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Vol No: 2 Issue No: 6 November-December 2021 | USD 25 | INR 400

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Vol No: 2 | Issue No: 6 | November-December 2021

CONTENT

6 IMPRESSIONS

7 EDITORIAL

8 TOP MOVES
- Anshum Jain Is DICV COO
- Mayank Pandey Is Castrol Board Member
- Yong Goon Park Is MD Mobis India Aftersales
- Mahesh Babu Is Switch Mobility CEO

10 TWO-WHEELERS
- New Royal Enfield Classic 350
- Indian-Made Okaya E-Scooter

14 CARS
- Ford India To Cease Local Production
- The Tata Punch
- Tata Tigor EV

24 COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
- Six New Volvo Trucks in India
- New Mahindra Furio 7
- Omega Seiki Unveils M1KA Electric SCV
- New Eicher Inter-City Coaches

2 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021

30 SKILL DEVELOPMENT 62 ELECTRIC VEHICLES
- Trends: Automotive Skill Development - Zero-Emission Transport For Kolkata
- All-Woman Ola Mega Factory

34 TECHNOLOGY
- Evolving Vehicle Architecture And The Future Of Automotive 68 AROUND THE WORLD
- The German Auto Industry
- Pandemic’s Mixed Bag Effect
36 COMPONENTS
- Lucas TVS To Invest In Gigafactory
76 ON THE BEAT
- Americans Can’t Understand Indian Pitches
38 COVER STORY
- Promising Indian Automotive Aftermarket
- Aftermarket Accessories And Modifications
- Lumax To Distribute Alpine Products In India DISCLAIMER: Views expressed in Articles / Columns /
Technical papers are personal and not necessarily endorsed
by the Publisher. While every care has been taken during
50 TESTING production, the Publisher does not accept any liability for
- PEMS Testing: Benefits And Challenges errors that may have occurred.

52 INDUSTRY TALK /MotoringTrends /Motoring_Trends

- Government Announces PLI Scheme For The Auto Sector

/motoring-trends /MotoringTrends
54 EVENT
- E-Mobility India Forum Read MotoringTrends
- SIAT Expo 2021 Digital Edition on
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- 61st ACMA Annual Session www.motoring-trends.com

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6 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021

 EDITORIAL EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL
A Decade Of EDITORIAL
New Possibilities
EDITORIAL

A
A Decade
Decade Of
Of New
New Possibilities
A Possibilities
t the outset may I wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year.
The decade that went by was one of the most chaotic for the automotive industry in

A
t the outset mayacross I wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous Newand Year.new mobility,

A
India, and even the world. Transition to new technologies
the impact t the ofoutset may I wish
slowdown in theyou younationalall a very
economic Happygrowth,
and Prosperous
with issues New Year.
likeYear.
liquidity crunch
tThe
thedecade
outset may I wish all a very Happy and Prosperous
that went by was one of the most chaotic for the automotive industry in New

Shifting Paradigms
and fallThe in demand,
decade were
that went among by wasthe major
one of factors
the most that battered
chaotic for Indian
the industry.
automotive The impact
industry in
India,
The and even
decade thatacross
went by the was world.
one Transition
ofdepended
the most tochaotic
new technologies
for the automotive and newindustry mobility,in
on individual
India,ofand companies
even across across the the world
world.economic
Transitiongrowth, on their robustness
to new technologies and and ability
new mobility, to
the impact slowdown
India, emerging
and even across in the national
the world. Transitionthe to new with issues like liquidity crunch
understand
the impact of slowdown requirements,
inamong
the national to economic
compress ‘timetechnologies
growth, to market’
with issues andandreduce
like
new mobility,
liquidity crunch
andimpact
the fall in demand,
of slowdown werein the national the major economicfactorsgrowth,
that battered
with issues Indianlike industry.
liquidity The impact
crunch
cost.
and fall in demand, were among the major factors that battered Indian industry. The impact
on individual
and fall in demand, companies were across among the the world
major depended
factors thatonbattered
their robustness
Indian industry. and ability to
The impact
on
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understand
decade companies
emerging
ahead will acrosshigh
requirements,
witness the world
to
levels depended
compressof the
obsolescenceon
‘timetheir
to
and robustness
market’
disruptionsand and
reduce
atability to
on individual companies across the world depended on their robustness and ability to
T heunderstand
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understand
cost.
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the were rumours is alsothatchanging.
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last
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and Apple were working
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Reading, of Europe and US is treated? Is ranked India at 101 for 2021, down from 94 in the
the lawHappy Reading,
as effective and is the level of transparency as previous year, trailing behind Pakistan, Bangladesh
good orT better?
Murrali The way the consumer is treated when and Nepal. The Indian Government has taken offence
Editor
he walks into a showroom and when he drives to the and termed the study methodology unscientific.
T Murrali
T
T Murrali
Murrali
Editor
Editor Bhushan Mhapralkar
Editor Editor

Editor: T Murrali (aka) Murrali Thalor; Email: tmurrali@pin-365.com | President: Antony Powath |
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Marg, 13601119887
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- 110001, +91Sridharan Ravi.
jerry.shen@cncic.cn
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Ohio jennifer.poda@gmail.com , E: mohamed.ishak181@gmail.com
| China: | Thailand:
Jerry Shen, China National Chemical Information Center Co. Ltd.
Ernakulam
Vaikunth, District,
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Mary and published
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 TOP MOVES

Anshum Jain Is Mayank Pandey Is

DICV COO Castrol Board Member

Daimler India
Commercial
Vehicles (DICV) has
C astrol India Limited
has appointed
Mayank Pandey as a
appointed Anshum whole time director,
Jain as the new Chief effective 9 August
Operating Officer 2021. He is currently
(COO), effective 2 the supply chain
August 2021. He will vice president since
report to Satyakam 1 January 2021
Arya, Managing and brings with him
Director and CEO, over two decades of
DICV, and will be industry experience.
responsible for supplier Spending the last
Anshum Jain management and Mayank Pandey 14 years with bp
logistics. Helping to lubricants, Pandey has
further enhance synergy in the greater operations diverse international market experience, leading
divisions, Jain, with an experience of over 25 teams and operations in India, China, Japan,
years in India, USA and Germany in managing Korea and Europe. Expected to influence a rethink
and leading all aspects of large manufacturing of supply chain strategies at Castrol, Pandey has
operations with P&L responsibility, is expected to a professional experience spanning lubricants,
take radical strides in managing supply chain and business consulting, paints and engineering
operations areas with improvement of margins and industry. A management graduate from S P Jain
excellence on all business metrics. Jain’s earlier role Institute of Management and a mechanical engineer
was as the COO of Wirtgen (John Deere). He was from Harcourt Butler Technological Institute, Pandey
also associated with Demag Cranes, MTU (Daimler), is passionate about building high-performance
Cummins and Bosch. MT teams and customer centricity. MT

Yong Goon Park Is MD Mahesh Babu Is Switch

Mobis India Aftersales Mobility CEO

M obis India has

appointed
Yong Goon Park as
S witch Mobility Ltd has
appointed Mahesh
Babu as the COO of
Managing Director, Switch Mobility and CEO
Aftersales Parts of Switch Mobility India.
Division. He will be With over 25 years of
based at Gurugram, experience in mobility
Haryana, where the space, Mahesh Babu
Mobis India Head was earlier the Managing
Office is situated. Director and CEO of
He will lead the Mahindra Electric.
Aftersales (AS) Instrumental in the
Business operations introduction of a range
Yong Goon Park for the Indian market, Mahesh Babu of Mahindra electric
leveraging his 23 years vehicles, including the
of wide experience in leading the HR department Treo commercial 3-wheeler range, he has actively
and overseas business in Mobis. Having a contributed to various EV committees of the central and
competitive edge of handling large and emerging state governments, CII and FICCI. Serving until recently
markets like China, Yong Goon Park, in line with his as the Chairman of Electric Mobility Group at SIAM, the
company’s global vision, will help incorporate best APEX Automotive Association of India, Mahesh Babu
practices and global processes to ensure customer worked at Ashok Leyland before joining Mahindra &
satisfaction. Driving his division to offer superior Mahindra Ltd. At Switch Mobility, he will be instrumental
quality products, he will engage employees and in driving growth and helping the company secure a
channel partners to create a sense of pride for a leading global position in net zero carbon buses and
sustainable future. MT light commercial vehicles. MT

8 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021

 Changing Dynamics In Vehicles And
8 June 2 0 2 2 , C H E N N A I , I N D I A Technovation From The Tyre Industry

ORGANISED BY:
NETWORKING PARTNER : ASSOCIATES: MEDIA PARTNERS:
Contact Antony Powath
Conference Chairman: President, PIN 365
Tom Thomas Mobile: +91-9833 901 586
VDC 2022 Email: hello@pin-365.com
 TWO-WHEELERS
T
racing its roots to the Royal
Enfield G2 model of 1948,
the Classic 350 and Classic
500 are among the most-selling
motorcycles of the iconic British
brand that is today as Indian as the
culture of drinking tea with milk and
sugar in it. In fact, in August 2021,
the Classic 350 sold a good 34,791
units. Attracting young and old
alike, the Classic 350 has become a
lifestyle statement for many in India.
Cutting across people of different
New Royal Enfield
Classic 350
The new Royal Enfield Classic 350 marks a significant upgrade.
Aditya Gowda
10 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
cast and creed, it has attracted
corporate head-honchos in India’s
mega cities to farmers in the remote
hinterland. Providing freedom to
escape boredom or a stylish means
of personal transport on two wheels,
the Classic 350 is also a status
symbol for many.
With the bar set high, the new
Classic 350 has work cut for itself.
Retaining the design language of its
highly successful predecessor, the

new motorcycle draws attention with
a carefully thought-out combination
of chrome and red. With no parts
carried over from its predecessor,
the motorcycle marks an
improvement in fit and finish – a look
at the switches, levers, handle grips
and bar-ends, and it is clear. The
fuel filler cap has been redesigned
and adds to the subtle yet attractive
design language of the machine.
The foot-pegs, the rider’s seat and
the tail lamp have been redesigned,
too, and contribute towards
improved aesthetics and quality. A
jump in quality is also apparent from
the weld joints and the wires that are
neatly tucked in.
Powered by a new 20.3 bhp 349
cc single overhead camshaft (with
timing chain) two-valve single-
cylinder engine that is identical to
the one found on the Meteor 350
but differing in the ignition timing,
exhaust layout and fuel mapping,
the new Classic 350, as would be
apparent by now, is fuel injected.
The engine belongs to the ‘J’ series
platform and is air-cooled. There is,
however, an additional internal oil
circuit within the cylinder head that
ensures better cooling. Flaunting
a bore that is wider by 2 mm and
a stroke that is shorter by 4.2 mm,
the new engine has a primary
balancer shaft to eliminate vibrations
and improve refinement without
sacrificing the original character.
Giving the impression of being eager
as it takes off, the Classic 350 also
feels more refined than the model
it replaces. The power delivery also
feels smoother and consistent.
Exhibiting a good low- and mid-
range pull, the motorcycle retains
its exhaust note. It may not be as
pronounced in its thump but is
nevertheless sincere to the brand
and its character. More enjoyable
and relaxing to ride in the city,
courtesy an increase in usable
torque and an improvement in fuel
metering, the Classic 350 gives
the impression of being a bit faster
than its predecessor through
the gears. The 5-speed gearbox
facilitates smooth shifts. Out on
an open road or a highway, the
way the motorcycle builds speed
or loses it with the release of the
throttle, it is apparent at once
that this motorcycle is not just a
significant upgrade but is much
more inspiring to ride as well. There
is smooth acceleration and gradual
deceleration.
Up to speeds of 90-95 kmph, the
new Classic 350 feels considerably
more refined than the model it
replaces. It is around and past the
100 kmph mark that the vibrations
begin to make their presence felt.
The vibrations increased gradually
during the ride as speeds increased
to touch the 120 kmph mark. With
the 13-litre fuel tank presenting a
range of about 300 to 400 km for
a tankful of fuel, the motorcycle
has also witnessed significant
improvement in the chassis (a stiffer
twin-down tube design against the
earlier model’s single-cradle unit)
and suspension department. The
swingarm is the same as that of the
Meteor 350. The rear sub-frame has
also seen some changes. Ground
clearance at 170 mm is about 35
mm more than its predecessor.
Supporting an upright riding
position, the new Classic 350 has
a seat height of 805 mm. Weighing
195 kg, the motorcycle feels stable
and confidence-inspiring to ride on
the highway as well as in the city. It
is not sporty nor demanding to ride
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 11
either. An improvement in stability
also accompanies an improvement
in ride. The ride is neither stiff nor
soft, courtesy the new 41 mm
telescopic forks at the front with
130 mm of travel and twin tube rear
shock absorbers with a six-step
adjustable preload.
Fitted with 19-inch wheel (and
100/90 section tyre) at the front
and 18-inch wheel (and 120/80
section tyre) at the rear, the new
Classic 350 displays good grip.
Impressing with its ability to tackle
the straight patches as well as the
twisty ones and even corners, the
motorcycle time and again reminds
of the significant upgrade it is over
its predecessor. Though not sporty,
it holds the line through corners
to inspire confidence. When the
need arises, the brakes do a good
job of cutting the speed. The front
has a 300 mm diameter disc with a
2-piston floating caliper and the rear
has a 270 mm diameter disc with a
single-piston floating caliper. There
is dual-channel ABS as standard.
Measuring 2,145 mm in length and
785 mm in width, the new Classic
350 packs an all-new instrument
cluster. It is a combo of analogue
speedometer and an LCD display,
which gives out odometer reading,
two trip meter readings and the level
of fuel in the tank. The instrument
console of the motorcycle also has
an ‘eco’ mode indicator (to indicate
optimal speed for fuel efficiency).
Equipped with a hazard warning
switch and a USB port for charging
mobile phones, the Classic 350
does not get the Tripper navigation
as standard. It is optional and,
upon choosing while buying the
motorcycle, calls for downloading
of the Royal Enfield application and
linking the phone via a Bluetooth
connection. The navigational map
is accessed through an optional
navigation display.
Available in five variants – Redditch,
Halcyon, Signals, Dark and Chrome
– and eleven colours, the new
Classic 350 is priced at INR 215,118
(ex-showroom, Chennai). Marking
significant improvements in the
area of engine, chassis, suspension
and brakes without altering the
classic character that has drawn
such a crowd to this machine, the
motorcycle is a well-calculated
mix of modern technology and old
unforgotten virtues. MT
 TWO-WHEELERS
Indian-Made
Okaya E-Scooter
Okaya EV has launched an e-scooter for the masses.
Aditya Gowda
O
kaya EV, the electric vehicle
division of electronic
solutions provider Okaya
Group, has launched the Freedum,
a slow-speed electric scooter priced
upwards of INR 69,900. Available
with a choice of lithium-ion and
lead-acid battery, the e-scooter
is available in 12 vibrant colours.
Marking Okaya EV’s third product
since its entry into the electric
two-wheeler market in July 2021,
the Freedum e-scooter is aimed at
the masses. It is expected to lure
two-wheeler users to take to electric
two-wheelers in a big way. Anil
Gupta, Managing Director, Okaya
Power Group, expressed, “Electric is
the future and we find ourselves best
placed to offer a high-quality, value
for money proposition in the form of
this e-scooter to every Indian. Owing
to our allied business interests, we
are at an advantageous position to
offer electric two-wheelers in the
market.”
Looking at selling 125,000
e-scooters in the current year, Okaya
EV is keen to corner a big pie of
12 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
the price-competitive electric two-
wheeler market in India. Targeting
sales of 300,000 e-scooters next
year, the company is building
competencies in its supply chain
and distribution network. To achieve
the projected sales, the company is
expanding its distribution centres to
1,000 numbers across the country
by this year end, according to
Gupta. The centres will also double
up as service touchpoints. Okaya
EV is also putting in place 500-plus
teams that will travel to customer
locations for on-site vehicle
servicing. Operating currently with
a network of 120 dealers spread
across the country, the electric two-
wheeler manufacturer is focusing
on engineering a robust mechanism
to reach out to the customers and
potential buyers. Drawing attention
to Okaya Group’s strong position in
the electricity consumer market with
its range of batteries and inverters
among other products, Puran Singh
Negi, Assistant Vice President –
Sales and Marketing, Okaya EV,
said, “Our strength has always
been in after-sales support. With
EVs, we have introduced a concept
where we provide doorstep service
to customers in addition to service
options offered by our dealers.
Okaya is different in this regard.”
Of the opinion that the company’s
experience in the electronic
components space spanning over
four decades is proving to be of
advantage, Negi remarked, “The
battery makes up for half the EV.
Electronics and software make
up the other half. We have been
extensively involved in both, and
therefore at a certain position of
advantage.” Confident of carving
out a niche for itself in the electric
two-wheeler market, Okaya EV,
according to Negi, is targeting sales
of at least 10,000 units per month.
“The Freedum electric two-wheeler
series will be an important part of
it,” he quipped. Joining Okaya EV’s
product portfolio that consists of two
slow-speed models (the AvioniQ
series and the ClassIQ series),
the Freedum e-scooter comes
across as stylish and practical.
Boasting LED DRLs, a sharp and
effective headlight as part of a
trendy design language, which
includes strong steel wheel rims,
the Freedum e-scooter is equipped
with telescopic forks at the front
and a mono-shock setup at the rear.
Braking efficiency is courtesy a petal
disc brake unit at the front and a
drum brake unit at the rear.
Having a regenerative braking
feature to conserve energy, the
Freedum e-scooter is equipped with
a seat that provides a comfortable
ride for the rider and pillion. There
is ample storage space on the
footboard, making it well-suited
for last-mile delivery requirements.
Available with the choice of either
a 48V 30 Ah lithium-ion battery
(Freedum LI-2) or a 48V 28 Ah
lead-acid battery (Freedum LA-2),
the Freedum e-scooter offers a
range of 70-80 km and 50-60 km,
respectively. While the lithium-ion
battery version takes 4 to 5 hours
to charge, the lead-acid battery-
powered version takes 8 to 10 hours
to charge. Both the versions come
equipped with a 250-Watt hub motor,
which enables a top speed of 25
kmph. Explaining that the lead-
acid technology is fast diminishing
due to the lack of government
intervention and subsidies, Gupta
explained that they are anticipating
the lithium-ion version to achieve
robust sales. “While the lead-acid
version appeals to those who are
unable to afford the higher price
lithium-ion version, there is a need to
engineer favourable finance options
and Capex,” he added. Informing
that they have seen customers with
financial flexibility opt for lithium-ion
variants over lead-acid ones, Gupta
said, “The lead-acid versions will
make up for less than 10 percent of
total sales in the next two years as
per our estimation.”
Structured on a strong tubular
frame with a loading capacity of
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 13
150 kg, the Freedum e-scooter is
fitted with 3”x10” tubeless tyres.
Featuring a remote ‘lock and
unlock’system with anti-theft alarm,
the vehicle also comes with a
‘reverse’ mode to help reverse out
of a tight parking space. Armed
with a digital display that is intuitive
and indicates the battery charge
level, the Freedum e-scooter is
built with mass appeal in mind.
Expected to contribute 93 percent
of the total sales of the company,
the e-scooter could get high-
speed versions (with a 250 km
range) in the future as well. These
would be introduced in the next
few months as premium offerings.
Built at Okaya EV’s Baddi facility
in Himachal Pradesh, the Freedum
e-scooter, according to Gupta, is
a vital link between the company’s
existing as well as future products.
Working towards introducing
14 new products in the current
financial year, the company is also
eyeing the electric motorcycle
market. To invade the same, Okaya
EV is said to be developing a high-
speed model with a good range
capability. Working on a range of
specialised B2B vehicles for last-
mile commercial application, the
electric two-wheeler manufacturer
is keeping tab on the technological
developments taking place in the
field of electric automobiles. To
ensure faster adoption of electric
two-wheelers, the company,
according to Gupta, is focusing on
delivering EVs as a mobility tool. It
is keen to support the creation of an
ecosystem where electric vehicles
are the most obvious choice. MT
 CARS
Ford India To Cease
Local Production
Exiting local production by shutting its two plants in India, Ford has taken to
considerably restructuring its operations.
Bhushan Mhapralkar
F
rom the Ford Ikon of 1999 to the
Ford Aspire of the current times,
Ford has been present in India
for a good three decades. Entering
the Indian market at around the same
time as Hyundai, it has enjoyed good
rapport with the Indian car-buying
public. The announcement to cease
local production and restructure its
operations therefore comes as a
bolt out of the blue. But then, it is the
truth. The American auto major has
announced that it will pull the plug
on its two manufacturing plants at
Sanand and Chennai by the middle
of the next year. The Chennai plant,
which is the older of the two, will
cease production by mid-next year,
whereas the Sanand plant will cease
production by the end of this year. The
news of Ford contemplating an exit
from the Indian market was doing the
rounds for some time. It was, however,
thought that the auto major would
once against instil ‘josh’ into its Indian
operations unlike General Motors,
14 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
which chose to wind up its business come as a surprise, has decided to
and go home. pull the plug on India as far as its
local manufacturing activities are
A sense of change was apparent
concerned. The announcement in
almost from 1st October 2019 when
India follows Ford’s exit in Brazil where
Ford and Mahindra & Mahindra
it has been present for decades.
announced a joint venture to produce
Turning its attention towards India to
SUVs, one called as the C-SUV
arrest putting good money after bad,
and the other based on Mahindra’s
Ford has accumulated operating
XUV700. Ford would hive-off its
losses of around USD 2 billion in India
manufacturing facilities to the joint
in the last 10 years. To concentrate
venture, and the two companies,
on imports (niche models like the
which first collaborated in 1996 to
Mustang and Ranger) rather than
produce the Ford Escort, would once
to produce vehicles locally, such
again roll-out at least seven products.
as the Ecosport and Endeavour,
Much time was lost by Ford Motor
the company, under the guise of
Co in India, it is clear from before the
restructuring the Indian operations,
JV announcement was done in 2019
has said that it plans to grow its
to the new Mahindra & Mahindra
Chennai-based Ford Business
management announcing that it
Solutions.
was pulling out of it in January 2021.
Continuing to provide customers
The American auto major is said to
in India with ongoing parts, service
have lost no less than three years
and warranty support, Ford is
with no plan-B to look up to. With
looking at smoothly transiting out
a solid yet ageing product portfolio
of businesses and operations that
to contend with, Ford, it does not
are consuming more and delivering

