maruti Suzuki Arena, and the Baleno, Ciaz or XL6 from the Nexa line up.

    Commenting on the new ownership program, Shashank Srivastava, Executive Director (Marketing and Sales) Maruti Suzuki India said, “The vehicle subscription market is new to India and as such offers huge untapped potential. Globally, the penetration of such a leasing program varies between 5% and 30%. The comprehensive Maruti Suzuki Subscribe initiative offers customers multiple advantages and peace of mind from the botheration of maintenance costs and insurance renewal. The program is especially focussed to bring convenience to the individual customers.” He further added, “Progressively we aim to offer Maruti Suzuki Subscribe in 40-60 cities in the next 2-3 years.”

    At the time of getting the new car, customers will have the option to register the vehicle in either white plate, that is under the name of the customer itself, or black plate with all India permit, in which case it will be registered in the name of Orix.

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  • Ducati Introduces MyDucati Mobile App For Customers

    Ducati Introduces MyDucati Mobile App For Customers

    In a bid to connect with their customers and offer a single platform for all things Ducati, the Italian bike maker has introduced the MyDucati mobile app globally. The new application is available on both Android and iOS platforms and can be downloaded for free from the respective app stores. The MyDucati app brings the Italian manufacturer’s world under one roof for the user that includes new experiences, access to nearest dealerships, exclusive content, and preview to the brand’s upcoming model range. Existing MyDucati users will be able to sign up with the same credentials on the new app as the website.

    Some of the salient bits on the MyDucati app include the Garage section where the customers can consult the documentation of their motorcycle and carry a digital Ducati Card, which is the company’s official Ducatista document. The app also allows you to configure its motorcycles virtually, while owners can also customize their own rides by uploading a picture. The app allows you to save and share the picture with your friends and even the dealer.

    Furthermore, the MyDucati app can locate the closest dealer based on geo-localization, consult the services available, and even make an appointment for a test ride with a few clicks. There’s also a News section that keeps users up to date in real-time about all that’s happening around the world under the Ducati brand. There is a reserved section for the Desmo Owners Club (DOC) community where the members can interact with each other and share their experiences. The app will also offer access to promotions and personalized services based on the interests and preferences selected by the user.

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  • Skoda To Add 100 New Dealers In India By The End Of 2020

    Skoda To Add 100 New Dealers In India By The End Of 2020

    Skoda Auto India is currently focusing on expanding its footprint across the country. Apart from adding new outlets, the company will also be replacing the existing ones, who do not have enough financial resources to expand with the brand. The Czech automaker is working on the dealer expansion network throughout the country alongside its digital sales growth. The automaker intends to double its dealership network by 2022 as a part of project India 2.0.

    As per the original plan, the company aimed to strengthen its network by opening 124 new dealers by the end of this year. However, the plans were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the brand has revised its target to 100 new outlets by the end of this year.

    Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the Rapid automatic, Zac Hollis, Brand Director, Skoda Auto India, said, “We have reduced our target to 100 by this year-end and 130 by the middle of next year. This year we will open new outlets in Bhopal, Mysore, and Guwahati, and new service centers with completely new dealers in Navi Mumbai and other places. This year we will add 27 new outlets.”

    The company also confirmed that it will not be introducing the Kodiaq RS in the Indian market. But, the BS6 Kodiaq TSI model will hit the market by early next year. The recently launched the Skoda Rapid TSI automatic in India with a starting price of ₹ 7.49 lakh and goes up to ₹ 13.29 lakh (all prices ex-showroom).

  • Driver Arrested For Sleeping While Tesla Was On Autopilot At 140 kmph

    Driver Arrested For Sleeping While Tesla Was On Autopilot At 140 kmph

    A Tesla driver in Alberta, Canada was arrested for sleeping while the car was cruising at 140 kmph on the Autopilot. “Alberta RCMP received a complaint of a car speeding on Highway 2 near Ponoka. The car appeared to be self-driving, traveling over 140 km/h with both front seats completely reclined & occupants appeared to be asleep,” posted the official RCMP twitter account.

    “The driver received a Dangerous Driving charge & summons for court,” tweeted the RCMP. In a more detailed report on its own website, it was revealed that the driver was a 20-year old whose license was suspended for fatigue. “Although manufacturers of new vehicles have built-in safeguards to prevent drivers from taking advantage of the new safety systems in vehicles, those systems are just that – supplemental safety systems,” Superintendent Gary Graham of Alberta RCMP Traffic Services stated in the RCMP report. It also noted that Tesla’s didn’t come equipped with self-driving systems and onus is still on the driver to drive the car.

    Tesla itself doesn’t allow its users to implement the Autopilot feature for full autonomous use. It also adds a number of safeguards such as reminders and requires the driver’s hand on the steering wheel frequently for staying enabled. That being said, many users have proven the ability to manipulate the system and the same has been pointed out by many on Twitter who noted that this was probably a prank.

    This comes at the backdrop of Tesla’s founder claiming that a big update for its autonomous capabilities is in the works thanks to the neural network it is running on the DOJO supercomputer. The latest Tesla’s run its FSD chips for its autopilot capability while the older ones are based on Nvidia’s semiconductors. Next week, Tesla is also slated to announce some big updates related to its battery tech at its battery day event.