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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.

  • India’s Retail Inflation Surges In September, But Rate Cut Hopes Still High

    India’s Retail Inflation Surges In September, But Rate Cut Hopes Still High

    India’s retail inflation rose close to the central bank’s medium-term target of 4% in September for the first time in 14 months, but analysts still predict a sharp economic slowdown will prompt a sixth consecutive interest rate cut in December.

    Annual retail inflation rose to 3.99% last month, driven by higher food prices, up sharply compared with 3.21% in the previous month, and higher than the 3.70% forecast in a Reuters poll of analysts.

    Retail food prices, which make up nearly half of India’s inflation basket, increased 5.11% in September from a year earlier, compared with 2.99% in August.

    “The uptick in September was backed by sharp sequential uptick in food components, primarily led by vegetables prices. We think the food inflation seasonal uptrend will likely continue in the near term before easing later.”

    “We see headline inflation averaging around 3.7%-3.8% for FY20 and expect the headline print to fiddle above 4% in early part of 1HCY20, but not significant enough to derail the rate-cut cycle.”

    “Some signs of sequential bottoming of food prices are emerging, while there could also be increased policy focus ahead to correct food anomalies to favour agriculture terms of trade.”

    “On the other hand, we continue to see core inflation component fiddling a tad above 4% average in FY20, but admittedly moderating sharply from 5.8% in FY19. That said, the output gap remains significant, we continue to see rate cut cycle extending beyond October by at least another 50 bps, depending on the incoming data ahead.”

    “Reflection of higher inflation in select food items has now begun to show in retail inflation as inflation in meat and fish, vegetables, and pulses jumped in September 2019.”

    “Vegetables and pulses contributed 76.4% of the increase in retail inflation in September over August. Food inflation would continue to rise at least till March 2020 mainly due to base effect. The other items exerting pressure on retail inflation in September 2019 are expenditure on health, education and personal care.”

    “Given the ongoing slowdown in the economy and retail inflation remaining well within the target range of the RBI, India Ratings and Research believes RBI will continue with accommodative policy and expect further rate cut in the policy review of December 2019.”

    “It is mainly prices of vegetables and pulses that have pushed the (inflation) rate higher. With a good monsoon having come to a close, its moderating impact may be felt on the price level due to improved supply of produce.”

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  • Mercedes-Benz India Delivers Over 200 Cars On Dussehra & Navratri

    Mercedes-Benz India Delivers Over 200 Cars On Dussehra & Navratri

    Mercedes-Benz India delivered a record 200+ cars to customers on the occasion of Dussehra and Navratri this festive season. The German automaker’s deliveries for the festive season surpassed those of last year with a concentrated customer base from Mumbai and the Gujarat state. The highest deliveries of over 125 vehicles were registered in Mumbai itself, while  74 car deliveries were registered in Gujarat, according to the carmaker. The customer profile comprised doctors, chartered accountants, lawyers and business professionals, said the company.

    Speaking on the occasion, Martin Schwenk, MD & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India said, “The overwhelming customer response resulting in deliveries of 200+ Stars in Mumbai and Gujarat and some other markets during Dussehra and Navratri, underlines the unmatched popularity of a Mercedes-Benz vehicle for the luxury car customers in these important markets. Today’s deliveries also signify that we have a similar level of excitement and fascination from customers, which we witnessed in 2018; and that is a positive development for us. Our customers are the reason behind our success in India and we thank them for their continued patronage and brand loyalty. We have introduced multiple customer-focused initiatives that will keep our customers excited with the product and service offerings associated with Mercedes-Benz.”

    Elaborating further, Mercedes-Benz India said that it was the C-Class and the E-Class that remained top choices for customers in Mumbai, followed by the GLC and the GLE SUVs. In Gujarat, the brand’s entry-level luxury offerings – CLA, GLA and the C-Class continue to be popular choices. The automaker has one of the densest networks in the Indian luxury vehicle space and operates out of 94 outlets spread in 47 cities. With its ‘Go to Customer’ strategy, Mercedes is pursuing a curated network expansion strategy with the objective of moving closer to the customers.

    The record deliveries also point towards recovering for Mercedes-Benz and a positive fourth quarter. Luxury carmakers too saw a dip in volumes, much like the ailing auto sector over the past months, and the festive season favored by the tax cuts is expected to bring a much-needed respite to automakers. Mainstream automakers too reported a month-to-month growth in September 2019, despite registering an overall decline in volumes.