less amid new and unprecedented
challenges thrown at it in the form of
the pandemic and transition to new
forms of ‘green’ energy like electricity,
gas etc. Losing precious time by
banking on the JV with Mahindra,
which involved building multiple
vehicles together, entering into
contract manufacturing arrangement
with Mahindra & Mahindra for future
products including SUVs (one
based on the XUV500 among a few
others), Ford, apart from a USD
0.8 billion non-operating write-
down of assets in 2019, is looking
at creating a sustainably profitable
business in India. It is focusing on
growing its Ford Business Solutions
capabilities and team in the country
as well as engineering and engine
manufacturing for export.
With more than 11,000 team
members, the Ford Business
Solutions in India is planning to
provide more opportunities for
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 15
software developers, data scientists,
R&D engineers, and finance and
accounting professionals. This is
in support of the Ford+ plan to
transform and modernise Ford
globally. More than 500 employees
at the Sanand Engine plant, which
produces engines for export for
the best-selling Ranger pickup
truck, and about 100 employees
supporting parts distribution and
customer service will also continue to
support Ford’s business in India. To
begin importing and selling must-
have, iconic vehicles, including the
Mustang coupe, Ford in India will
ensure that its customers benefit in
the long term from its plan to invest
more than USD 30 billion globally to
deliver all-new hybrid and fully electric
vehicles, such as Mustang Mach-E.
Sales of current products such as
Figo, Aspire, Freestyle, EcoSport
and Endeavour will cease once
existing dealer inventories are sold.
For these models, Ford will continue
full customer support operations as
far as service, aftermarket parts and
warranty coverage are concerned.
Jim Farley, President and CEO, Ford
Motor Co, expressed, “As part of our
Ford+ plan, we are taking difficult
but necessary actions to deliver a
 CARS

sustainably profitable business for

longer term and allocate our capital
to grow and create value in the right
areas. Despite investing significantly
in India, Ford has accumulated
more than USD 2 billion of operating
losses over the past 10 years and
demand for new vehicles has been
much weaker than forecast. Ford will
continue taking care of our valued
customers in India, working closely
with Ford India’s dealers, all of whom
have supported the company for a
long time. India remains strategically
important for us and, thanks to our
growing Ford Business Solutions history in India. We are committed Taking to restructuring actions after
team, will continue to be a large and to taking care of our customers and contemplating several options,
important employee base for Ford working closely with employees, including partnerships, platform
globally.” Anurag Mehrotra, President unions, dealers and suppliers sharing, contract manufacturing with
and Managing Director, Ford India, to care for those affected by the other OEMs and the possibility of
added, “Ford has a long and proud restructuring.” selling its manufacturing plants, which
is still under consideration, Ford has
announced that it will continue to
work closely with employees, unions,
Ford Impact On Dealers suppliers, dealers, government
and other stakeholders in Chennai
and Sanand to develop a fair and

E xpressing shock over Ford’s announcement to cease production

in India, the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations
(FADA) has released a statement that the same would severely
balanced plan to mitigate the
effects of the decision. Expecting
approximately 4,000 employees to
impact almost 170 dealers across the country. These dealers get affected by the restructuring, the
have invested about INR 20 billion and employ 40,000 people. company will maintain its parts depots
Renewing its demand for the ‘Franchise Protection Act’ in the wake in Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Sanand
of the development, FADA has pointed out that Ford India recently and Kolkata and will work closely
appointed multiple dealers, who would be the most hit. Of the opinion with its dealer network to restructure
that Ford is the fifth automaker in India to cease production apart from and help facilitate their transition
many small electric vehicle makers, an industry source said that there from sales and service to parts and
was an immediate need to protect the dealers and their investments service support. Maintaining a smaller
from such shocks. He mentioned that Ford dealers currently hold network of suppliers to support
about 1,000 vehicles worth INR 1.5 billion via inventory funding from engine manufacturing for exports,
reputed banks. The dealers, he added, also have hundreds of demo the American auto major will work
vehicles. closely with other suppliers to ensure
Stating that dealers in India are not adequately compensated like a smooth wind-down of vehicle
their counterparts in Mexico, Brazil, Russia, China, Indonesia, manufacturing.
Malaysia, Japan, Italy, Australia and Sweden, among others, FADA, in
To rely on India-based suppliers for
its statement, has mentioned that it was more than necessary to roll
parts for its global products, and
out the ‘Franchisee Protection Act’ now as more and more challenges
suppliers and vendors supporting
mount. It further pointed out that a Parliamentary Panel, in its report
Ford Business Solutions, Ford in
in December 2020, had recommended that the Ministry of Heavy
India is the fifth auto major after
Industries should enact the Franchise Protection Act to help protect
MAN Trucks, General Motors, Harley
the interests of automobile dealers in the country. A Ford dealer said
Davidson and UM Motorcycles
on condition of anonymity to cease local production. Honda
that he was hoping that Cars India shut its facility in Greater
the American auto major Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The Japanese
would pull up its socks carmaker discontinued its CR-V and
and continue to operate Civic models in the country. Mehrotra
in India. He added that averred, “Despite the efforts, we have
he was shocked to hear not been able to find a sustainable
the announcement by path forward to long-term profitability
the company and is now that includes in-country vehicle
staring not just at a big manufacturing. The decision was
loss but is worried about reinforced by years of accumulated
the prospects of his losses, persistent industry
employees too. MT overcapacity and lack of expected
growth in India’s car market.” MT

16 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021

The Tata Punch
Tata Motors’ new sub-compact SUV Punch makes for an interesting automobile.
Bhushan Mhapralkar
M
easuring 3,840 mm in
length, 1,800 mm in width
and 1,635 mm in height,
the new Tata Punch was recently
unveiled. Flaunting an aggressive
starting price of INR 549,000 ex-
showroom and an ARAI certified fuel
efficiency of 18.97 kmpl (manual
transmission) and 18.82 kmpl (auto
transmission), the sub-compact
SUV is attractive in appearance. It
is powered by an 84 bhp 1.2-litre
petrol engine located transversely
at the front, and shares its ‘ALFA’
platform architecture with the Altroz.
Producing a maximum torque of
113 Nm, the engine routes power
to the front wheels through either
a 5-speed manual gearbox or an
AMT. Deploying 16-inch diameter
wheels (and attractive alloys), the
vehicle, with a 2,445 mm wheelbase,
presents good space inside. It is
cleverly packaged and capable of
seating four adults in good comfort.
Ergonomically well-sorted and
offering just the ‘right’ seating
height, the Punch comes in four
trim levels – Pure, Adventure,
Accomplished and Creative.
Flaunting a modern granite black
dashboard with glacier grey inserts
and a floating touchscreen at the
top-centre, the sub-compact SUV
employs good quality plastics.
The switches have a good tactile
feel to them. The seats (made
of premium fabric with signature
tri-arrow pattern) are comfortable
and contoured too. The rear seat
is equipped with a central armrest.
The features list consists of a leather
wrapped steering wheel and gear
shift knob, body-coloured AC vents,
ISOFIX anchor points, reverse
parking camera, auto headlamps,
rain sensing wipers, climate control,
cooled glove box, auto-fold ORVMs,
rear wipe and wash, steering
mounted control, fast USB charger,
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 17
follow me home headlamps, 7-inch
Harman infotainment system with
Android Auto and Apple Carplay,
7-inch TFT instrument console and
IRA connected car tech.
Also equipped with idle start/stop,
cruise control, ABS and EBD, corner
safety control, brake sway control,
front fog lamps with cornering
function, parametric alarm system,
projector headlamps and LED DRLs,
LED tail lamps, door cladding, wheel
arch and sill cladding, stylish roof
rails and a dual-tone colour scheme
(optional), the Punch offers good
visibility from behind the wheel.
The height adjustable seat and
tiltable steering column help attain
the ‘right’ driving position. Feeling
smooth and fairly refined to drive,
the sub-compact SUV displays
a strong mid-range pull. It also
exhibits good ride and handling. A
certain maturity reflects, though the
steering could do with some more
feel.
The higher 187 mm ground
clearance helps the vehicle to
negotiate rough terrains. Also does
the 370 mm water wading capacity.
Cleverly packaged and attractive,
the Punch impresses. Offering good
ride and handling, it feels mature.
It is an interesting automobile that
could set a new trend. MT
 CARS
Tata Tigor EV
Tata Motors has launched the Tigor EV with focus on technology, comfort and safety.
Bhushan Mhapralkar
I
t is early morning in Navi
Mumbai and the sky is overcast.
Intermittent showers are ensuring
that the roads remain wet, humidity
remains high and the wipers have
their work cut. From behind the
wheel of the new Tigor EV, the wipers
continue to do their job relentlessly.
An occasional strong gust of strong
wind does not seem to distract them
from their work. With no Internal
18 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
Combustion (IC) engine to deal with,
the pure plug-in electric car rolls
down the Palm Beach Road in near
silence. Leave for the road noise that
isn’t annoying, to say the least, the
Tigor EV is delivering a quite ride. It
is beckoning a big cultural change
with its zero-tailpipe emission. Making
electric passenger vehicle technology
accessible to a larger motoring public
at an attractive price point, according
to Tata Motors, the e-car is available
in three trim levels – XE, XM and XZ+.
With a starting price point of INR
1,199,000, which does not include
any subsidy, the Tigor EV is about
technology, comfort and safety.
Capable of benefitting from a
subsidy, subject to the revised state
policies for EVs and the Phase II
of FAME II scheme, the electric car
has 4NCAP safety rating. Based

on the conventional Tigor compact
sedan, which was introduced in
2018, the Tigor EV measures 3,993
mm in length. Qualifying for the
sub-4-metre category, which entails
certain tax benefits, the electric car
looks attractive with its unusual
notch-back appearance. Its wedge-
shaped stance gives it a good ability
to cheat the wind. Distinguishing
it from the conventional Tigor is a
‘blue’ colour theme. At the front, a
blue strip runs across the bottom
of the sleek looking head lamps
and the grille. At one corner of the
grille is the ‘EV’ lettering in blue.
The blue colour theme of the Tigor
EV is further underlined by ‘blue
triangles’ on the alloys. There’s also
‘EV’ lettering on the flanks. At the
rear too, distinguishing this car from
the conventional Tigor is the ‘EV’
lettering.
Comfortable high density water-cooled lithium-ion
battery pack (involving high 300-Volt
Inside, the cabin looks familiar. It is DC current supply) is located at the
similar to that of the conventional rear such that a portion of it is under
Tigor except for detailed changes the rear seat where the fuel tank is in
and the white and black colour the case of an IC-engine Tigor. The
scheme. Looking spacious and other portion is located under the
comfortable, the cabin is designed boot. With the spare wheel space
to seat five people. Get behind the taken up by a portion of the battery,
wheel and the driving position feels the full-size spare wheel has been
commanding as well as comfortable. relocated to the inside of the boot. It
There’s good visibility on offer. is neatly tucked to the side. Offering
Long press the start/stop switch 316-litre of boot space, the Tigor
and a completely digital instrument EV has a 2,450 mm wheelbase.
console comes to life – also does Its ground clearance is 172 mm.
the infotainment screen on the Tackling obstacles with almost the
centre console. With no engine same ease as cruising on the Palm
cranking process to comprehend
and no engine sound to confirm
that the car is ready to move, the
Tigor EV speaks a visual language
through its instrument console. It
displays the range. It displays the
charge in percentage. It displays
speed, and on the move, there’s
more of the vital info like regen etc.
that is constantly being fed to the
driver.
Sans a clutch, the starting
procedure for the e-car involves
pressing the brake pedal like in the
case of an automatic. Post that,
turning the ‘gear’ knob to ‘D’ (there’s
a sports-mode called ‘S’ too, which
turns the vehicle in a different animal
altogether) is all that it takes to get
going. A touch of the accelerator
pedal and the car almost lunges
forward. Torque (the Tigor EV does
170 Nm of peak torque) is available
right from the start. This is unique
to electric vehicles and makes
them sprightlier perhaps than the
IC engine ones. A slight push of
the accelerator pedal and the car
smartly moves ahead. Out on the
Palm Beach Road, and it smartly
picked up speed. In the absence of
any engine noise or rising revs, it is
simply the instrument console that
indicates the change in speed. If an
amount of sound insulation would
help to reduce the road noise (it is
at no point annoying or distracting),
the Tigor EV felt highly agile.
Technology
Achieving a favourable weight
distribution and low centre of
gravity, the Tigor EV has its 74 hp
continuous synchronous motor and
its associated electronics located at
the front. Open the bonnet, however,
and all that is visible is a large
plastic cover. The IP67-rated 26 kWh
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 19
 CARS
Beach Road at good
speeds, the electric car
impressed nevertheless
with its capabilities to
present a good ride.
The McPherson struts at
front and the twist beam
rear suspension did an
admirable job of tackling
rain ravaged road sections
in Navi Mumbai without a
whimper.
Offering a comfortable
and commanding driving
position, the Tigor EV felt
refined throughout the
drive. It was successful in
not letting range anxiety rear its ugly
head by indicating real-time info
about the charge and the availability
of charging stations in the region.
For the few hours spent with the
e-car, there did not arise a moment
about range anxiety despite using
the air-conditioner continuously.
The humidity made sure that the
air-con was used continuously, albeit
in the ‘eco’ mode. Depleting by 10
to 11 percent throughout the drive
(it was 99 percent at the start and
showed a 251 km range), which
involved some spirited driving on
the Palm Beach Road, stop and go
traffic in the Belapur CBD area, fairly
20 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
dense traffic flow on the Sion-Panvel
highway stretch between Belapur
and Panvel, inner roads of Khargar
and stoppages for photography, the
battery of the Tigor EV seemed to
hold the charge well.
Smart and connected
Interestingly, the functioning of an
auto air-conditioning is relayed
on the display touchscreen of
the Harman infotainment system.
In the humid weather, the air-
con felt quite effective even in
the ‘eco’ mode. So, besides
entertainment, the Harman
infotainment touchscreen head
unit is part of a larger
scheme of connectivity
as far as the Tigor EV is
concerned. It is a part
of over 30 connected
features that include
tracking, navigation,
remote diagnostics,
remote command,
charging station locator,
geo-fencing and intrusion
alert. Featuring dual
airbags, cooled glovebox,
ABS and EBD, and rear-
park assist camera, the
Tigor EV displayed good
ride and handling. It
impressed with its ability
to present electric motoring with
a strong arm of technology visible
in the form of the drive range (the
ARAI certified range is 306 km), an
ability to perform admirably (in ‘S’
mode, the e-car turns exceedingly
quick and sporty in its demeanour)
and ensure good comfort and
space. Highlighting the prospect
of taking zero-tailpipe emission
electric motoring closer to a
larger audience through attractive
pricing and without crimping
on technology, Tata Motors has
elevated the electrification game to
the next level in the passenger car
space. MT
Interview

Anand Kulkarni
Vice President – Passenger Electric
Vehicles, Tata Motors Ltd.
How is the market for electric growth rates, we see a couple of freedom from range anxiety and
vehicles looking like in India? trends emerging. Because of the reliability.
falling battery prices, the affordability
Two years ago, we did between What do you mean by a latent
of electric cars is increasing. Also,
1,700 and 1,800 vehicles. Last year, demand for a certain kind of an EV?
because the fuel prices have shot
we did 2,500 units, a 250 to 260
up by about 25 percent over the last We found out that (potential) buyers
percent jump. In the first quarter of
six to eight months, the total cost had a fear regarding the sustainability
this financial year, Tata Motors has
of ownership of electric vehicles is of the battery. There was a fear about
clocked sales of 1,750 units. The
becoming favourable. The awareness it needing a replacement. There was
market size is small, but the total
among people regarding pollution a fear about the life of the battery.
number of bookings for us have been
is rising. The condition of the There was a fear about charging
phenomenal. We are, in fact, facing a
cities is also contributing to faster infrastructure. Once we tackled all
weird challenge at the supply chain
electrification. EVs are growing at these factors, we observed that
level, which we are addressing to
a rate faster than the auto industry people were willing to consider EVs.
ensure smooth supply of electric
overall. The Nexon EV has provided We also found out that the adoption
vehicles to the market. We have to
us an insight into the latent demand rate soon climbed up. There is a big
deliver e-cars at the fastest pace.
for such a kind of an EV. The demand potential for it to climb up even further.
Look from a positive point of view,
is for a particular kind of vehicle. It is With the Nexon EV helping to tackle
and it is a good problem to have. In
about having accessibility, assurance, the factors, we found it necessary to
a small market size with very high

MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 21

 CARS
offer the market with similar choices.
This would also help get good
numbers. With one model, it is not
possible.
So, what does the Tigor EV bring to
the table?
The Tigor EV is a sedan and brings
a new body style to the market. It will
appeal to those who prefer a sedan
over an SUV. It will also provide better
accessibility in terms of the price. The
Tigor EV also offers a range that is
similar to that of the Nexon EV.
But there have been electric sedan
offerings before the Tigor, which did
not do exceedingly well.
Compared to the earlier attempts
to offer an electric sedan, the Tigor
EV offers a superior range. The
range offered by sedans earlier
was in the area of 150 to 160 km. It
could be expanding to 180 km. The
sedans offered earlier were also low
on power. They, therefore, lacked
the aspirational co-efficient. They
lacked in performance, in warranty
coverage and in peace of mind. In
fact, these were the challenges that
we had to solve when we went about
developing electric vehicles. Once the
challenges like these are addressed
and an electric vehicle is brought
within a certain accessibility price
point, it should not make a difference
regarding its shape – whether it is a
sedan or an SUV. These vehicles, on
the conventional IC engine side, have
been in the market. They are also
selling well.
Isn’t range anxiety still a factor
and also the initial acquisition cost
despite battery costs falling?
Range anxiety is something that
will need to get ‘acclimatised’ with.
Anxiety without experiencing can stay
an anxiety. The anxiety regarding
the range of an electric is something
that needs to be experienced to
understand that it may not be as
22 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
acute as made out to be. When we
developed the Nexon EV, we were
asked about it having a battery pack
that gave 100 km more. We found
out after introducing it that 95 percent
of the buyers found the range to
be sufficient for their usage. It is,
therefore, easy to explain why there
is so much demand for the Nexon
EV. It is possible to provide a higher
range on an electric vehicle. However,
what good is it if it is going to used
only once or twice in a year. It would
perhaps amount to an investment that
is not being used to its fullest. So, if
the useability factor of a majority of
electric vehicle users is going to be
addressed, and also accessibility, it
would make for an effective solution.
How would the buyers of EVs
benefit from falling battery
costs and emergence of new
technologies when one looks at the
initial acquisition cost as of current?
It would not be right to look at the
showroom price in the case of EVs
and compare them with the
conventional ones. Electric
vehicles enjoy a subsidy and
GST rebate. GST is five percent.
On conventional IC engine
vehicles, GST ranges between
28 to 40 percent or higher
depending on the nature of
the vehicle being purchased.
It would be right to look at the
on-road price in the case of an
EV. In 2010 and 2011, batteries
were at USD 1,000 a kW. Today,
they are at one-fifth that level. Battery
prices have continued to go down
except the last one and a half year,
which has been challenging on
the account of commodity prices
going up significantly. Development
of high energy density batteries is
progressing. It will also help to lower
the battery costs. With every passing
year, the total cost of ownership of
an electric vehicle reaching the same
point as a conventional IC engine
vehicle is more. The question would
be, at what level would the parity hit?
Today, one may think about offering
an EV with 200 km range. Tomorrow
that range may not address market
expectations. Then, we will have to
offer an EV with a minimum of 300
km range. To hit a parity level at 500
km range, however, will take some
time. The initial ability to use an EV
for commuting or inter-city travel is
already there. The cost of running an
EV more than pays up for its higher
initial acquisition cost in a couple
of years. The other benefits include
superior driveability, refinement,
warranty and lower maintenance cost.
Unlike conventional vehicles, how is
your service network geared up to
cater to EVs?
When we started the electrification
journey, we anticipated that this
is an area that would need to be
looked into. We engaged a bunch
of highly focused people for the job.
We imparted all the skills to them so
that they would be able to cater to
the needs of our electric car users.
An EV car does not show too many
problems, errors or failures. So, if a
part were to fail and need attention,
in the case of an EV, it would be
necessary to take it to a centralised
facility for that specialised tackling of
it. For a person attending to the EV, it
would be about replacing the faulty
part. Consider, for example, that the
IP67-rated battery develops a fault. It
is highly advanced. It will not involve
a process where it could be tinkered
with. In an unlikely event that such a
malfunction occurs, the battery pack
would be replaced. The malfunctioned
battery pack would be brought to a
centralised location for its study and to
determine what went wrong.
How challenging as well as
rewarding it is to tackle the supply
chain concerning EVs?
We have adhered to the FAME II
programme. We have localised in
a timely manner as much as we
could localise. Apart from key parts
like battery, convertor, OBC, power
distribution unit and wiring harness,
we are also localising e-motors,
compressors and other parts. In
some cases, the localisation is being
driven by our partner company,
Tata AutoComp. Localisation is also
being driven by component suppliers
like Valeo, Bosch and others. The
suppliers have shown a willingness to
invest. The challenge at this juncture
is the numbers and the investment
that goes in supporting it. Sometimes,
investment needs to be done upfront.
It is difficult to justify on the basis of
the numbers. This makes it necessary
to take a long-term or visionary call.
Tata Motors has taken the call to
pioneer the effort to build the electric
vehicle ecosystem. It has invested
ahead of the volumes. We expect
the efforts Tata Motors is taking will
help the country establish an electric
vehicle ecosystem. What we have
undertaken is a pioneering effort. MT
 COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
Six New Volvo
Trucks in India
The six new Volvo trucks in India point at changing market dynamics.
Bhushan Mhapralkar
D
elhivery announced that it
is testing and deploying the
Volvo FM 4x2 tractor head with
a 40-feet trailer in August 2020 for
its express cargo operations, and to
address delivery and cost efficiency
challenges. Since then, the logistics
major, according to Vinod Aggarwal,
Managing Director and CEO, VE
Commercial Vehicles Ltd, has come
back to it twice and thrice. “The
Delhivery Volvo trucks are doing 9,500
km every month – over 800 km per
day, and a volume of 92 to 93 cu. m.,”
he quipped. Therein lies perhaps the
secret of the introduction of six new
heavy-duty trucks on the FM/FMX
platform by Volvo Trucks India. These
will be distributed by VE Commercial
Vehicles Ltd, a joint venture of Eicher
Ltd and Sweden-based Volvo Trucks.
With a strong command over the
mining, irrigation and construction
sectors, albeit at the premium end,
Volvo Trucks India has been making
inroads into long-haul road transport
segments like express cargo too. The
24 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
Swedish commercial vehicle major is Claiming to command 85 percent of
said to have found a trick or two after the premium truck market in India,
it joined hands with express cargo Volvo Trucks India sells some 1,100
and logistics major Delhivery. trucks, according to Aggarwal.
Describing the premium truck
Of the six new BS VI models the
market to be at a nascent stage but
company has launched in India, two
fast picking up pace, he informed,
models – the FM 420 6x4 tractor
“Each Volvo truck costs over INR
and FM 420 4x2 tractor – are aimed
10 million.” With strong emphasis
at on-road application in the form
on maximum uptime, the company
of cargo carriers and pullers (for
is well aware of the shifting market
carrying over dimensional cargo).
dynamics in line with the project
The other four trucks include the FMX
deadlines, costs and the rising fuel
460 8x4 20.3 cu.m solution for mining
prices. Its order books are always full
segment; FMX 460 8x4 33 cu.m
for two to three months, according to
solution for coal transportation; FMX
B Dinakaran, Senior Vice President,
500 8x4 off-road dump truck (a new
Volvo Trucks India.
introduction) for mining application
with increased front
axle loads of 20-tonne
and a 38-tonne new
bogie axle (RAL38)
resulting in a 15
percent payload hike,
and the FM 420 8x4 23
cu.m solution for road
construction and mega
infrastructure projects.
Superior Operational
Efficiency
Stating that they are bringing world-
class innovation to reinforce their
role as the most preferred business
partner, Aggarwal said, “The six new
Volvo trucks are designed to deliver
higher operational efficiency, support
higher production and reliability in
the hands of the customer, and offer
lower TCO.” He added that the all-new
FM and FMX cabins are designed to
push the limits of productivity with a
strong focus on driver comfort and
safety. With a cab volume increase of
up to 1,000 litres (800 litres on a day
cab), the new cab range offers better
comfort and more working room.
Contributing are the A-pillars with a
lesser rake angle and thinner profile.
Better thermal and noise insulation
further enhances cabin comfort while
the larger windscreen, lowered door
lines and improved ORVMs enhance
direct visibility of the driver by 10
percent. Of the six trucks, the FMX
500 8x4 is equipped with an additional
passenger corner camera. It also has
the provision to fit four more cameras
to further enhance visibility.
Of the opinion that the new (six) trucks
will bring in some price increase,
Aggarwal said that the mining trucks
volume at Volvo did not fall during
the recent Covid-19 led disruption
despite the overall commercial vehicle
sales volume drop. “The new trucks,
we are confident, will stand up to
the demanding requirements of our
customers,” he added. Built at the
Volvo Trucks India facility at Hosakote
(Bangalore), the six new trucks are
equipped with an all-new 12-inch
driver interface that provides real-time
information regarding performance
and maintenance parameters. These
include pre-trip check and intuitive
traction display. Some select variants
also come with a supplementary
9-inch touchscreen display for
infotainment, phone connectivity,
driver guide, real-time driver behaviour
mapping, transport information and
camera monitoring. The trucks also
feature Android Auto and other third-
party apps based as an option on
customer’s application. Drivers of the
vehicle can connect their phone to the
truck using Bluetooth, making it safer
and easier to connect with the outside
world.
Safety And Comfort
Featuring an improved suspended
driver’s seat, the Volvo tippers get
a steel roof hatch as an emergency
exit. Equipped with central locking,
power windows and motorised mirror
adjustment much like those found in
a car, the six new trucks are powered
by a BS VI Volvo D13 12.8-litre six-
cylinder diesel engine. Fitted with
Volvo Dynamic Steering (VDS), an
active steering system that produces
torque overlay of
up to 25 Nm and
provides progressive
assistance as per the
need, the trucks also
come with electronic
braking system
(EBS) as standard.
As per the regulatory
requirement, the
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 25
steering system also includes a
gearbox driven 2nd power steering
pump, which helps in case the
primary circuit fails. It helps to steer
the vehicle to safety. Featuring a
downhill cruise control which sets
a maximum speed to help prevent
unwanted acceleration when
descending slopes with load and
increasing the brake life, the six new
trucks get a revised I-shift automated
transmission. There’s now a new
lever and software which includes
additional drive modes.
Equipped with an ‘I-Roll’ function
which automatically disengages
the engine when not required and
contributes towards higher fuel
efficiency, the engine management
system of the six new trucks
has seen changes. It has been
improved from Version 2.2 to
2.4 and includes several design
upgrades as well. Supported by
‘Volvo Connect’ telematics solution
that gives customers access to all
the performance parameters of the
truck in the form of one user-friendly
platform and with the convenience
of sitting at their desk, the six
new Volvo trucks come with value
additions like fleet management
services and performance-boosting
services. The two provide the
operator with positioning information
– with fuel and environmental
information, with real-time vehicle
tracking information and with real-
time driver behaviour information. All
these can help the driver improve his
driving skills and the fleet manager
to monitor driver behaviour as well
as plan the work schedule of the
trucks better.
The parameters of fleet
management services and
performance-boosting services
are also leveraged by Volvo Trucks
India to ensure that its trucks
achieve maximum uptime. For
the job, the company has set up
12 Volvo Uptime Centres in the
country. The data accumulated by
the fleet management services and
performance-boosting services is
monitored and analysed at these
centres. Schedules for preventive
maintenance as well as other works
concerning the trucks are prepared
and aligned. By increasing the
engine oil drain interval by up to
20 percent in the case of the six
new trucks, Volvo Trucks India has
further enhanced the prospects of
Uptime concerning them. MT
 COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

New
Mahindra
Furio 7
Mahindra & Mahindra Limited has launched a new lighter-
duty variant of its Furio truck platform called the Furio 7.

Bhushan Mhapralkar

I
t was in 2018 that Mahindra &
Mahindra Limited announced
the launch of its all-new ICV truck
platform called the Furio. Launched
with much fanfare at its modern
integrated manufacturing facility at
Chakan, Pune, the truck platform
highlighted a modern architecture with
efficient engines and the company’s
understanding as well as knowledge
of the Indian commercial vehicle
market. Boasting a highly modern
cabin designed by Italian design
house Pininfarina, the Furio promised
to be one of the most efficient, reliable
and driver-friendly truck ranges in the
ICV space. It drew attention because
of its cabin, which highlighted a
unique sleeper arrangement in a day
cabin, kept the cabin temperature
lower through a unique ventilation
system and offered more space
through lower rake angle of the
A-pillars. The lower rake angle of
A-pillars also promised better visibility.
Introducing the Furio 11, Furio 12,
Furio 14 and Furio 16 range of trucks
in a phased manner since 2018,
the Truck and Bus Division (MTB)
of Mahindra & Mahindra Limited
has now introduced the lighter and
compact Furio 7. It is positioned at the
higher end of the LCV segment and
comes post an amount of struggle
put up by the Indian commercial
vehicle industry, mainly due to the
economic slowdown of 2019 and the
unprecedented disruption caused
by the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020. through narrow city alleys and narrow
Backed by the twin guarantee mofussil road network dotting the
of ‘More Mileage or Truck Back’ country.
and ‘Guaranteed Resale Value’
after five years (subject to certain Disruptive proposition
conditions), Mahindra & Mahindra
The Furio 7 LCV range is available in
Limited is confident that the Furio 7
three guises – 4-tyre cargo variants
LCV range will help it to plug a vital
(with a deck length of 10.5 and 14
product gap and widen its customer
feet), 6-tyre cargo high-deck variants
base. Complementing its Jayo
(with a deck length of 10.5 and 14
range of LCVs (in the 3.5-tonne to
feet) and 6-tyre tipper variant (with a
6-tonne range) that date back to the
2.8 cu.m fully-built superstructure) –
acquisition of Allywn Nissan JV by
and is engineered to address a variety
Mahindra & Mahindra and subject
of business needs, namely in the
to much upgradation over the years,
6- to 7.5-tonne space. It is, according
the new Furio 7 LCV range comes
to Jalaj Gupta, Head – Commercial
equipped with a narrow 1.85m wide
Vehicles, Mahindra & Mahindra, a
day cabin. Reflecting the light truck’s
disruptive proposition with low TCO,
compact build, the narrow day cabin
best-in-class warranty, superior safety
is designed to aid manoeuvrability
and control. Drawing attention to the