  • Nissan Motor Company Appoints New CEO And COO

    Nissan Motor Company Appoints New CEO And COO

    Nissan Motor Company has appointed Makoto Uchida as its new chief executive officer (CEO). Uchida has been serving as a senior vice president in the company along with being the president of Dongfeng Motor Company. The Japanese carmaker has also appointed Ashwani Gupta as chief operating officer (COO) and representative executive officer. Gupta has been serving as chief operating officer (COO) at Mitsubishi Motors. Nissan’s Senior Vice President Jun Seki has been appointed to the position of vice-chief operating officer, reporting to Gupta.

    Speaking on the appointment, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Yasushi Kimura said, “The board concluded that Uchida is the right leader to drive the business forward. Nissan’s Nomination Committee led the nomination process and assessed candidates thoroughly in line with the new three-committee governance structure established in June. We expect Uchida to lead the company as one team, immediately focus on the recovery of the business and revitalize the company. We look forward to Gupta and Seki fully leveraging their expertise and experience to support the new CEO.” Both Uchida and Gupta will be taking on their positions from January 1, 2020.

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  • Volvo, Geely To Merge Combustion Engine Operations

    Volvo, Geely To Merge Combustion Engine Operations

    Volvo Cars will merge its engine development and manufacturing assets with those of parent Geely, creating a division to supply in-house brands Lotus, LEVC, Lynk and Proton, and also potential rivals with next-generation combustion and hybrid engines. It marks the latest example of consolidation in the engine manufacturing sector as tighter emissions rules hike development costs at a time when the expansion of electric cars calls into question the long-term demand for gas guzzlers. Rival Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), which is in the midst of ramping up mass production of electric cars, has already warned its in-house suppliers to create structures to consolidate combustion engine assets.

    Volvo currently builds 600,000 combustion engines, a number that rises to about 2 million when combined with Geely’s assets, allowing for savings on components and development costs, Volvo Chief Executive Hakan Samuelsson told Reuters.

    That will allow the Gothenburg, Sweden-based brand to more sharply focus its resources on building and developing a range of entirely electrified premium cars.

    “As a general business, combustion engines is most probably not growing. It is important to consolidate and seek synergies. It is another step transforming our company in the direction of electrification,” Samuelsson said in a phone interview. In the medium term, Volvo will drop diesel engines altogether in favor of focusing on hybrid and electric powertrains, requiring further investments in fuel injection, turbocharging and brake recovery technologies.

    Combining its operations with those of Chinese partner Geely will help achieve cost savings, Samuelsson said.

    “On a component level, I see considerable cost savings. Most important is the development side. The engineers will get the resources to take the next step to develop top-notch hybrid engines,” Samuelsson said.

    Geely in August reported a 40% drop in net profit, citing a sharp slowdown in demand for cars, while Volvo has rejigged its global production plans in an effort to reduce the impact of tariffs.

    Geely bought Volvo Cars in 2010 from Ford Motor Co, allowing the Swedish brand to operate on an arms-length basis. But in recent years, it has deepened cooperation between the two brands. Volvo already supplies engines to some Geely-branded vehicles, sharing technology through Geely’s Lynk brand. Both companies share and develop common vehicle platforms.

    Global tariffs, accelerated by a trade war between China and the United States, as well as higher investment requirements for electric and autonomous vehicles, are forcing carmakers to seek new ways to cut and share costs.

    Volvo in 2018 postponed plans to seek a separate stock market listing for the Swedish carmaker, blaming trade tensions.

    The tightening of emissions requirements in both Europe and China is strengthening the industrial logic for combining Volvo’s and Geely’s operations, the Swedish executive said.

    “The emissions requirements are getting tougher everywhere. China is catching up very rapidly. The days when China had outdated technology are gone,” Samuelsson said.

    The new combustion engines business will combine 3,000 employees from Volvo Cars with 5,000 employees from Geely’s combustion engine operations, and include research, development, procurement, manufacturing, IT and finance functions, Volvo said.The creation of the stand-alone business will result in no job losses, Volvo said.

    The new stand-alone supplier could also equip outside rivals struggling to keep up with more stringent regulations.