26 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021

fact that there are already 200,000
Mahindra LCVs on the road, Gupta
mentioned, “The Furio 7 draws from
a platform that was developed over 6
years by 500 engineers and attracted
an investment of INR 6.5 billion.”
It is supported by 150 suppliers,”
he added. Equipped with ‘iMAXX’
advanced telematics, the Furio 7
LCV range, according to Gupta,
offers higher profitability, best-in-
class mileage, higher payload and a
benchmark cabin that offers optimum
comfort, convenience and safety.
Drawing from its big brother ‘Blazo
X’ the mantra of ‘mileage guarantee’,
which helped the ‘Blazo X’ HCV
truck range of Mahinda & Mahindra
to carve out a position for itself, the
Expecting robust LCV growth
Furio 7 is powered by two super-
efficient, light weight, low friction
engines – a 82 hp 2.5-litre MDi unit
and a 123 hp 3.5-litre MDi Tech unit.
Both the engines are mated to a five-
speed efficient manual transmission
unit. Aimed at inter- and intra-city
application areas like e-commerce,
vegetable, pharma, perishable
goods, poultry, construction among
various others, the Furio 7 is made
at Mahindra & Mahindra’s modern
integrated manufacturing facility at
Chakan, Pune. Targetting user profiles
such as owner-driver, single truck
owner etc., the new light-duty truck
promises up to 10 percent higher
efficiency than the competition. Of the
opinion that the Furio 7 LCV offers an
unprecedented value to the customer
through its two guarantee schemes,
Vijay Nakra, Chief Executive Officer
– Automotive Sector, Mahindra &
Mahindra Limited, said, “The truck will
set new benchmarks of excellence
and customer-centricity while
reflecting our serious commitment to
the segment and confidence in our
products.”
Price and support
Priced such that the 10.5-feet HSD
variant costs INR 1,479,000 ex-
showroom, the tipper variant costs
INR 1,682,000 ex-showroom, and the
mid-spec Furio 7 HD trim costs INR
1,518,000 ex-showroom, the Furio
7 LCV range is supported by 210
authorised service centres, 34 M-Parts
plazas and a spare parts network
of over 1,600 retail outlets. The LCV
will be marketed by Mahindra &
Mahindra Limited with a ‘select market

P ost the significant degradation of 40 and 20 percent, respectively, approach’. It will be initially launched
in the commercial vehicle space over the last two years, Mahindra in 13 states as far as the cargo range
& Mahindra Limited is confident of a strong growth rebound in almost is concerned and in 11 states as far as
all the CV segments. It is anticipating LCV growth to rebound to the the tipper is concerned. The thinking
FY2019-20 level soon. Speaking during the Furio 7 virtual launch, behind it is to gain a robust market
Nakra commented that he expects LCVs to post low double-digit share through a ‘by market, by dealer
sales, ICVs to post low single-digit sales and HCVs to post a strong and by product’ approach. Claiming
double-digit growth. On account of the infrastructural push, HCVs to have an eight percent market share
have been posting good sales for some time now. At the lighter end of in the LCV segment, the company,
the truck market, it is the demand for express cargo and e-commerce with the Furio 7, has now turned into a
that are claimed to generate an amount of pull. With tighter delivery full-range commercial vehicle player in
schedules and rising fuel costs, it is the lighter and efficient trucks that the country. It now has the Jeeto SCV
are finding good number of takers. MT at the lower end and the Blazo X HCV
at the top. MT

MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 27

 COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
Omega Seiki Unveils
M1KA Electric SCV
Engaged in the manufacture of electric 3-wheelers,
Omega Seiki has unveiled an electric SCV called M1KA
with higher payload capacity.
Motoring Trends Bureau
M
uch water has flowed
under the bridge since the
introduction of the Tata
Ace in 2015. Paving the way for
3-wheeler operators to move up
the value chain and earn better as
well as pilot a vehicle that is more
comfortable, convenient and safe,
the Tata Ace has continued to
be a dominant player in the SCV
segment, despite the emerging
competition in the form of a strong
line-up from Mahindra & Mahindra
Limited and a few other vehicle
manufacturers. Said to have been
instrumental in the development and
successful functioning of transport
apps like Porter, SCVs have led to
a significant shift in the perception
to move cargo from one part of the
city to the other, across cities, to
mofussil areas and to semi-rural and
rural areas as well in a cost-effective
manner.
28 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
The price advantage presented by
alternative fuels like CNG has led to
a demand for SCVs running on such
fuel over the years. Developments
like the Phase II of FAME II policy
by the centre, the revised EV
policies by various states and the
introduction of schemes like the
PLI scheme has triggered a shift
to electric SCVs in the last few
years, including retrofitted ones.
Engaged in the manufacture of
electric 3-wheelers, Omega Seiki
has unveiled an electric SCV called
M1KA. Touted as India’s first electric
SCV, the M1KA is an attractive
looking vehicle. It is claimed to have
been designed and engineered to
present best-in-class performance,
dependability and lower TCO. With
bookings starting from the fourth
quarter of 2021, the electric vehicle
is equipped with a light weight,
NMC-based battery of 90 kWh. The
battery provides a driving range of
250 km and takes 4 hours to charge
at a DC Fast Charging Station. The
payload of the M1KA is two tonnes
and the front suspension is made
up of six leaf springs. The rear
suspension is made up of seven leaf
springs.
Employing a superior tensile
strength chassis, the electric SCV
comes with a 10-feet loading area.
Aimed at customer segments
including owners-cum-drivers and
fleet owners, the M1KA – as a cost-
effective alternative to fossil-fuel
vehicles – is suitable for courier,
goods distribution, e-commerce
and FMCG applications among
others. Uday Narang, Founder
and Chairman, Omega Seiki
Mobility, said, “The EV market is
growing specially in the commercial
vehicle space on the basis of
cost effectiveness, sustenance
and support from the central and
the state governments.” Dr Deb
Mukherji, Managing Director,
Omega Seiki Mobility, averred, “The
emphasis is on engineering and
technology and a commitment to
provide reliable mobility solutions.
The electric SCV M1KA will further
bolster our commitment towards a
cleaner environment with the use of
our own proprietary technology. It
will offer the lowest TCO.” MT

V
E Commercial Vehicles
Limited (VECV) has
introduced a new inter-
city 12-metre front-engine based
on its 6016 R LPO chassis in two
configurations – a luxury seater and
a sleeper. Built at the erstwhile Volvo
Buses India’s facility at Hosakote,
Bangalore, the two coaches mark
the first products to come out of the
new VECV bus business vertical
formed by transferring Volvo Buses
India’s Hosakote facility and Eicher’s
Baggad (Pithampur) facility among
other assets. Seeking a mid-premium
luxury segment positioning, the two
coaches are powered by a 210 hp
Volvo 5.1-litre VEDX5 engine that
does a maximum torque of 825 Nm
@ 1,200-1,600 rpm. They are air-
conditioned and leave for their coach
work, are essentially a common bus
in mechanical terms under the flesh.
This should benefit the operator in
terms of operating costs and service
and maintenance.
Also hinting at a clever supply chain
arrangement, the two new coaches,
banking on the bus industry recovery
post the significant damage the
Covid-19-led disruption caused, are
claimed to excel in performance,
fuel efficiency, safety and comfort.
Also claimed to make a profitable
New Eicher
Inter-City Coaches
Seeking mid-premium positioning, the two new Eicher
coaches are banking on bus market recovery.
Bhushan Mhapralkar
proposition for STUs and private
operators alike, they are priced in
the region of INR 4 million. Made
from the extensive feedback the
company got from bus operators as
well as the end users, the two new
coaches, according to Akash Passey,
President, Bus Division, VECV, will
benefit from the revised taxation
structure with the arrival of ‘national
permit’ scheme. Vinod Aggarwal, MD
and CEO, VECV, expressed, “A year
ago, we announced the formation of
a Bus division within VECV with the
clear aim to shape the developments
in the Indian bus industry. Today, I
am proud to launch a new range that
synergises Eicher brand’s extensive
local presence and expertise in
value engineering with Volvo Buses
India’s competence in premium bus
segment.”
Featuring cruise control, fuel
coaching, Mbooster+ and
intelligent engine protection system,
the two new inter-city coaches
are targetting a market that in the
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 29
pre-Covid times was some 20,000
to 25,000 units strong. Offering
theatre-type saloon seating (comfy
berths in the sleeper variant),
pushback seats, LED ambience,
USB ports, reading lights, speakers,
AC louvres and an infotainment
system, the vehicles have been
designed and engineered to tap
the rising demand for high quality
buses, according to Passey. They
also mark the first milestone in the
company’s drive to offer a complete
range of market-adapted economy,
mid-premium and premium buses
across all market segments. A
perfect answer to this rapidly
evolving market’s needs, the two
new coaches, according to Passey,
are fully factory-built and viable
alternative to rail and air travel
due to their best-in-class quality,
reliability and durability.
The first batch of the two new inter-
city coaches are said to have been
bought by Bangalore-based Sharma
Transports. MT
 SKILL DEVELOPMENT

Trends: Automotive
Skill Development
Rising automation and complexities in the auto industry have made it
essential to upskill the workforce.

Team Motoring Trends

30 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021


S
ince 2006, and long
before ‘Skill India’ became
mainstream, Mercedes-Benz
India has been running a course in
mechatronics at select engineering
colleges. It is an Advanced Diploma
in Automotive Mechatronics (ADAM)
designed by the Mercedes-Benz
Global Training Centre and the
German Government. Only about
20 students are eligible to take
the course every year, and over
650 students have completed the
course until now. This includes an
all-women course, which was started
by Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan
Sanstha (MKSSS), an all-women’s
college in Pune, in association with
Mercedes-Benz as part of its CSR
initiative. Those who complete the
ADAM course are absorbed by the
automotive companies as skilled
technicians and customer service
consultants.
Reflecting the need to upskill the
workforce in the wake of rising
automation at the manufacturing
level and rising electronics onboard
vehicles, the ADAM course turned
out to be a pioneering effort by
Mercedes-Benz in India. Stating
that they constantly update the
syllabus as per the technological
developments and market
requirements, Shekhar Bhide, Vice
President – Customer Services and
Corporate Affairs, Mercedes-Benz
India, said that Covid-19 should not
interrupt the training of students and
technicians. “Keeping in mind the
current scenario, required updates
will be made to course-delivery,
and we will ensure students don’t
face any problems while taking
this course,” he added. Since its
inception in 2006, the ADAM course
has travelled far and wide. Beyond
Mercedes-Benz’s home city of Pune,
it has travelled to Karnataka as a one-
year course. The focus of the course
is on self-learning methodology.
With the course content, assemblies
and subassemblies, and even cars
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 31
being provided by Mercedes-Benz
to ensure a high-level of training
in theory as well as practical, the
ADAM course is aimed at students
who have passed their diploma
and degree courses in mechanical
engineering, production and
industrial engineering, automobile
engineering, and electrical and
electronics engineering.
Post the roll-out of the ADAM
course, many upskilling courses
have emerged in India. They are
being conducted with the support of
automobile manufacturers, industry
associations and conducted by
independent skill development and
engineering-stream institutions with
the intention to provide employable
manpower to the auto industry.
Considering the rate of attrition in
the highly competitive workspace
the Indian automotive industry is,
the need for skilled manpower is
near constant. Automakers like the
Mahindra Group are known to have
in-house training and refreshing
courses, where those who join or are
found to be lagging in their work are
engaged in courses in manufacturing
technologies and processes. A
recent development in this regard is
the announcement by Daimler India
Commercial Vehicles (DICV) of a
‘Daimler India School of Quality’. It is
designed to equip employees with a
robust quality mindset aligned with
the company’s strategic objective of
providing world class products and
services.
Enhancing core competencies
of employees across all levels to
reinforce quality as a way of life
at DICV, the ‘Quality School’ is
conducting tailor-made, certified
curriculum free-of-charge to all its
employees in an effort to upskill
them. Satyakam Arya, MD and CEO,
Daimler India Commercial Vehicles,
mentioned, “We are investing in
training to ensure a highly-skilled
talent pool for tomorrow.” “The
Daimler India School of Quality will
give our employees the right tools
and mindset needed to build the
best products and processes, in-turn
reflected in the BharatBenz vehicles
that are exported to more than 60
markets worldwide,” he added. The
programme consists of three levels
– the foundation level that covers
‘Basic Quality Tools and Methods’,
the secondary level that teaches
‘Advanced Quality Tools with Six
Sigma Approach’, and the university
 SKILL DEVELOPMENT
level that focuses on postgraduate
and research programmes – and is
designed to appeal to employees
as per their qualifications and
experience. Including modules on
quality management systems, quality
control tools, failure management
and more, the courses conducted
by the ‘Daimler India School of
Quality’ has each module combining
classroom theory with practical
application sessions and real-world
projects. These are all conducted on-
site and during working hours at the
company premises. Employees are
evaluated at each level and rewarded
with certificates and badges upon
completion.
Škoda Auto Volkswagen India
Private Limited (ŠAVWIPL) recently
called for applications to its 10th
batch of ‘Dual Training Program in
Mechatronics’ (2021). Partnering with
Indo German Chamber of Commerce
for conducting DIHK (Deutscher
Industrie-und Handelskammertag)
Dual Training Course and
Examinations, and with the National
Council for Vocational Training to
conduct the All India Trade Test and
National Apprenticeship Certificate,
the ‘Dual Training Program in
Mechatronics’, a part of the
Volkswagen Group’s global initiative
and developed along the lines of
Germany’s dual-track vocational
training programme, is targeted at
high school graduates and workers
displaced from low-skilled jobs to
upskill them for employment in the
auto sector. Selecting 16 apprentices,
the programme that has trained over
140 mechatronics professionals since
its inception in 2011 is spread across
three-and-half years. It enhances the
skills of apprentices in the area of
mechatronics engineering, including
mechanical, electrical, electronics
and information technology.
32 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
expertise in mechanics, electronics
and informatics, as well as in other
modern automation technologies,”
he added.
The mechatronics training
programme conducted by Schaeffler
India also gives students an edge
in the auto sector. As part of its
CSR activity, it is conceptualised to
improve employability of the vast
workforce and thereby create a
talent pool of employees who are
creative, skilled and have the right
attitude. Called ‘STEP’ (Schaeffler
Technical Enhancement Program),
the programme, conducted in
The training programme includes association with Don Bosco, Pune,
on-the-job work experience at and Skillsonics, Hosur, as of current,
ŠAVWIPL to enable gaining of is designed for those who have
practical knowledge and hands- completed 10th and 12th standard
on experience in areas like exams and provides skill training
production, maintenance, planning, in the fields of CNC machining and
quality assurance, and research mechatronics. Helping with 100
and development. Consisting of percent placement assistance to
classroom sessions in specialised trainees after successful completion,
trade schools including project the programme offers certificate
assignments, the programme, under NSDC. The programme’s
according to Sarma Chillara, USP is the focus on life skills and
Group Head, HR & Administration, personality development. Shantanu
Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Ghoshal, Vice President – HR and
Private Limited, is about equipping Head – CSR, Schaeffler India, said
young professionals with the that the STEP programme offers
desired skill sets to deliver in the youth a chance to earn a better
fast-changing automotive sector. livelihood and improve the quality of
“It has been designed keeping in their lives. “Over 165 students from
mind the increasing complexity Pune and over 100 students from
of production processes, which Hosur have completed their training
demand a skilled workforce with so far,” he added. MT
Mercedes Benz India and Delhi
Skill and Entrepreneurship
University collaborate
R einforcing its commitment towards skill development, Mercedes
Benz India has signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding)
with the prestigious Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University
(DSEU) to provide a one-year Advanced Diploma in Automotive
Mechatronics (ADAM) course. The ADAM course will fulfil the
requirement for superlative service in the automotive sector. It will
help aspiring engineers to train in the area of latest automotive
technology by using the most modern and world-class tools as well
as equipment. The ADAM course draws from courses of a similar
nature conducted since 2006 across government institutions in Pune,
Aurangabad, New Delhi, Noida, Trivandrum, Bangalore, Ghaziabad
and Bhubaneshwar. So far, the efforts of Mercedes Benz India in
association with various educational institutions has resulted in the
training of over 650 students in the field of mechatronics. Also, all
the students who have passed out from the programme have been
successfully placed in the industry. MT
 TECHNOLOGY
Evolving Vehicle Architecture
And The Future Of Automotive
By Harikrishna Khandavilli
T
he vehicles of today feature
connectivity, digital displays,
advanced safety and advanced
HMI technologies. As we move
towards autonomous and electric
vehicles, these features will become
more advanced and interactive,
thereby requiring more features in
the same physical space of a car.
This innovation and demand change
needs to be supported by vehicle
architecture and electronics.
Over a course of continuous
innovations and developments,
vehicles have become increasingly
sophisticated with multiple
combinations of technically advanced
components, mainly electronics. For
the integration of these components,
the E/E architecture system has
become key. Vehicle functionalities
34 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
including the management of engines,
braking systems etc. are dependent
on this system, which is an innovative
and optimised electrical/electronic
vehicle architecture that aids vehicle
performance, safety and comfort of
mobility. E/E architecture also cuts
down the weight of the vehicle.
The trend towards server-
zone architecture
E/E architecture is becoming more
prevalent in vehicle architecture
today. Instead of a complex
network of an increasing number of
electronic control units (ECUs) and
microcontrollers, E/E architecture is
a resilient server-zone architecture
that delivers all-electronic vehicle
operations as a single system.
For OEMs to successfully make these
developments, there is also a need
to determine whether the necessary
modifications can be carried out while
adapting existing E/E architectures,
or whether they must be completely
redesigned from the ground up.
With cars getting smarter and more
connected, new server architectures
are needed. The new E/E architecture
is a more complex and robust version
of the old architecture, with the
ability to handle the complexity with
which future vehicle architectures
and their ECUs – along with their
communication with each other –
must be able to cope. Along with
this, the ECU architecture also needs
rethinking. The trend is moving
towards server-zone architecture,
wherein vehicles are divided into
spatial zones with control units.
HPCs and ZCUs
Future vehicles will be dominated by
software and data, resulting in a long-
term reconfiguration of the automotive
ecosystem. High computing power
and standardised hardware, i.e.
HPC, would be required to make the
improvements. Both its processing
power and storage capacity are
designed to enable new data and
service-based business models.
HPC enables optimisation of the
E/E architecture as well as constant
upgradation of features throughout
the lifespan of the vehicle. Another
future trend is to integrate multiple
powerful but cross-domain HPCs
in a vehicle to transfer functions
from one server to another, thus
increasing design flexibility as well
as redundancy and reliability of
electronic functions.
The HPC family comprises
four application areas, namely
Autonomous Driving (AD) HPC,
which performs ADAS perception,
human vision, driving and parking
functions; Safety & Motion HPC,
which, as the name suggests,
performs vehicle motion and safety
functions; the Body HPC, which acts
as the high-performance gateway
for all connected services, over-the-
air master for function updates and
cybersecurity functions; and the
Cockpit HPC, which facilitates user
interaction.
HPCs are crucial for the automotive
transformation towards autonomous
driving. For example, the cross-
domain solution of the Cockpit
HPC has all displays and operating
elements in the vehicle merging into a
holistic user interface. This means that
content can be shown regardless of
display limits and also be individually
arranged by the user. It is therefore
ensured, in potentially critical
situations, that only the information
that is needed at the respective
moment is displayed as a priority.
The shift of the E/E architecture
from several ECUs to an HPC
server infrastructure is aided by the
development of a new intermediate
layer with zone control units. Zone
Control Units (ZCUs) can be used
to upgrade existing E/E architecture
systems by reducing the number
of ECUs and the weight of the
wiring harness. High-performance
computers are connected to sensors
or actuators via ZCUs. As a result,
each ZCU in a zone integrates
activities from several domains
and serves as the hub for power
distribution and data connection
needs for linked devices.
Outlook
Customer experience is driving
the shift in vehicle architecture,
with software serving as a crucial
differentiator. To keep up with
consumer expectations, more
and more software is being used
in vehicles. The transition from
distributed electric control units
to server-based architectures in
automotive electronics involves
a lot more than just a technical
advancement. Products, work and
development processes, as well as
business models, are all undergoing
significant changes. The goal is to
develop a hardware and software
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 35
platform that can be used to deliver
functionality across a wide variety
of vehicle domains, from safety
to entertainment, in order to give
automakers the most flexibility and
modularity when creating vehicle
architectures.
As the vehicle architecture is evolving,
V2X and cloud integration are gaining
more prominence due to the faster-
than-ever-time-to-market, integration
of third-party software and increased
security concerns. This evolution is a
result of decoupling hardware from
software and services, centralising
processing power and connecting
everything with the cloud and IoT
while standardising platforms and
interfaces. Modular frameworks like
CAEdge can be extremely helpful in
this. It sets the basis for the cross-
domain high-performance computers
and provides the customers with a
platform approach to update, optimise
and reuse software, thereby minimising
time-to-market as well as cost.
In the future, users will be able to
access desired functionalities through
software updates throughout the
vehicle’s service life. The development
environment for software-intensive
vehicle architectures provides the
foundation for this, allowing software,
sensor and big data solutions to be
implemented in a fraction of the time
previously required. In what could be
termed as future-proofing functionality,
less time is required to design, test
and validate vehicle architecture.
Conclusion:
With the industry moving towards
the megatrends (connectivity,
electrification and autonomous
driving), the entire vehicle architecture
would require a rehaul. HPCs and
ZCUs will play a critical role in
enabling connected mobility and
assisted driving features. However,
the development of vehicle electronics
from distributed electric control units
to server-based architectures involves
much more than technical evolution.
Platforms like CAEdge will play an
important role in creating a consistent
connection of vehicle functions
and services to the cloud and an
integrated development environment.
Furthermore, it will create the basis
for cross-domain high-performance
computing. MT
The author is Location and R&D Head,
Connected Car and Networking (CCN)
business unit & Vehicle Networking and
Information (VNI) Central Engineering,
Continental Automotive India.
 COMPONENTS
L To Invest In
ucas TVS Ltd (Lucas TVS)
has joined hands with 24M
Technologies, Inc, which
specialises in the development
of next generation lithium-ion
battery technologies, to construct
a gigafactory in India to use 24M’s
innovative and disruptive ‘SemiSolid’
platform technology. Touted as
the one with world-class safety
standards, the plant will be set up in
Thervoy Kandigai, Gummudipundi
near Chennai. The arrangement,
according to N S Bhawani Shankar,
Vice President, Lucas TVS, will see
24M supporting technology transfer
to his company. In addition, 24M
will also help Lucas TVS to set up
the gigafactory in India apart from
giving it complete access to all the
technology developments at 24M in
the future. Expecting to build other
plants throughout India to support
the growing energy storage, electric
mobility and lead acid battery
replacement markets, Lucas TVS is
working towards the second half of
2023 to commission the gigafactory
near Chennai. As per the aggressive
targets set by the Government of
India in the renewable energy and
electric mobility space, the company
is keen to grow the capacity of the
plant to a globally competitive scale
of 10 GWh in two stages.
Stating that Lucas TVS will invest
and set up the factories for
manufacture besides taking the
product technology to the markets,
Bhawani Shankar mentioned, “The
products made at the new factory
will be marketed under the Lucas
TVS brand.” With 24M’s ‘SemiSolid’
platform technology claimed to offer
significant benefits as compared
to conventional manufacturing
processes, the chances of its
success are high because of the
significant cost advantages it will
present. Protected by more than 80
issued and 100 pending patents, the
process also offers a significantly
simpler process flow. This enables
substantial reduction in capital
costs. The platform technology is
also known to enable the production
of a thicker electrode, increase
energy density and reduce materials
costs. 24M’s patented cell design
is said to not just enhance safety,
reliability and traceability but also
36 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
Lucas TVS
Gigafactory
Lucas TVS is planning to invest in a gigafactory
to manufacture innovative and disruptive
‘SemiSolid’ battery technology in India.
Bhushan Mhapralkar
virtually eliminate potential metal
contamination. Metal contamination
is a common cause of shorts in
conventional lithium-ion cells.
Revealing that the ‘SemiSolid’
electrodes use no binder, Bhawani
Shankar averred that the electrolyte
mixes with active materials to form a
clay-like unique slurry, which allows
the creation of thick electrodes with
less volume, mass and cost. “The
manufacturing process involved is
also simpler,” he added. Explaining
that the ‘SemiSolid’ electrodes
and unit cell construction offer the
industry excellent abuse tolerance
while virtually eliminating the
possibility of metal contamination,
Bhawani Shankar said, “Binder-
free electrodes eliminate the need
N S Bhawani Shankar
for hydro or pyro metallurgical
processes for battery recycling. This
allows direct in-plant reuse of active
materials and end-of-life recycling.”
“The manufacturing platform
supports all type of chemistries like
LFP, NMC, NCA etc. It also supports
next generation cell chemistries and
technologies like lithium-sulphur,
silicon-electrodes, dual electrolyte
system etc.,” he added.
Eliminating the need to use binders,
thereby enabling the simplest and
most efficient recycling of rejected
or end-of-life cells, the ‘SemiSolid’
technology platform, according
to Bhawani Shankar, makes it a
preferred choice for demanding
customers in critical areas such as
energy storage and electric mobility.
The unique ‘SemiSolid’ platform
offers innovative solutions to the
fast-growing storage and electric
mobility markets and the emerging
lead acid battery replacement
markets. It is already seeing large
capacities being planned globally
in Japan, ASEAN, Europe, East
Asia and the US. “Unlike the
standard lithium-ion process and
product, the semi-solid (‘SemiSolid’
is the product name of 24M) cell
manufacturing process gives a
low-cost, high-energy density. It also
results in extremely safe and reliable
lithium-ion cells,” explained Bhawani
Shankar.
Poised to be the first to introduce
‘SemiSolid’ lithium-ion batteries
in association with 24M that are
produced in India and specifically
designed for the Indian market,