    “It can be an interesting alternative to third-party customers,” Samuelsson said.

  • Royal Enfield Returns To Racing After 54 Years With Custom 650 GT

    Royal Enfield Returns To Racing After 54 Years With Custom 650 GT

    For the first time in 54 years, Royal Enfield will return to the race track, with two newly-built, custom Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 bikes. Royal Enfield last raced with a factory-supported team in 1965 with its GP5 250 cc racer project. This year, a few passionate staff from Royal Enfield’s UK Technical Centre have worked nights and weekends to prepare two newly built Nought Tea GT Version 2.0, developed in collaboration with Royal Enfield-owned Harris Performance. The Royal Enfield Factory Custom and Harris Performance’s build “Nought Tea GT” was first revealed in May 2019 at Bike Shed 2019.

    Thereafter, work began in earnest to build two out and out track developed Harris Performance “Nought Tea GT” race-prepped successors, with the focus and intent of being race-ready for the Bike Shed Festival 2019. Royal Enfield and Harris Performance have worked with carefully selected collaborators, partners and suppliers, such as Brembo, Ohlins and HEL to build the two race-ready bikes. According to Royal Enfield, both bikes have shed 18.5 kg weight than the stock Royal Enfield Continental GT, and boast of a 26 percent increase in power at the rear wheel.

    “Having been involved in the new Continental GT 650 right from the concept stage it is going to be a thrill to see these bikes racing at Lydden. The stock GT 650 has proved to be a great platform on which to build a cafe racer and I think the public are going to be surprised at the performance level the design team has achieved,” said Lester Harris, Head – Performance Enginnering, Harris Performance.

    “It’s great to see these two bikes come to fruition – after presenting Nought Tea GT at the Bike Shed event in May, and getting such a positive response, the next logical step was to see how well it could really go on track. As part of our custom initiatives, it’s very important to us that all of our builds work as good as they look – showcasing creativity not just in aesthetics but also to demonstrate the capabilities of our new 650 Twin cylinder engine. Royal Enfield’s support of the custom motorcycle community has grown exponentially over the past three years, and we are very excited to keep challenging the expectations of what can be done with our motorcycles. The Twins have added to this, opening up a whole new avenue of creative possibility, and it has been exciting to see Harris pull the best out of this platform. Working with Harris Performance is always a great experience – the knowledge they bring to projects like this, never mind our daily production work, is something that can only be gained through time and experience. After working with them on last year’s Lock Stock drag bike, it’s great to have an opportunity to have some fun with them in the type of racing they built the Harris name in,” said Adrian Sellers, Group Manager, Custom Program – Royal Enfield.

    The weekend’s racing action saw Paul Young, Official Factory Test Rider and Curtis Wright, Factory Custom rider, take to the track with two Harris Nought Tea GT 650 v 2.0 in the Cafe Racer cup. Mark Wells, Head of Product Strategy and Industrial Design, headed out in the Commuter Cup on a Royal Enfield Genuine Motorcycle Accessory fully accessorized Continental GT 650, took to the dirt in the Malle Dash on board the skunK650, an Interceptor 650 which has been lightly modified for trials and scrambler racing.

    The Nought Tea GT 650 v 2.0 bikes have undergone a long list of changes, to the engine, bodywork and cycle parts. The bikes feature custom ported cylinder heads, custom ported throttle bodies, custom race camshaft, lighter 520 chain and sprockets, two-into-two high flow headers and silencers, twin ITF air filter, as well as an upgraded ignition system. The bikes feature a custom three-piece fairing with dedicated mounting kit, custom double bubble screen, LED lighting, new custom wheels, fully adjustable Ohlins Retro43 RWU forks modified by Harris Performance, fully adjustable Ohlins STX36 twin shocks modified by Harris Performance, new custom clip-on handlebars, Brembo brakes, and a long list of Royal Enfield genuine motorcycle accessories parts, including bar-end mirrors and a touring seat.