Lucas TVS is at the cusp of
starting an interesting journey into
advanced electro-mobility. Its push
for innovative and safe lithium-ion
battery packs will help lower the
dependence on imports by the
government. It will also reflect on
efforts of government PSUs like
Indian Oil Corporation Limited to
collaborate with a specialist to
locally manufacture aluminium-
ion battery cells. With an eye on
deeper localisation, Lucas TVS is
planning to build products using
different chemistries, in Pouch and
Prismatic cell formats, with high
energy density. The products will
meet customer needs in e-mobility,
stationary energy storage, including
grid-scale markets, and lead acid
battery replacement. Offering
complete battery solutions to
customers who need them, Lucas
TVS will get the products to cater to
both mobility and stationary storage
applications, said Bhawani Shankar.
“Lucas TVS believes in investing in
the next-generation technologies,
which is why we chose to partner
with 24M. We are confident that
their innovative ‘SemiSolid’ platform
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 37
technology will enable us to
provide our customers affordable
e-mobility, lead acid battery
replacement and storage solutions
with improved quality and best-in-
class safety,” expressed T K Balaji,
Chairman and Managing Director,
Lucas TVS. Naoki Ota, Chief
Executive Officer, 24M, mentioned,
“We are delighted to partner with a
market leader like Lucas TVS with
an over 60-year-old track record of
performance as a leading provider
of electromagnetic solutions to the
mobility market. Our innovative
‘SemiSolid’ technology and
ongoing R&D investments will
support Lucas TVS’ ambition to
become a leader in the energy
storage space for mobility, lead
acid battery replacement, storage
and grid scale markets in India.”
Specialising in electrical and
mechatronic components for
automotive, EV, industrial and
consumer industries, Lucas-TVS
Group, with a turnover of over INR
35 billion, has been commanding
a majority market share of
automotive components like starter
motors, alternators, automotive
motors, EV traction motors,
BLDC motors for consumer and
industrial applications for the last
six decades. It is commanding a
strong market position in the area
of controllers and sensors. It has
been at the forefront of introducing
high-technology products to meet
the demanding needs of the fast-
growing auto industry in India,
including several components
required by the electric mobility
industry. MT
 COVER STORY
Promising Indian
Automotive
Aftermarket
The Indian automotive aftermarket is looking promising with the
participation of players from the organised side.
Bhushan Mhapralkar
A
packet of oil and diesel filter
promptly arrived within 15
days of being ordered over
an automotive aftermarket online
platform, Boodmo.com. Similarly,
a 4-litre can of engine oil was
promptly delivered at the doorstep
within a couple of days of being
ordered over e-commerce platform
Amazon.com. Ushering a different
experience from scouting the local
automotive spare parts market,
the sourcing of automobile service
parts like filters, wipers, switches,
injectors, oils etc. over the internet
is signalling a significant change
in the way the Indian automotive
38 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
aftermarket has come to operate.
With digitisation making inroads
into the automotive aftermarket as
well, it is the online platforms like
99rpm.com (for spares) that are
enabling transactions at the click
of a computer mouse. Parts that
were near impossible to source in
the local spare parts market are
now within reach. When it comes
to service, digital savvy chains like
GoMechanic.in and Autoflipz.com
have emerged as an alternative to
the high costs and questionable
satisfaction delivered by authorised
service centres.
Drawing attention to the fact that the
Indian automotive aftermarket had
clocked a revenue of approximately
USD 14.2 billion in 2017, which
was roughly 8 percent of the total
Asia Pacific automotive aftermarket
industry revenue, an industry source
mentioned that the Covid-19-led
disruption is said to be a blessing
in disguise such that motorists are
keen to keep their existing vehicles
for long and, therefore, willing to
spend more on their upkeep. This,
he said, is proving to be a saviour
for independent workshops as the
hunt for lower servicing costs is
MOTORING
MOTORINGTRENDS
TRENDS||NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021||39
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER2021 39
 COVER STORY
driving motorists to them. While
the owners and users of budget
automobiles are keen to take the
risk of availing the services of private
garages that look well-equipped,
those of premium vehicles,
including two-wheelers, are sticking
to authorised service centres for
their needs. Driving the authorised
service centres is the rising share
of electronics onboard new BSVI
vehicles. In the case of commercial
vehicles, the considerable
electronic content onboard trucks
and buses is ensuring that single
vehicle operators as well as fleets
are entering into annual monthly
contracts with manufacturers to
ensure maximum uptime.
Unique Indian automotive
aftermarket
Harpreet Singh, Founder, Autoflipz.
com, said, “The Indian automotive
aftermarket is made unique by
the fact that vehicle owners and
operators look at lowering their
servicing costs once the vehicle
is out of warranty, and also the
vehicles are owned for a longer
span than in many other countries.”
Of the opinion that an amount of
disruption is underway in the Indian
automotive aftermarket space
much like in the US or China, where
enterprises like Autozone and Tuhu
have been at the forefront of causing
it, Singh mentioned that there is a
big potential for aftermarket brands
40 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
that provide quality, durability and auto components industry among
are worthy of being trusted. “An others, is the need of the time.
ability to bridge the gap between
roadside repair shops that are hard Quality and authenticity
to trust and high-cost authorised
Pointing at the efforts of the
service centres that may not always
Indian Government to encourage
provide satisfactory service can
a robust local supply chain with
work wonders,” he added.
measures like ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’,
With the ownership span of the industry source informed
vehicles expected to rise in the that challenges like the need to
post pandemic period in India channelise a highly fragmented
due to reasons like frequent price market through digitisation and
increase by automakers, rising fuel the building of aftermarket brands
costs, falling purchasing power and that are recognised and trusted for
rising taxes, the Indian automotive quality and authenticity need to be
aftermarket is expected to get a tackled foremost. Apart from the
big boost. It is players that provide need to differentiate on the basis
high quality service or OEM quality of quality and price, the Indian
spares of brands like Purolator, automotive aftermarket companies
Lucas-TVS, Mando, Exide, Amaron,
Philips, Hella etc. that are expected
to witness good traction and growth.
With the participation of giant
e-commerce players like Amazon,
the scene is fast changing in India,
especially for those vehicle owners
and operators who are looking for
cost competitive yet quality spares
and consumables. Stating that it will
take a lot of effort by independent
automotive aftermarket players
to convert quality conscious
vehicle owners and users to look
at them rather than the authorised
service centres for spares as well
as service, the industry source
explained that a stable policy
and regulatory regime, with a
singular benign GST rate for the
need to shift from being product-
based entities to utility-based
entities, averred Singh. An increase
in the use of personal vehicles in
India in the post Covid-19 era may
spell good news for the automotive
aftermarket; it is, however, also
capable of throwing challenges on
the health front as well as in terms
of the need to pump more working
capital and stock more inventory
to ensure minimum downtime. The
expected increase in the sales of
used vehicles is also likely to put
more pressure on the automotive
aftermarket, and in the process,
call for quality spares and service
needs of models that have been
discontinued or have sold in less
numbers.
The stress for support from
independent workshops and spare
parts providers is also expected
to be fuelled by the rise in ride
hailing services like Uber and
Ola, which promise the necessary
hygiene standards and safety.
The rising reluctance for physical
contact when it comes to sourcing
of spares and availing service
is an opportunity that the Indian
automotive aftermarket should tap
to build an image of quality and
authenticity, said an industry source
leading the aftermarket portfolio at
a leading supplier on the condition
of not revealing his identity. A
considerable rise in contactless
service is expected in the Indian
automotive aftermarket space over
time; a strong growth opportunity
awaits those players who could take
advantage and invest. Asset-light
servicing will be the order of the day,
quipped Singh. It will be based on
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 41
the use of modern tools such as IoT
and AI, he informed.
Digitisation, AI and IoT
With the use of IoT and AI, the new-
age spare parts and aftermarket
service providers – especially with
an online presence to boast of –
will be able to extend personalised
experience to their customers.
This will in turn influence customer
satisfaction as well. It will also
help to build loyalty and trust. If
incidences like Covid-19 pandemic-
led lockdowns and reduced use
of vehicles in 2020 resulted in
delayed maintenance, in 2021,
motorists are increasingly turning to
service centres and using reputed
independent workshops as well
as spare parts channels to carry
out the service and maintenance
of their vehicles. The effort to
create awareness among such
motorists by automotive aftermarket
players, including legacy auto
parts manufacturers like the Anand
Group of companies, TVS Group of
companies, Schaeffler, KBX, Gates
Unitta, Sundram Fasteners, Tata
Auto Component Systems, Minda,
3M, Continental, Delphi Automotive,
Denso, Federal-Mogul, Magneti
Marelli, ZF, Bosch etc. is leading to
them demanding branded quality
replacement parts for their vehicles.
With the automotive aftermarket
broadly categorised under
sections like wear-and-tear parts,
crash-relevant parts, accessories
and appearance, products,
diagnostics products, services
(fleet management) etc., the
growth prospects across all the
sections are starting to look good
as the economy comes out of the
shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Singh said that many automotive
 COVER STORY
companies are beginning to look at
aftermarket as another significant
source of revenue with rising
digitisation. An industry source
mentioned that until a few years
ago, Ashok Leyland seemed content
in selling their commercial vehicles.
Then it realised that an amount of
revenue was possible to be made by
tapping a large curve of the after-
sales (in the area of service and
spares), by digitising it and through
the development of connected
vehicle technology. Doing this
has presented the commercial
vehicle major an opportunity to
tap additional revenue that it was
otherwise overlooking in terms of the
entire lifecycle curve of the vehicle
ownership that it has produced,
informed the source.
OEMs eye the aftermarket
Instances like that of Ashok Leyland
present an insight about how vehicle
manufacturers are also turning to
grabbing a pie of the aftermarket
revenue concerning vehicles that
they have produced. This may be
born out of the thinking that vehicle
owners have begun keeping their
42 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
vehicles for longer periods, the
number of vehicle buyers is falling
and the quest for lower cost of
ownership is driving independent
players to enter by leveraging
digitisation, AI and IoT. The OEMs
are coming to realise that by
investing in spares channels or apps
like Leykart from Ashok Leyland
and MGP from Maruti Suzuki that
is found on the internet as well as
off it, there is additional revenue
to be made beyond what is being
made from producing and selling
an automobile. For vehicle owners
in search of genuine spares, such
initiatives by OEMs are proving
advantageous and worthy of peace
of mind. like Bosch, Kicker, Audison, Godrej,
Marvin, Nertz, Dyna Quest, Alpine,
Aftermarket automotive Convex, JBL, Koyas, Minda, Pricol,
accessories Geers, Aviston, Active Total Security
Systems, Ovion, Pioneer, Ryder,
The sudden upsurge and Kenwood, Latex Auto Industries,
development of modern vehicles Panasonic, Worldtech, Saddle,
may have severely impacted Stanley, Lumax etc. It is supported
the business of car accessories by numerous organised and smaller
aftermarket, but it has not killed it players like Ajanta, for example,
altogether. Estimated to be USD which has a good command over
2 billion strong, the automotive the roof carrier segment. There’s
accessories market in India is also the participation of almost
supported by organised players all the OEMs who promote their
vehicle accessories like seat
covers, vehicle body covers, floor
mats, alloy wheels etc. through
their dealers and even online.
The clear intention in the case
of automotive accessories is to
upgrade, personalise or customise a
vehicle. The changing trends in the
area of accessories are dictated by
the fluid market requirements and
technological changes. The players
in this field offer varying degree of
product innovation, technological
advancement and quality.
Experiencing a number of up trends
and down trends over the last few
years, the automotive accessories
market in India has also experienced
a change with the arrival of online

convenience and to ensure comfort. embellishments, stickers, reverse

A conversation with few automotive
accessory retailers in Sion Koliwada,
Mumbai revealed that the most
sought-after accessories by
2-wheeler users include powerful
headlamp bulbs, LED bulbs, stylish
turn indicator assemblies, guards,
polishes, aerosol paints, stickers,
seat cushions and covers, phone
stands, rear view mirrors and more.
In the case of 4-wheeler users,
the most sought-after accessories
include audio head units, speakers,
amplifiers, LED and projector
headlamps, seat covers, floor mats,
wheel covers, alloy wheels, tyres,
central locking systems, chrome
sensors and cameras and more.
Those investing in these accessories
expect them to make their
vehicles look personalised, trendy,
convenient, safe, comfortable and
secure. An automotive accessories
retailer mentioned that the reverse
sensors and cameras he offers
help to enhance safety. A retailer
of vehicle locking systems echoed
his sentiment. He added that
OEMs charge hefty sums for their
top-trim models, which is not
always convenient and affordable.
Vehicle buyers prefer to go for
lower-trim versions and they invest
in upgrading them by installing
accessories of their choice. MT

platforms like Auto Furnish. The

online platform has been working
in a synchronised manner in order
to bring stability and wider access
to the best chain of accessories
online as well as offline. With the
Indian vehicle owner/user said to
spend about three to four percent
of the vehicle value on accessories,
the desire to invest in them is to
ensure a trendy look, to ensure

MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 43

 COVER STORY

Aftermarket Accessories
And Modifications
Aftermarket accessories and modifications have come of age with the
rise in Indian auto parc.

Nithin Ramkumar

A
n Isuzu V-Cross 4x4 pick-up
truck attracted the wrath of
the Kerala Motor Vehicle
Department (MVD) recently. The
owner of the vehicle was fined a
hefty amount and told to present
the vehicle for road worthiness test
after converting it back to its original
state. The owner of the vehicle, claim
sources, sourced and fitted quality
aftermarket accessories like ‘lift’ air-
suspension kit, winch, bull bar, light
bar, off-roading tyres etc. from foreign
suppliers like ARC. The incident has
led to a debate about why certain
accessories and modifications that
are deemed legal in some of the more
advanced automotive markets of UK,
USA, Japan and Australia are deemed
as illegal here.
If the significant change in the
appearance of the V-Cross grabbed
attention of enthusiasts and officials
alike, an industry source mentioned
that a large grey area exists in terms
of what is legal and what is illegal.
There have been examples of
aftermarket producers of alloy wheels
in the country taking a type approval
from ARAI and similar such institutions
authorised to carry out the task
and using the certificate to market
another design and variety of alloy
wheels. Highlighting a different
side of the Indian automotive
aftermarket, he informed that the
world of accessories and mods
(short from for modifications) is
interesting as well as intimidating
considering what is deemed
legal in one region or state will be
deemed illegal in another. What
is fearsome is the influence of
social media and various online
platforms concerning the fitting
of automotive accessories and
carrying out vehicle modifications. A also given lectures and conducted
YouTube channel with thousands of webinars on the subject in order
followers, for example, put a video to create awareness and educate
clip showcasing the caravan they budding enthusiasts, Azrif said,
travelled in. They also showed that “Authorities should grant motoring
their vehicle was detained by the enthusiasts the basic right of freedom
local MVD for illegal modification.
The video clip raged a debate among
auto enthusiasts and motorists on the
lines of two distinct moral dialogues.
One, the misuse of social media,
and the other, the legality of vehicle
modification in the country.
The thin line
Personalising vehicles to achieve
better comfort, convenience and
safety is prevalent the world over.
The thin line between what is ‘legal’
and ‘illegal’, however, is unsettling,
especially in the wake of the ‘right to
repair’ gaining momentum across
motoring masses. Azrif, a motoring
enthusiast and workshop owner from
Kerala, expressed that there is a need
to bunk the myth that aftermarket
components jeopardise the safety
of a vehicle. He claimed that he has
extensively worked on the creation of
a database on worldwide modification
laws and aftermarket components
to scientifically prove their safety
and reliability. Informing that he has

44 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021


of expression. The laws on vehicle
modification in the country are, even
formally, confusing.”
Of the opinion that even the motor
vehicle inspectors are not sure
about the extent of parts of the world, Azrif drew attention
the legality of certain to the several high-performance
modifications, Azrif variants of conventional vehicles
averred, “It has been being sold.
made legal to install
a tyre chain in the Accessories and
snowy mountain recreational vehicles
roads of Himachal
Pradesh and to carry Drawing attention to fitting of
out pedal and steering accessories like infotainment systems,
wheel modification for reverse sensors and cameras, seat
differently-abled drivers covers, mud flaps, floor mats, alloy
whereupon there is wheels, tyres, stickers (including
no clear definition of reflective ones), anti-theft locks,
these modifications GPS units etc. at the dealership or
in terms of the law.” accessory-shop level to enhance the
Stressing on the need appearance of the vehicle, to achieve
for a detailed ‘book better convenience and even higher
of rules’ for motoring safety, an industry source suggested
enthusiasts to refer to that a thorough scientific evaluation
in the case of fitting is necessary as to how accessories
of accessories or are legal and how a suspension
to modify a vehicle ‘lift’ kit on a 4x4 pickup or a set of
without violating the auxiliary lamps that enhance safety
laws, Azrif said that on a poorly lit road are illegal. Even
the power of MVD the subject like building a recreational
seems to be restricted vehicle (RV) or a caravan should be
to enforcing the laws scientifically evaluated. A few who
set up by the transport have tried building one, he added,
commission. This, he have faced challenges. Many have
added, he found out simply given up, he quipped.
after approaching the Unlike markets like US, Japan and
MVD in the incipient Europe, where the RV culture is well-
stages of his research. Claiming to entrenched and specialist companies
have compiled his findings to submit build them, in India there do not seem
a report to the transport commission to be such coach builders other than
with the support of motoring DC Design and Pinnacle Industries.
enthusiasts and experts in various Also, if there are any others who are
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 45
 COVER STORY
approved by ARAI as vendors to
do the job, is a matter of research.
Some enthusiasts who approached
the MVD with an intention to build an
RV were told that their vehicle will be
registered as a vanity van with the
permission to carry two people plus
driver. Faced with such a situation,
one RV enthusiast registered his RV
in another state, which gave him the
permission to carry seven people plus
driver. The lack of clarity regarding
RVs is restricting a tourism bloom in
the country, said an industry source.
He informed that Kerala has recently
announced a comprehensive tourism
policy.
Drawing attention to ARAI’s AIS 124
document, which states the procedure
for type approval and certification of
motor caravans for compliance to
CMVR, an RV enthusiast from Mumbai
said that it is necessary to understand
that a whole new industry is waiting
to emerge. Apart from specialist RV
builders to RV parks, there is immense
tourism opportunity to be exploited,
especially at places where a good
accommodation may not be available
or is in limited numbers. Touching on
the concerns of safety that could be
addressed by encouraging fenced
and guarded motorhome parks like
there are in the US and Europe, he
explained that a clear policy mandate
across states and at the central
level will do wonders for the nation’s
economy.
Changes in the making?
On the condition of anonymity, a
motor vehicle inspector claimed that
big changes regarding modifications
46 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
using aftermarket parts and
accessories are in the pipeline. They,
like the ‘BH’ vehicle number series,
could be announced any time, he
informed. Such an announcement
by the Ministry of Road Transport will
be welcome. It will do well to help
motorists to opt for accessories and
carry out modifications that do not
violate the laws. It will do well to help
travellers and enthusiasts to build
RVs and for specialist companies
to build them within the framework
of the laws. While work is said to be
in the pipeline concerning scientific
testing to determine the safety and
legality of some of the popular
modifications carried out by motorists,
such as the fitment of auxiliary lights,
bull bars, winches and aftermarket
alloys, the subject of RVs is likely to
have far reaching consequences in
terms of employment and tourism
promotion. Especially when there
have been rising instances of certain
modifications or an RV being termed
as illegal in one state and legal in
another! With the task of weeding
out illegal modifications left to the
patrolling officers, a clear policy
document and rulebook is absolutely
necessary.
An avid off-roader and rallying
enthusiast, George (name changed
for anonymity) revealed that
competition-worthy vehicles are
understandably illegal to drive on the
public roads. So, is not the fitment of
aftermarket accessories like snorkels,
bull bars, winches, auxiliary lights,
tyres etc. illegal? He complained
that just months after the off-roading
vehicles community whole-heartily
contributed to the search and rescue
efforts of the government after a
major flood affected the region in
2018, they and their vehicles are now
being subjected to much scrutiny for
illegal modifications, with hefty fines
imposed. The feeling is that of having
been let down. “If this is not hypocrisy,
then what is?” quipped George.
A professional bike racer and social
media influencer was fined for fitting
his KTM bike with KTM PowerParts,
which are listed on the company’s
global site. These parts are offered
to KTM bike owners in markets like
German and UK where the rules
and their execution is among the
strictest in the world. In UK, a change
of exhaust system or alloy wheels is
subject to a well-defined rulebook
even at the authorised dealership
level. The struggle for motoring
enthusiasts continues as the MVD and
authorities deem a certain change
legal in one state or one district and
illegal in another state or district. If
such instances are to come in the
way of enthusiasts who work with the
very authorities or the government
that employs them to save lives or
to promote activities like tourism that
provides higher employment, it would
be quite unfortunate. MT
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June 09-10 2022, Chennai, India

Rajiv Budharaja Martin Bezak Tiziano Pancher

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 COVER STORY
Lumax To Distribute
Alpine Products In India
Lumax and Alps Alpine Co Ltd have entered into an agreement for the former to
distribute Alpine products in India.
Venkatesh Koushik
T
he automotive speaker market
size exceeded USD 4.5 billion
in 2020 and is expected to
grow at over 6.5 percent CAGR
between 2021 and 2027. Driving the
industry growth at the OEM level and
aftermarket level is the increasing
adoption of in-car infotainment
systems for internet-based content
such as podcasts, internet radio and
music. To address the increasing
adoption of in-car infotainment and
entertainment systems, albeit at the
aftermarket level for those motorists
who are looking for a premium
sound and user experience, Lumax,
a DK Jain Group company, and
Alps Alpine Co Ltd (Alp Alpine) have
entered into an alliance agreement
to promote the premium car audio
range of the latter under the Alpine
brand in India.
48 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
Lumax, a leading automotive
supplier in India in the area of lighting
systems and gear shift mechanisms,
will market Alpine products as an
alliance partner. It will leverage its
strong market understanding and
a robust sales network to expand
the outreach of the Alpine products
across the country. Confident of
capturing 30 percent market share
of the organised aftermarket side,
which is estimated to be USD 80
million strong, Lumax, according to
Group CEO Vineet Sahni, will further
elevate the strong brand loyalty of
Alpine products, including speakers,
amplifiers and sub-woofers. Drawing
attention to Lumax establishing nine
partnerships with leading global
automotive companies having 15
entities in 31 locations across India,
Sahni explained, “Audio is now
intrinsic to the in-car experience
and we are excited to present to
the Indian customer the world-class
offerings from Alpine. The robust
range of products will cater to diverse
customer segments looking for
exceptional quality and experience.”
Mizuki Kanai, Senior Manager, Alpine
Asia Brand Business, averred, “A
total car-life solution brand based
on premium sound, Alpine products
offer customisation, connectivity,
communication and the sound of
music. They are backed by superior
technology and relentless R&D.”
As an alliance partner with deep
knowledge of the Indian auto market,
Lumax will set up a marketing and
distribution network for Alpine
products in the country. This will
include over 300 distributors – 35
exclusive ones and 20 premium
ones. Drawing attention to the launch
of Alpine India website in India on
the occasion, Kanai said that it

would help customers understand
its products and reach out to the
dealers to purchase them. Providing
an insight into the premium range
of infotainment/entertainment
solutions that will be offered in the
Indian aftermarket, including High-
Resolution (Hi-Res) head units,
Digital Sound Processors (DSP),
display audios, amplifiers, speakers
and sub-woofers, Kanai said, “Having
served customers around 100
countries, we are today presenting
the premium range of Alpine in-
vehicle infotainment to Indian music
lovers with an intention to extend
best-in-class acoustic experience.”
Display Audios
Lumax and Alps Alpine have
introduced the iLX-F2611E/ iLX-
F2611E Halo11 as 11-inch display
audio units. They have also
introduced the 9-inch iLX-F269E/
iLX-F269E Halo9 and the 7-inch
iLX-W660E model. The 11-inch and
9-inch models feature a floating
screen display which allows the
highest degree of flexibility during
setup. The 7-inch model is an in-
dash unit.
Feature wise, all the display audio
units are equipped with Android
Auto/ Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth,
HDMI (11-inch and 9-inch) and
RCA support (7-inch only). They
are also equipped with over-the-air
audio streaming feature through
applications like Spotify. All the
audio models offer time correction,
parametric EQ and fader/balance
control to help customers achieve the
most authentic sound experience.
Hi-Res Head Units
The UTX-M08 and UTX-A09 Hi-Res
head units are targetted at users
who wish to retain factory wiring
and factory display units while
adding additional display units for
total-car entertainment. Compact
in size, these units are mainly used
for rear seat entertainment. Capable
of being used in tandem with other
Alpine accessories, the Hi-Res head
units also offer the highest level of
versatility. Supporting optical and
co-axial outputs along with input for
phone and USB, the units support
various audio file formats like M4A,
MP3, AAC, WMA and DSD (only
UT-M08).
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 49
Digital Sound Processors
The PXE-R600 (8-channel) and
PXE-0850X DSPs are equipped
with built-in amplifiers along with
Bluetooth modules for wirelessly
sound tuning the system. They use
unique audio processor parts to
provide a complete premium sound
experience.
Speakers
The car audio speakers portfolio of
Alpine includes the S-series, R-Series
an X-Series. Also including bass tube
sub-woofers, the speaker range is
offered in the form of components
and co-axials. The pricing for the
speakers starts at INR 8,499 for the
S-series model and extends up to
INR 43,749 for the top-of-the-line
X-series model. Users could pair
their S, R and X-series of speakers
with a 5-channel, 4-channel or a
mono amplifier. The Alpine amplifier
starts at INR 22,249 for the S-series
and ranges up to INR 64,999 for a
5-channel system, which is suitable
to be paired with X-series.
F1 Status Total System
The showstopper product launched
by Alpine in India is also its most
premium global product – the Alpine
F1 Status. First launched in 2000,
the F1 Status is now in its third
generation. It is the first system of its
kind to support Hi-Res 384 kHz/ 32-
bit audio. The system also features
the world’s first DSP with a master
clock system and OCXO Duculon
oscillator, which helps to avoid signal
overlap and to achieve perfect audio
sync. Providing the best sound
experience, Alpine has used Carbon
Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP)
material in all its speakers. The new
Alpine F1 Status will be available in
India from December 2021. MT
 TESTING
PEMS Testing:
Benefits And Challenges
PEMS testing on passenger cars and heavy-duty vehicles will come into
force from mid-2023.
Motoring Trends Bureau
M
uch water has flown under
the bridge after the Bharat
Stage (BS) emission
standards were laid down by the
Government of India to regulate
the air pollutants from internal
combustion engines, including
that of the motor vehicles. It has
been made mandatory since 1 April
2020 for automobile manufacturing
companies to manufacture, sell and
register only BSVI (BS6) vehicles.
This emission standard comes with
a critical change in the approval
procedures for light-duty passenger
vehicles (and heavy-duty vehicles,
too). It stipulates that during type
approval and COP starting 1 April
2020, Real Drive Emission (RDE)
measurement using PEMS shall be
carried out for data collection. It also
stipulates that from 1 April 2023,
RDE Conformity Factor (CF) limits
shall be applicable too. This will
help ensure emissions performance
recorded during laboratory testing is
maintained under real-world driving
conditions. Apart from laboratory-
only testing of engines and vehicles,
BSVI emission standard mandates
the measurement of emissions
50 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
in ‘real driving’ conditions on
road using a Portable Emissions
Measurement System (PEMS).
PEMS
PEMS stands for Portable Emissions
Measurement Sampling. It is
used to test vehicle emissions
while driving as compared to the
traditional method of measuring on
dynamometer rollers with the vehicle
stationary. PEMS helps to accurately
analyse the emissions from real-
world driving while considering
all of the practical factors such
as traffic, gradient, weather etc.
Simulating such conditions would
be difficult in a laboratory. Although
laboratory testing conducted
during type approval ensures
reproducibility and comparability of
results, it mimics limited range of
the ambience, driving and engine
operating conditions. The official
laboratory test results are also not
a true measure of the actual fuel
consumption experienced by drivers
on the road. PEMS testing, thus,
was introduced to provide truer
emission values. Premier agencies
like ARAI (Pune) have state-of-the-art
automotive emissions laboratory that
performs emission tests on CI and PI
2-wheelers, 3-wheelers, passenger
cars and heavy duty engines as
well as on tractors, construction
equipment, stationary and gen-
set engines as per national and
international emission regulations.
Benefits and challenges
On-road vehicle emission testing
is found to yield strikingly different
results from that of laboratory
testing. Bringing considerable
benefits and challenges, it is
beneficial as it saves time. A large
number of vehicles can be tested
simultaneously. Engines that cannot
be easily tested otherwise can be
tested. The challenges are that the
instruments have to be small, light in
weight, should be able to withstand
harsh environment and must not
pose a safety hazard to the vehicle.
Also, emissions data is subject to
considerable variances as real-world
conditions are often neither well
defined nor repeatable. Significant
variances in emissions can exist
even among otherwise identical
engines. MT
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 INDUSTRY TALK

Government Announces
PLI Scheme For
The Auto Sector
The new PLI scheme for the auto sector is designed to incentivise the development
and manufacture of advanced technologies and a world-class supply chain.