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  • BMW M5 Competition Launched In India

    BMW M5 Competition Launched In India

    Well if you thought the BMW M5 was bonkers! Here comes the BMW M5 Competition which has arrived to further up the ante. The BMW M5 Competition has been launched in India as a completely built unit (CBU) at ₹ 1.55 crore, ex-showroom, India. The same 4.4-litre, twin-turbo V8 motor which powers the standard M5 is also the workhorse here but has been uprated to churn out 616 bhp at 6000 rpm and 750 Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to the eight-speed M Steptronic transmission and takes 3.3 seconds to clock triple-digit speeds as opposed to 3.9 seconds of the standard M5. Just like the standard M5, the M5 competition also gets the M xDrive all-wheel-drive system with DSC and xDrive modes which enables the driver to choose between the 4WD, 4WD Sport and 2WD mode.

    In a bid to balance the performance and fuel efficiency, it also gets the BMW Efficient Dynamics featuring brake energy regeneration, auto start-stop function, a new differential transfer case with optimized warm-up behavior and aerodynamics. Additional standard equipment on the M5 Competition includes dynamic stability control (DSC) including anti-lock braking system (ABS), automatic stability control (ASC), M dynamic mode (MDM), cornering brake control (CBC), dynamic brake control (DBC), dry braking function and active M differential. Moreover, it is also equipped with the M exhaust system with electrically controlled flaps to minimize the exhaust pressure creating a throaty roar exhaust note along with optimizing the efficiency.

    While largely the M5 Competition looks similar to the standard car, there are certain highlights on the outside that tell it’s a bit more special. Elements like the radiator grille, wing mirrors, rear apron, rear spoiler and side air vents finished in BMW individual high-gloss black and the air vents also wear the Competition badge. The roof is made of extremely lightweight and high tensile reinforced carbon fibre plastic and the chrome-plated exhaust pipes get a mild yellow shine.

    On the inside, the M5 competition gets illuminated M5 logo on the sport seats and black seatbelts with the BMW M GmBH design. The double-spoke M steering wheel is borrowed from the standard car while it gets red start-stop button which adds a sense of sportiness as you fire the engine. Moreover, it is pretty well-loaded with almost all the equipment you get in a car of this class. So features like BMW gesture control, BMW display key, wireless charging, BMW head-up display and wireless Apple CarPlay, BMW operating system 7.0 which includes 3D navigation with a high-resolution instrument cluster behind the steering wheel with a 12.3-inch screen and a 10.25-inch control display. Other features include a 600 watt Harman Kardon sourced surround sound system with 16 speakers.

    The BMW M5 Competition is around ₹ 10 lakh more expensive than the standard M5 which is priced at ₹ 1.44, lakh, ex-showroom, India. Out in the marketplace, it will rival the likes of the Mercedes-AMG E 63S and the Audi RS7 Performance.

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  • Hyundai Invests In Netradyne To Develop Advanced Driver Assistance Systems

    Hyundai Invests In Netradyne To Develop Advanced Driver Assistance Systems

    Hyundai Motor Company’s corporate venturing and open innovation business, Cradle, has announced that it is investing in Netradyne, an intelligent technology company specializing in fleet safety management software. The partnership supports further development of Level 3+ Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (L3+ ADAS) and Autonomous Driving (AD) features that may launch over the next few years. Netradyne uses artificial intelligence vision-based dashcam devices to monitor safety performance of fleet vehicles. The system may also help crowdsource road and driving behavior metadata.

    Hyundai and Netradyne will collaborate to utilize the road and driving behavior data collected by Netradyne to support HD mapping and map updates for Hyundai’s development of future L3+ ADAS and AD features. The costs associated with outfitting traditional mobile mapping system (MMS) vehicles, which are currently employed for HD mapping, make it challenging for many OEMs to place enough MMS vehicles on the road to provide the necessary frequency of HD mapping updates. Netradyne says that its devices are more cost-efficient and are currently equipped to numerous vehicle fleets.

    Netradyne has already captured and analyzed over 1 million unique miles of the 2.7 million total miles of paved roads in the United States. This data includes numerous passes over the same roads to provide deeper insights into how driving and road different conditions may change throughout the year. In total, Netradyne has analyzed more than 350 million miles of road data. Each of these 350+ million miles has been analyzed with AI and collected by professional drivers.