Bhushan Mhapralkar

T
he
Government
of India
has announced a
(Production-Linked
Incentive) scheme
of INR 260.58 billion
for the auto, auto
components and
drone manufacturing
industry. Of these,
a sum of INR
259.29 billion has
been earmarked
for the auto
sector. Expected
to incentivise
the development
and manufacture
of advanced
automotive
technologies and
the emergence of a
world-class supply Girish Wagh Vikram Kirloskar
chain, the PLI
scheme is estimated
incentive structure is expected to Chemistry Cell and Faster Adaption
to be an investment to the tune
drive new investments in a way of Manufacturing of Electric
of INR 425 billion over a period
where the opportunities in the auto Vehicles. The Champion OEM
of five years. The scheme is also
sector attract existing as well as Incentive scheme is ‘sales value
estimated to lead to incremental
new players from inside as well as linked’ and applicable on battery
revenues of over INR 2.30 trillion
outside of the auto sector. electric vehicles and hydrogen
apart from creating additional
fuel cell vehicles of all types. The
employment opportunities to the Comprising two components, Component Champion Incentive
tune of over 7.5 lakh. Designed to Champion OEM Incentive Scheme Scheme at the other end is also
overcome the cost disabilities to and Component Champion ‘sales value linked’ and concerns
the industry for the manufacture of Incentive Scheme, the PLI Advanced Automotive Technology
advanced automotive technology scheme complements existing components of vehicles,
products, the PLI scheme’s similar schemes for Advanced Completely Knocked Down (CKD)/

52 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021

Semi-Knocked Down (SKD) kits and
vehicle aggregates of 2-wheelers,
3-wheelers, passenger vehicles,
commercial vehicles and tractors.
Expected to help address strategic,
tactical and operational use of
emerging as well as revolutionary
technologies, the PLI scheme
focuses on domestic value addition.
Sunjay Kapur, President, ACMA,
expressed that the scheme will
help create an ‘Atmanirbhar’ (self-
reliant), globally competitive and
future-ready Indian automotive
sector. Thrust on incentivising
new-age technologies will facilitate
creation of a state-of-the-art
automotive value chain in the
country and give a much-needed
impetus to manufacturing of
cutting-edge automotive products
in India, he added.
Shailesh Chandra, President
– Passenger Vehicle Business
Unit, Tata Motors, mentioned
that the new scheme reflects
Vipin Sondhi
a holistic approach towards
making India ‘Atmanirbhar’ in
areas like technology that will be
relevant and important in future. It
promotes manufacturing, export
of electric vehicles and those
running on hydrogen fuel cells,
their supporting infrastructure, as
well as new technology auto parts
requiring advanced production
techniques, he added. Expected
to accelerate the transition to
smart, environment-friendly,
sustainable mobility solutions, the
PLI scheme should benefit the
automotive ecosystem in terms of
the creation of a new ecosystem
for manufacturers allied to the
auto industry as well, especially in
terms of the emergence of green
mobility. Terming as progressive
and transformational, Girish
Wagh, Executive Director, Tata
Motors, said that the scheme
encompasses several meaningful
incentives across the entire value
chain engaged in manufacturing of
battery-powered electric vehicles
and hydrogen fuel cell, as well
as their supporting infrastructure
and exports. “Encouraging
production of auto components
using advanced technologies
will boost localisation, domestic
manufacturing and also attract
foreign investments,” he added.
Expected to help component
manufacturers strive for scale,
Sunjay J Kapur
which will require setting up of
new facilities and creation of
more jobs, the new PLI scheme,
recognising the auto sector as
a strategically important sector
of the economy, is set to have
a multiplier effect. Ensuring
significant progress towards
‘Atmanirbharta’, it is expected to
put India firmly on the map of top
auto manufacturing countries.
Vipin Sondhi, CEO and MD,
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 53
Ashok Leyland, said that the PLI
scheme provides incentives for
incremental performance by the
OEMs as manufacturers move
towards making India a strong
hub for electro-mobility while
also looking at harnessing the
potential of hydrogen energy
for automotive applications.
The scheme, he added, has the
potential to substantially increase
volumes and will provide a huge
opportunity for exports to grow.
Vikram Kirloskar, Vice Chairman,
Toyota Kirloskar Motor, remarked,
“The PLI scheme proves to be
timely in reviving the sectoral
growth and lays the foundation
for the country to become a
global auto manufacturing
hub.” “It will be instrumental in
providing the desired impetus
for ‘Make in India’, thereby
reducing imports and enabling
the Indian automotive industry
to move up the value chain into
higher value-added
technologies,” he
added.
Of the opinion that
the PLI scheme
will attract global
investments as
several automotive
players are looking
to diversify their
supply chains owing
to the pandemic and
emerging geopolitical
scenarios, Kirloskar
said, “As pioneer
of electrified
technologies, for
our part, Toyota
Kirloskar Motor will
continue to focus on
mass electrification
by encouraging
localisation of
electrified vehicle
parts.” Satyakam
Arya, Managing
Director and CEO,
Daimler India Commercial Vehicles
(DICV), expressed, “As a leading
manufacturer and exporter of
commercial vehicles, as well as a
front runner in technology since
inception, DICV welcomes the
opportunities offered by the newly
announced PLI scheme. This
initiative will encourage investment
in vital technologies related to
sustainability, carbon neutrality and
more.” MT
 EVENT
E-Mobility India Forum
The launch edition of E-Mobility India Forum concluded post a prolific dialogue on
automotive electrification.
Ryan Massey & Bhushan Mhapralkar
O
rganised by Messe Frankfurt
India and powered by NGV
India Summit, the first edition
of E-Mobility India Forum highlighted
automotive electrification and what
the future will be like. Succeeding in
bringing the leaders, key stakeholders
and decision makers of the auto
industry under one roof to discuss
the way forward for EVs, the event
provided a fairly deep understanding
of the business dynamics and
possibilities that concern the Indian
EV industry. It highlighted various
hurdles and opportunities that the
auto industry is set to encounter on
the road to achieving an expansive EV
54 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
ecosystem. Held on 7 October 2021 at
Le Meridien, New Delhi, the E-Mobility
India Forum drew the presence of
eminent personalities like Mahesh
Babu, CEO, Switch India and COO,
Switch Global; Sudhendu J Sinha,
Advisor – Infrastructure Connectivity &
Electric Mobility vertical, NITI Aayog; K
C Sharma, Superintending Engineer
(Mechanical), Ministry of Road
Transport & Highways and N Mohan,
Head – EV Charging Infrastructure,
Convergence Energy Services Ltd.
Delving into various fundamental
topics pertaining to the Indian electric
vehicle domain, the conference
hosted 155 delegates. It proved to
be an effective platform for sharing
of views and opinions, highlighting
the versatility of deliberations in the
process. Enabling the attendees
to gain a fairly in-depth view of the
contemporary and future landscape
of the Indian electric vehicle space,
the event touched topics such as the
future of mobility post the conversion
to electric vehicles; electric vehicle
incentives, policies, challenges and
governmental support; opportunities
and challenges in the form of
automotive OEMs; electric vehicle
components manufacturing growth
and localisation, and electric vehicle
infrastructure and innovative business