  • Maruti Suzuki’s Production Improves Amid Festive Season

    Maruti Suzuki’s Production Improves Amid Festive Season

    The prolonged slowdown has been denting production of some of the leading carmakers in India, but the month of September has shown some signs of improvement. Maruti Suzuki in September 2019 has witnessed a lesser de-growth in sales compared to what it recorded in the previous month and that has reflected in production figures as well. Despite a two-day plant shutdown (September 7 and September 9), Maruti Suzuki has recorded a 17.37 percent decline in production last month which is better than 33.67 percent slump it witnessed in August 2019.

    In September 2019, Maruti Suzuki rolled out 130,264 units of passenger vehicles compared to 157,659 units in the same month a year ago, which is a year-on-year decline of 17.37 percent. However, the company had manufactured 110,214 units in August 2019 compared to 166,161 units in the same month last year, witnessing a YoY production decline of 33.67 percent. The improvement is also possible on the anticipation of better festive season sales. The company has recorded 24.8 percent YoY sales decline selling 1,22,640 units in September 2019 including 112,500 units in the domestic market and 2,952 units of domestic OEM sales whereas 7,188 units were exported. However, in August 2019 it witnessed a year-on-year sales decline of 34 percent.

    Maruti Suzuki is already providing attractive discounts across its product range. The company has also slashed prices by ₹ 5000 on select models like the Alto 800, Alto K10, Swift Diesel, Celerio, Baleno Diesel, Ignis, Dzire Diesel, Tour S Diesel, Vitara Brezza and S-Cross. Interestingly, the compact vehicle segment where almost all products underwent a price cut has seen the least production cut at 4.2 percent with a total of 75,264 units being rolled out as compared to 78,589 units. It includes products like the Swift, Dzire, Ignis, Baleno Celerio and the new WagonR. The company is offering discounts of up to ₹ 1.01 lakh on the Vitara Brezza subcompact SUV and production has also improved in the UV segment. The UV segment witnessed a de-growth of 17.05 percent at 18,435 units while the mini segment (including the recently launched S-Presso) recorded a de-growth of 37.61 percent manufacturing 23,073 units. The company rolled out 2350 units of the Ciaz mid-size sedan, down by 50.41 percent and the Vans segment recorded a de-growth of 26.24 percent at 11,142 units.

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  • Honda Acquires Drivemode, Developer of Smartphone Apps for Drivers

    Honda Acquires Drivemode, Developer of Smartphone Apps for Drivers

    Honda has acquired all the outstanding shares of the California-based Drivemode, Inc., in order to further strengthen Honda’s vision to create digital and connected mobility products. With the acquisition, Drivemode became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Honda R&D. Drivemode is a startup that develops and operates smartphone-based connected services, excelling in multiple areas such as the development of the user interface and application as well as cloud-based technologies. Honda R&D and Drivemode have been collaborating and conducting joint development activities since 2015. In April 2019, Honda newly established the Digital Solution Center within Honda R&D, which will focus on creating new value through the utilisation of digital technologies.

    With this acquisition, the Digital Solution Centre and Drivemode will work together to accelerate new value creation in the area of connected mobility services. Toshihiro Mibe, President and Representative Director of Honda R&D said, “As a step toward the realization of value creation for mobility and enhancing people’s daily lives, which is an integral part of Honda’s 2030 Vision, we decided to further enhance our collaborative relationship with Drivemode.”

    With the support of Honda, the Drivemode team will focus on providing safe, meaningful software solutions for drivers, and the innovation on mobile-based technology will be for both connected cars and motorcycles.

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  • Lamborghini Huracan Evo Spyder Launch Date Announced

    Lamborghini Huracan Evo Spyder Launch Date Announced

    After launching the Lamborghini Huracan Evo coupe earlier this year in February, the Italian marque is now ready to bring in its convertible version – the Huracan Evo Spyder. The new drop-top Hurcan Evo is slated to be launched in India on October 10, with the inauguration of Lamborghini’s new showroom in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Compared to the regular coupe version, the convertible Huracan Evo is 120 kg heavier and comes with an electro-hydraulic roof-folding mechanism that can lower the soft-top in 17 seconds at speeds of up to 50 kmph.

    The Lamborghini Huracan Evo Spyder comes with a familiar design with an 8.4-inch capacitive touchscreen infotainment system

    Visually, the Lamborghini Huracan Evo is identical to the coupe version of the car, save for body-coloured bumpers instead of black ones, and blacked-out A-pillars. At the rear, this too comes with the new ducktail spoiler balanckt downforce and drag on the two-door, while the underbody has been revised to make it more slippery and aerodynamic friendly. The cabin, at the same time, comes with a familiar design with an 8.4-inch capacitive touchscreen infotainment system that offers controls for a bunch of in-car function like climate control, cell-phone connectivity and much more. The system also gets Apple CarPlay along with voice command system and a dual-camera telemetry system with a high-capacity hard disk as part of the features package.

    The Lamborghini Huracan Evo Spyder gets the same 5.2-litre V10 motor that powers the coupe version

    Powering the new Lamborghini Huracan Evo is the same 5.2-litre V10 motor that powers the coupe version. In fact, the engine is tuned to churn out the same 631 bhp at 8,000 rpm and develop the same peak torque of 600 Nm at 6,500 rpm. The engine comes mated to a 7-speed Lamborghini Doppia Frizione (LDF) dual-clutch transmission and comes with an all-wheel-drive system. The Huracan Evo goes from 0-100 kmph in 3.1 seconds, that is 0.2 seconds slower than the coupe version, and 0-200 kmph is achieved in 9.3 seconds, and that is 0.3 seconds slower than the coupe version. However, the top speed is the same 325 kmph.

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  • Tesla Automated Parking Problems Seen Liability Of App ‘Driver’ For Now

    Tesla Automated Parking Problems Seen Liability Of App ‘Driver’ For Now

    Tesla Inc owners summoning their driverless cars in parking lots are likely liable for crashes, lawyers said after a series of internet videos showed problems with cars running new software.

    If the accidents pile up, though, Tesla itself is sure to be brought into a legal fight, insurance industry experts said.

    The incidents highlight a shifting landscape for long-held assumptions about auto insurance and accident blame as more car manufacturers offer features that can automate parallel parking, avoid collisions, and take over steering during traffic, among other things.

    A Tesla software update last week added a so-called Smart Summon feature for some customers. When the car is within 200 feet and in their line of sight, they can use a phone app to summon the vehicle in a parking lot. Users start the car by holding down a button and stop the car by releasing it, Tesla said in instructions, warning users to be careful.

    U.S. regulators are looking into parking lot crashes involving Tesla cars driving themselves to their owners, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Wednesday.

    “This was an interesting one to explain to my insurance,” wrote one user in YouTube and Twitter video posts of a Tesla scraping against a garage door frame while exiting in summon mode. “Silly feature cost me time and money.”

    Tesla did not respond to a request for comment but Chief Executive Elon Musk on Wednesday tweeted that there were more than 550,000 Smart Summon uses in the first few days.

    Insurance claims for such incidents will go through the car owner’s traditional auto coverage, said Jennifer Dukarski, a lawyer in Ann Arbor, Michigan, who represents automotive suppliers in disputes about safety and autonomous car technology.

    “But as the number of incidents build, you’ll find someone who will entertain a class action [lawsuit] dealing with a product defect,” Dukarski said.

    Automated features also raise the question of whether the owner or the auto manufacturer is at fault when accidents occur.

    “The rationale for the owner being responsible is that the laws have not caught up to autonomous vehicles,” said Keith McKenna, an insurance lawyer in New York who represents corporate policyholders.

    If fully-automated cars someday becomes the norm, liability will shift to manufacturers and their insurance, McKenna said.

    The technology is not sophisticated enough to be deemed “driverless” under California’s motor vehicle rules, the California Department of Motor Vehicles said, essentially leaving the app user outside of the car responsible for accidents.

    Still, limitations to the app and other features make Tesla more responsible when accidents occur, said Mike Morgan, a Florida personal injury lawyer. His firm sued Tesla last year on behalf of a client who blames Tesla for his car crashing into a disabled vehicle.

    “You are still responsible for your car and must monitor it and its surroundings at all times and be within your line of sight because it may not detect all obstacles,” Tesla said in instructions for the new feature.

    But it may be too late to avoid a crash when a user attempts to stop the car, Morgan said.

    “These vehicles provide a false sense of human control,” Morgan said.

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  • Toyota, Mahindra Decide To Stop Usage Of Single Use Plastic

    Toyota, Mahindra Decide To Stop Usage Of Single Use Plastic

    Over time cars and car companies have been blamed of contaminating the environment. Be it emission, exhausting fossil fuel or adding up to the noise pollution, cars have been the soft target to point the finger on. That said, the situation need not remain the same always. While carmakers are adhering to the government’s upcoming emission standards, fuel efficiency norms and electrification targets in a bid to curb pollution, some are also taking steps to refine their production methods. Automakers like Toyota and Mahindra have decided to eliminate the use of single-use plastic in their manufacturing process.

    As part of the six challenges to be achieved by 2050, Toyota is trying to establish a recycling-based society and systems. The move ensures zero waste directly to landfills and achieves recyclability of 96 percent, at its operating plant at Bidadi, Karnataka and also helps in reducing45per cent of the plastic footprint. Commenting on the initiative Masakazu Yoshimura, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “Keeping in-line with our global Toyota Environment Challenge 2050 and aligned with honorable Prime Minister’s nationwide campaign to limit the consumption of single-use plastic, we have proactively implemented several initiatives encouraging our stakeholders to reduce, recycle and reuse, as a step towards a better tomorrow.”

    Mahindra’s initiative could also be extended in Ford’s Chennai and Sanand plant following their recent JV.

    Along with Toyota, even Mahindra has taken steps in this direction. Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra put out in a tweet today that all 15 manufacturing plants of Mahindra & Mahundra have committed to stop using single use plastic latest by the end of this year. The move is crucial, even much so at a time when Mahindra has partnered with Ford in its India operations. It will have 51 per cent ownership in its India business, in-turn taking the charge of its Chennai and Sanand manufacturing plants which means we can hope the initiative being extended to even these plants by the day.

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  • Tesla Announces Record Deliveries Of 97,000 Cars In Q3

    Tesla Announces Record Deliveries Of 97,000 Cars In Q3

    Electric car manufacturer Tesla has delivered approximately 97,000 cars around the world in the third quarter of 2019, falling short of the 100,000 milestone the company had hoped for.

    “We achieved record net orders in Q3 and are entering Q4 with an increase in our order backlog. As was also the case in Q2, nearly all of our Model 3 orders were received from customers who did not previously hold a reservation, solidifying the transition to generating strong organic demand,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

    During the last quarter the company managed to deliver 95,200 vehicles to customers across the globe, which broke a record the company set in the fourth quarter of last year.

    Earlier, in an e-mail sent to employees Musk said that the company has a chance to deliver at least 100,000 vehicles this quarter. “We have a shot at achieving our first 100,000 vehicle delivery quarter, which is an incredibly exciting milestone for our company!” Musk said.

    In addition, Tesla is buying DeepScale, a California-based small artificial intelligence (AI) start-up, to improve its Autopilot driver assistance system. The acquisition could help Tesla fill the talent gap in the autopilot group.

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  • BMW Customers Can Give Real-Time Approvals For Service And Repairs With New Smart Video App

    BMW Customers Can Give Real-Time Approvals For Service And Repairs With New Smart Video App

    BMW India has announced introducing a new mobile application that will allow customers to give real-time approvals for service and repairs. Called the BMW Smart Video, the new BMW exclusive app allows the technicians at the dealership to make a video of the vehicle explaining the service/repair requirements and share the quotation online. Customers receive a link where they can understand the service requirements through the video and provide approval online without the hassle of visiting the dealership again.

    Designed to enhance BMW’s aftersales service experience, the company says by digitizing the aftersales service process, it ensures that there is complete transparency and offers faster turn-around time. In fact, BMW India claims that the new BMW Smart Video solution has already benefited more than 10,000 customers with a high rate of customer satisfaction.

    Talking about the new BMW Smart Video App, Rudratej Singh, President and CEO, BMW Group India said, “BMW is an immensely successful brand not only because of its best-in-class products but also because of its unparalleled aftersales service standards. Trust and transparency are the core BMW values that naturally extend in all our customer interactions. Leveraging new-age digital solutions, we are building numerous services and solutions that will further enhance interaction between our customers and their beloved machines. BMW Smart Video is a fine example of how an innovative solution helps our customers easily understand the technical aspects of their vehicles and its servicing. Thus, creating a joyful ownership experience.”

    The BMW Smart Video application is already live in the BMW network in 50 countries across the world, including Australia, US and UK, among others. Now, the new BMW Smart Video is also available at BMW dealerships in India.

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