models. An interactive session with
electric vehicle start-ups and future
scenarios proved to be of particular
interest to many as it laid bare the
various trends and nuances that the
electric vehicle domain in India has
come to display.
Balbir Sigh Dhillon, Head, Audi
India, expressed that the success of
e-mobility in India will turn it into a big
market for electric vehicles. “OEMs,
policy makers or infra companies
converging together is creating a
massive pull towards vehicles in the country by 2026,
this movement and as per the Grant Thornton Bharat-
our responsibility FICCI report, Sudhendu J Sinha,
as OEMs is to give Advisor – Infrastructure Connectivity &
charging facility to Electric Mobility vertical, NITI Aayog,
our customers. The said, “In India, electric two-wheelers
road to e-mobility is a and electric three-wheelers have
marathon and we are already achieved TCO (Total Cost
just getting started. of Ownership) neutrality. Electric
I am sure that in the buses and shared electric four-
coming years we will wheelers will be next. City transport
see it moving in a very vehicles, especially with fixed routes
positive direction,” he and limited distance, are well-suited
added. Attending the too.” Stressing that investment
conference, Siddharth in infrastructure and government
Kinare, General support will play a significant role in
Manager, Padmini VNA, fast-pacing the growth of e-mobility
said in an exclusive in India, Sinha averred, “Massive
interaction with opportunity is available to create
Motoring Trends that dense network of charging points in
most auto components Tier-1, 2 and 3 cities. Recent policy
suppliers are working announcements like the FAME
to manufacture electric scheme worth INR 10 million, PLI
vehicle parts. With the scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell
PLI scheme and other (ACC) worth INR 18.1 million and the
schemes, automotive new PLI scheme for automotive sector
electrification is driving with incentives worth INR 26 million
large players to for a period of five years will enable
participate. Mid-sized India to leapfrog from traditional fossil
and smaller players fuel-based automobile transportation
are also starting to system to environmentally cleaner,
participate towards sustainable, advanced and more
the shift to hybrids efficient electric vehicles (EV) based
and battery electrics. system.”
Suhas Gowda, Head
of the Department, Speaking about alternate fuels,
D&D Electronics, Gajanan Gandhe, Country Head,
expressed, “With electrification, the Dana India, stated, “The full-fledged
entry barrier is less. It is less in terms introduction of alternative fuel
of the investments and in terms of vehicles will depend on how quickly
the complexity of components. A a production plan, a storage plan
big shift will be the emergence of and a transportation plan are put in
smaller players.” Kinare averred place. These three will hold the key
that Padmini VNA will innovate and to success.” “The PLI scheme is a
offer products that are fit to market good step forward, and in the next
with the regulatory framework and five to six years, 60 to 70 percent of
government efforts to drive deeper the two-wheelers in the country will be
localisation. “Hydrogen will also have electric,” said Uday Narang, Founder,
a role to play. Challenges will be about Omega Seiki Mobility. Dhillon added
storage. The stress that there is the expertise, the
on renewable energy manpower quality, the training and
mediums is rising. the skills; it is just that these need to
There will be different be leveraged to make a profitable
cases at different business case. Mahesh Babu, CEO,
levels. So, for smaller Switch India and COO, Switch Global,
and lighter autos, it explained, “One of the most important
will be electrification. tasks is to bring all the stakeholders
For heavier ones, it together. It is encouraging to see the
will be other energy Government of India, the industry and
mediums,” he the other stakeholders participating in
explained. an active way to create an e-mobility
ecosystem, and for the development
With India requiring
of e-mobility. Such forums, he added,
around 0.4 million
will help to educate consumers
charging stations for
regarding the benefits electric vehicles
around 20 lakh electric
present. MT
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 55
 EVENT
Mahendra Nath Pandey
SIAT Expo 2021
The biennial Symposium on International Automotive Technology (SIAT
Expo 2021) was held virtually from 29 September to 1 October 2021.
Bhushan Mhapralkar
H
eld virtually against the
backdrop of Covid-19
pandemic, the biennial
Symposium on International
Automotive Technology (SIAT Expo
2021) was organised by ARAI
and SAE. It was sponsored by
companies like Tata Motors, Horiba,
Maruti Suzuki, Ansys, AVL, Royal
Enfield, Mercedes Benz, Cummins,
Denso, Hyundai, MRF, TMA, Vanaz,
MathWorks, Honda, BorgWarner
and Indian Oil (R&D) among
others. Beginning with a plenary
session on sustainable mobility, the
event was held under the theme
‘Redefining Mobility for the future’.
With the opening remarks of N V
Marathe, Senior Deputy Director,
ARAI, setting the tone, British Deputy
High Commissioner Alan Gemmell
highlighted significant cooperation
between India and UK, including
Covid-19 situation, in his speech.
He stated that the trade relationship
between the two countries was of
over GBP 18 billion in 2020. Informing
56 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
Nitin Gadkari
that over 300 Indian companies
are present in the UK and employ
over 80,000 people, Gemmell said
that UK’s endeavour is to be at
the forefront of ‘green’ technology
through a 10-point plan.
In his speech, Dr S S Ramkumar,
Director (R&D), Indian Oil, said that
there are over 3,142 CNG pumps
now compared to 100 CNG pumps
in 2013. Ethanol procurement has
gone up, he added. Informing that
the absolute carbon footprint is rising
(it is an estimated 2,600 MT in India),
Dr Ramkumar mentioned, “It should
be brought down.” Stressing on gas
and hydrogen apart from energy
storage in an era of much energy
transformation, he revealed that 50
auto LNG stations (20 in stage 1) will
be set up for long-haul commercial
vehicles. Informing that the thrust
is also on bio-gas obtained from
mediums like waste, damaged and
surplus food grains and used cooking
oil that is carcinogenic, Dr Ramkumar
said that E20 (ethanol) blends will
be available pan-India by 2025.
Informing that the demand for
ethanol will rise to 1,016 litres
by 2025, he provided an insight
into ethanol bio-refineries that his
company is exploring and building.
Stating that China is using M15,
M85 and up to M100, Dr Ramkumar,
drawing attention to Methanol as yet
another bio-fuel, mentioned that his
company is testing it as a (15 percent
gasoline blend) fuel with SIAM and
looking at North Eastern states.
Local battery tech,
fuel blends and the
environment
Of the opinion that India’s e-mobility
push hinges on India-centric battery
technology, Dr Ramkumar mentioned
that his company is collaborating with
a specialist to set up an aluminium-
based battery technology facility to
reduce dependence on lithium-ion,
the raw material for which is imported.
Informing that they are looking at
C V Raman
various fuels and blends to co-exist,
he informed of hydrogen fuel bus
operation in the NCR. Drawing
attention to Henry Ford terming
alcohol as the fuel of future after
driving a car fuelled by it in 1914, Dr
Camilo Adas, President, SAE Brazil,
highlighted the rising use of flex-fuels
in his country Brazil. Stressing on
the well-a-wheel concept to renew
CO2 in ethanol from photosynthesis,
he suggested electrification of a
significant portion of the fleet to
reduce CO2 emission. Informing that
ethanol blending has put Brazil at a
competitive position in an effort to
drastically cut down CO2 emissions,
Dr Adas said, “Brazil has been
making ethanol from sugarcane.”
Summarising the speeches of the
above eminent speakers, Dr R K
Malhotra, Director General, FIPI,
Rashmi Urdhwareshe
said, “To tackle climate
change, sustainably
mobility is essential.”
Drawing attention
to green energy
cannibalism and to
Global Greenhouse
Gas (GHG) emissions
of electricity production,
Dr Guenter Fraidl,
Business Field Manager
Gasoline Engines, AVL,
in the plenary session
on ‘Future Trends of
Mobility’, highlighted the
trends in the US (like the
change in environmental
policy, emphasis on
BEVs and the political
intention towards
e-mobility), China (with focus on
electrification, balancing of economy
with BEVs and HEVs, and enormous
technological progress) and Europe
(renewable energy in mobility), which
is focusing on CO2-free electricity
production. Pointing at the stringent
EU environmental guidelines set up
with an intention to become a clear
environmental leader, Dr Fraidl said,
“The focus is on renewable energy
in mobility.” Mentioning that India is
currently highly dependent on coal
much like Europe is on nuclear fuel,
Dr Fraidl remarked that India will
overtake China in CO2-free energy
eventually. Stressing on tank-to-wheel
and lifecycle CO2 emissions scenario
in Europe, he quipped, “We might
influence public opinion but can’t
cheat the environment.”
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 57
Reji Mathai
Safety and automotive
mega-trends
In his speech, Dr Madan Gopal,
Principal Safety Engineer, Tesla, said
that his company has over 25,000
superchargers worldwide and is
making EV history with four models
in production and an e-truck as well
as an e-HGV in the pipeline. Opining
that they are making EVs accessible
to all, he expressed that the
emphasis on safety is high. Drawing
attention to the comprehensive
sensor suite and auto pilot safety,
Dr Gopal explained, “The focus is
on propinquity, security and tertiary
safety. The accident information
automatically goes into the company
database for analysis and to rule out
any safety shortcomings. Partnering
with Euro NCAP, all our vehicles are
ISO compliant.” “There is a huge
world out there in terms of vehicle
safety concerning automakers and
regulators. There is active safety
and passive safety, and there is the
absence of safety in some areas.
Tesla is working to ensure complete
safety of its occupants,” he added.
Drawing attention to auto industry
mega-trends like connected
technology (with factors like cyber
security), autonomous driving (with
factors like assisted and autonomous
driving), shared mobility (with factors
like ride sharing and on-demand
pay-as-you-use) and electrification, Dr
George Gillespie, OBE – President,
Horiba Automotive, and Executive
Chairman, Horiba MIRA, mentioned,
 EVENT
“Vehicle development spend is
increasing. It is expected to go up
from USD 125 billion in 2016 to USD
142 billion by 2025. The mobility
industry is a 100-year disruption and
transition story. The main industry
mega-trends have not changed
since 2015. ICE share will fall faster in
post-Covid era and there is an already
accelerating shift to alternative fuel
vehicles more because of climate
change.” Opining that global OEMs
are getting ambitious about zero-
emission sales, Dr Gillespie stated,
“The key challenges include vehicle
supply, charging infrastructure,
incentives and supporting energy
provisions with a focus on ‘green’
energy.” “In UK, the EV Parc is
expected to go up from 24 percent
in 2030 to 41 percent by 2035,” he
quipped.
Automation and the
government focus
Highlighting automated driving as a
big accident-reducing opportunity,
Dr Gillespie said that 90 percent of
the accidents are caused by driver
error. Highlighting a clear automation
roadmap till Level-3, he expressed,
“Level-4 and Level-5 timelines are
slipping. The challenge is to put these
autonomous vehicles in a mixed
fleet. The challenge is also about
the costs involved.” Informing about
growing focus on safety and digital
resilience, Dr Gillespie underlined
an emergence of a multi-pillar
approach. C V Raman, CTO,
Maruti Suzuki, in his summary
speech, underlined the big shift
taking place concerning vehicles
due to factors like climate change
58 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
among others that differ from region
to region. He informed that there are
100 stalls (across pavilions like the
UK pavilion, ARAI pavilion and the
students pavilion) in SIAT Expo 2021,
three plenary sessions (on sustainable
mobility, future trends in mobility and
smart mobility), participants from 17
countries, 200 delegates, one panel
discussion, 36 technical sessions
(48 keynotes and 130 technical
presentations), and student poster
presentation competition with 84
entries (sponsored by Volvo Trucks
India).
Inaugurating the SIAT Expo 2021,
Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister
of Heavy Industries, Government of
India, expressed that the government
is focusing on the auto industry as a
key part of the Indian manufacturing
sector with the intention to increase
production, employment and quality.
Informing that the FAME II scheme
is progressing well and the PLI
scheme is a revolutionary step, Dr
Pandey said, “Out of the schemes in
13 sectors, the government focus is
most on the auto sector PLI scheme.
The government’s vision is to turn
India into a top manufacturing centre
of the world. From 14 to 15 percent
of the GDP, the government wants
the auto sector to contribute 20 to 22
percent of the GDP. The auto industry
is recovering from Covid impact and
should be technologically the most
intense globally in view of the rising
focus on e-mobility and hydrogen
fuels.” Dr Reji Mathai, Director, ARAI,
called for an association between the
auto industry and the academia. He
referred to Gemmell’s speech and
said, “It is stressing on sustainable
mobility and carbon neutrality.”
Dr Mathai drew attention to the 36
technical sessions and over 100
exhibitors at SIAT Expo 2021.
SIAT-SAE association
Highlighting the long-standing
association between SAE and SIAT,
Rashmi Urdhwareshe, President,
SAE India, appreciated ARAI for
organising yet another edition
successfully. Informing that SAE
India is celebrating 25 years, she
mentioned that the organisation has
over 4,500 professional members,
450 collegiate clubs, 150 automotive
organisations, 1,100 faculty members
and over 40,000 student members.
Rajendra Petkar, President and CTO,
Tata Motors, said that a significant
transformation in the country has
taken place under the Union Transport
and Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari’s
leadership. He drew attention to the
union minister’s work in transforming
the logistics sector through a hub
and spoke model, dedicated freight
corridors, FasTag and scrappage
policy.
Referring to ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ in his
valedictory speech and highlighting
the government’s view that India
should be the number 1 automotive
manufacturing hub in the world, Nitin
Gadkari expressed that they appreciate
the transformative steps taken by
the auto industry. Informing that the
government is looking at a fresh
investment of INR 425 billion in the
industry and a creation of 7,500 billion
jobs, the union minister said, “The
FAME and PLI scheme among others
will help in this direction.” Pointing at
cost-effective and high-quality mobility
solutions, Gadkari underlined the role
played by ARAI in sustainable mobility.
“Institutions like these have the
responsibility of keeping themselves
updated regarding the best global
practices and advise auto companies
and the government,” he said.
Drawing attention to road infrastructure
improvement, he stressed the need
to develop indigenous, cost-effective
and import-substitute free public
transport. Stating that there was a need
to develop electric mobility for mass
transportation to curb urban pollution,
Gadkari expressed, “Several global
brands and several local entrepreneurs
are setting up large facilities to
mass produce electric vehicles. The
response for e-scooters has been
massive. The per km cost of e-scooters
is so low that people will slowly
drift away from fossil fuel-powered
vehicles.”
E-mobility and other green
fuels
Stating that 13,335 EVs were sold,
marking a 229 percent month-on-
month jump and an 836 percent
increase in EV registration, Union
Minister for Transport and Highways
Nitin Gadkari said, “It is possible to
generate 80 percent of lithium-ion
battery value in India in the case
of BEVs. Efforts are on to develop
sustainable substitutes such as
aluminium-ion, zinc-ion and sodium-
ion battery technology.” Opining that
ARAI can explore in this area and
join hands with DRDO, ISRO and
IITs, Gadkari highlighted efforts to
develop low-cost, long-life and high
efficiency batteries. There is a need to
modify the approach towards energy
transportation, he added. Stressing
on cradle-to-grave approach, the
union minister stressed the need to
look at carbon emissions from the
stage of energy generation. Gadkari
highlighted the need to focus on
renewable energy sources like solar,
tidal, hydro power and bio-mass to
generate electricity. He pointed at the
ARAI’s green mobility centre and the
development of an indigenous battery
charger for EVs and revealed that the
organisation is also testing an ADAS
system.
Stating that the NHAI is developing
EV charging infrastructure along
the highways, Gadkari said that
alternative fuels like ethanol,
methanol, bio-CNG, S-CNG, LNG and
‘green’ hydrogen will help to reduce
fossil fuel in transportation. Opining
that companies should collaborate
with the likes of Intel to develop AI
technologies, the union minister
informed, “Ethanol pumps and E20
blend marks an important step and
will provide farmers an additional
source of income.” Explaining that the
government is planning to introduce
flex-fuel vehicles that operate on 100
percent ethanol and 100 percent
petrol, Gadkari said, “Flex-fuel
vehicles are already running in Brazil,
US and Canada. I am impressed with
Brazil’s use of ethanol since more
than 60 years in their transport sector.
About 83 percent of their light vehicles
have flex-fuel engines. Hybrid flex-fuel
engines, I am told, emit 77 percent
less greenhouse gas as compared
to BS VI compliant petrol and diesel
vehicles.”
Asking ARAI to develop Euro 6
equivalent flex-fuel engines, Nitin
Gadkari said that the hydrogen
mission will help the auto sector. It
will make India a leader in the use of
‘green’ hydrogen. Of the opinion that
electricity generation from renewable
energy sources can change the
H eld virtually for the first
time in its history, the 17th
edition of SIAT Expo attracted
eminent experts from the
world over to present over 200
technical papers, including 40
keynotes, on various subjects
like alternative fuels, advanced
powertrain technology, ADAS,
bio-mobility, off-highway
vehicles, e-mobility, active
and passive safety, emission
measurements and control
technology, automotive lighting,
autonomous vehicles, NVH,
materials and manufacturing,
validation technologies,
advanced vehicle dynamics,
vehicular systems, and
simulation and modelling across
six virtual halls. With a technical
theatre under the theme ‘Let
noble ideas come from all
sides’ involving companies and
government agencies like Praj
Industries, Department of Trade
(UK), R K Dewan & Co and
Gannet Engineering, SIAT Expo
2021 offered an appropriate
platform for spectrum of
worldwide companies to
showcase their products,
technologies, innovations
and services through various
stalls. The various stalls were
reached at through exhibit
halls categorised under basic,
premium and enhanced. MT
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 59
dynamics of the power sector, and
‘green’ hydrogen is the only fuel
that can help achieve zero carbon
emission mission, Gadkari informed,
“My ministry has already notified
standards for nitrogen. There is a
need to find affordable appropriate
technology for generation, storage
and transportation of ‘green’
hydrogen. Electrolyser technology
should be also researched into.”
Referring to a recent study by IIT
Madras on hydrogen fuel cells
using sea water and sun to make
electricity, Gadkari said, “LNG is
also an economically viable fuel
for long-run buses and trucks.”
ARAI, he added, should develop an
ecosystem regarding conversion of
state transport and diesel trucks to
‘greener’ fuels.
Safety systems and future
mobility
Expressing the need to improve
safety by manufacturing safer and
comfortable vehicles, Gadkari said,
“Similar to Europe, the zero vision of
safety is being adopted in India. There
is a need to improve bus body quality.
There is a need to reduce driver
fatigue that is a cause of accidents.
In the National Council meeting, I
have instructed the fitting of sleep
detection device to fix driving hours
similar to Europe.” “I have decided to
make six airbags compulsory across
all segments of private vehicles,” he
added. Informing that the scrappage
policy seeks to eliminate old polluting
vehicles and boost industry demand,
the union minister said that the auto
industry stakeholders in India should
learn from their counterparts in other
parts of the world to develop recycling
and other technologies. “There are
three challenges – air, sound and
water pollution, which the country is
facing,” he added.
The panel discussion on future
mobility with the participation of Amit
Varadan, Joint Secretary, Ministry
of Road Transport and Highways;
Rajendra Petkar; Dr Rahul Walawalkar,
Executive Director (India), IESA;
Neeraj Sinha, Senior Advisor (S&T),
Niti Aayog; Vinnie Mehta, Director
General, ACMA and Dr Reji Mathai,
was moderated by Rajat Mahajan,
Partner, Deloitte India. The discussion
focused on emission reduction with an
agnostic view of alternative fuels and
technologies, and the transformation of
Indian auto industry into an important
manufacturing hub. MT
 EVENT

H
eld virtually on 26th August
2021, the 61st Annual Session
organised by the Automotive
Component Manufacturers
Association of India (ACMA) with the
theme, ‘Living with Volatility – Survival,
Revival & Growth’, focused on the
challenges that lie in front of the
auto industry and in particular the
components industry. The leaders
of the Indian auto components
industry discussed about making the
best of the ever-changing business

61st ACMA Annual Session

The 61st ACMA Annual Session delved upon challenges and opportunities.
Rajni Jose
environment – to survive, revive
and grow by displaying remarkable
resilience and business continuity.
Hosting over 4,000 delegates with
the presence of Government officials
and ministers, OEM leaders and
other dignitaries as well as experts,
the annual session also focused on
turning challenges into opportunities.
Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, Union
Minister for Heavy Industries,
emphasised on the need to face
challenges such as the (Covid-19)
pandemic, which has
affected industries
globally. Stating in his
speed that the need is
to stay relevant and
transition to next-
generation mobility, he
said that localisation
and technology
development will hold
the key.
Amitabh Kant,
CEO, NITI Aayog, mentioned that
it was the right time, with supply
chain rebalancing and government
incentives, to increase exports
and tackle technology disruptions.
Remarking that new possibilities
for strong growth being there, Kant
emphasised on the need to reduce
reliance on imports, especially
from China, and instead focus on
localisation. Localisation of parts,
such as electronic fuel injection
systems and catalytic converters
required to meet BS VI emission
standards, will have to be increased,
he noted. Opining that the automotive
industry and especially the auto
components sector will have to play
a defining role for India to be a key
global manufacturing centre, Kant
said, “Government initiatives like the
Production Linked Incentive (PLI)
scheme and the scrappage policy
will help in this endeavour.” Kant also
touched on technology disruptions as
opportunity creators that should be
harnessed.
Deepak Jain, President, ACMA,
highlighted factors leading to a
drop in vehicle sales in 2020-21. He
mentioned, “The year
2020-21 witnessed the
second successive
year of contraction in
vehicle sales in India
and overall vehicle
sales fell by over
13.6 percent. The
component industry
also witnessed a
de-growth of three
percent.” “High
domestic taxation,
increasing fuel costs
and steep rise in commodity prices
have been some of the factors that
are adversely impacting affordability
of vehicles, and in-turn the viability
of the component sector,” he added.
Highlighting the need for localisation,
T V Narendran, President, CII, said
that many automobile companies
have been hit by semiconductor
shortage. This is mainly due to the
reliance on imports. With electric
mobility gaining momentum in
India, the country needs to create
capabilities in semiconductors, he
said. “With the growing adoption
of electric mobility, semiconductors
are going to become more and
more critical. It’s important for us as
an ecosystem, as a country, as an
industry, collectively or individually, to
invest in creating these capabilities
in India,” Narendran expressed.
He opined further that India must
emphasise the targetted export
expansion of key components and
expand the share in the global auto
components trade to at least 4-5
percent by 2026.
Releasing a study on ‘Best practices
in Living with Volatility: Survival,
Revival and Growth’, in partnership
with PwC, during the session, ACMA
leaders emphasised the need to
thrive amid a rapidly shifting business
environment the world across. The
study released during the session
also highlighted this. It also mentioned
about the understanding of how the
Indian automotive industry works
and is learning to thrive under the
ever-changing business environment;
how it is learning to be more agile,
flexible and customer-focused in order
to succeed in its mission to be one
of the key automotive centres in the
world. Also highlighted in the study
is the need to become financially
prudent and to efficiently managing
risks as key elements while investing
towards digital transformation,
leadership development, enhanced
capabilities, supply chain agility and
manufacturing stabilisation in line with
market demand. Despite a good deal
of volatility, the Indian auto industry
and the auto components sector is
posied to maintain a healthy growth
trajectory, it is highlighted in the
study. MT

60 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021

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 ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Zero-Emission
Transport For Kolkata
Kolkata, the City of Joy is slowly and firmly turning to environmentally friendly
modes of transport.
Gaurav Nandi
D
uring the lockdown in mid-
2020, a serial entrepreneur
Riki Biswas made news
by engaging with existing electric
rickshaw owners to ferry medicines,
groceries and other important
necessities so that they could
stay in business and serve people
locked in their homes in what has
come to be termed as the world’s
strictest such exercise. In this way,
some 200 e-rickshaws of Kolkata
benefitted by associating with
Biswas’ Pointo app, a call-based
e-rickshaw booking facility to serve
the residents of the ‘City of Joy’ as
well as contribute to present the city
with a clean air. In November 2020,
cab aggregator Uber announced
that it will deploy 500 e-rickshaws,
the first three-wheeler micro mobility
product on its platform, in Greater
Kolkata. Riders from Howrah,
Barasat, Madhyamgram, Rajarhat
and Salt Lake will be able to book
the e-rickshaws on Uber app, a
62 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
statement by the company said.
After successfully running electric
buses, West Bengal Transport
Corporation (WBTC) has introduced
buses retrofitted with CNG engines
to contribute to the city’s quest for
clean air and a sustainable future.
At the forefront of adopting new
emission-reducing technologies,
Kolkata is slowly and firmly turning
to environmentally friendly modes
of transport. Known for its network
of trams that was set up in 1902
and the underground metro, the
first planned and operational rapid
transit system in the country, the
City of Joy is taking steps to ensure
that vehicular pollution is brought
down through the early adoption
of alternative fuel vehicles and
technologies. As part of its Electric
Vehicle (EV) policy, West Bengal has
proposed to instal one-million EVs
on the roads by 2030. As the capital
city, it is Kolkata that is set to see a
good deal of these EVs to call it their
All images for representative purpose only
home. In its commitment to reduce based NGO Nature, Environment to move to vehicles that run on
carbon emission from conventional and Wildlife Society, said, “Carbon renewable energy and contribute
(ICE) vehicles, the state government monoxide and carbon dioxide to the restoration of clean air in
has chalked out a comprehensive emitted from vehicles running on the city.” Drawing attention to the
roadmap inline with the Centre’s internal combustion engines has trees in the city, the main source
Phase II of FAME II scheme to been the primary reasons for many of oxygen turning black due to
encourage the adoption of electric respiratory diseases. The ambient carbon emissions, Roy Chowdhary
vehicles in the middle-mile and last- pollution has seen a considerable averred that the introduction of
mile transport segments. spike due to vehicles. An alternative futuristic mode of transportation
mode of eco-friendly transportation should encompass hybrid vehicles,
The need for ‘green’ has to be adopted without a scope buses and trucks especially, as the
transport solutions of doubt.” stepping stone towards eco-friendly
transportation mediums. “The world
In Kolkata alone, the transport Of the opinion that the use of
is trying to shift to EVs. To ensure the
sector is claimed to account for alternate energy medium that are
sustainable roll-out of technology,
51.4 percent of the pollution. A fair less or zero-polluting is absolutely
there would be a need to improvise
contribution to it is made by the necessary, Roy Chowdhury
its applicability in the local context
trucks and buses that ferry cargo mentioned, “The hike in fuel
and the infrastructure too.” With
and people. If the Covid-19-led prices has made it necessary
green corridors running between
lockdown mid-last year and this
year significantly improved the air
quality with the dip in the number
of vehicles plying on the roads due
to restrictions imposed, Kolkata
has reported pollution level that
is capable of rivalling Delhi in
terms of the Air Quality Index (AQI)
in the recent past. The State of
Environment Report, West Bengal
2021, published recently by West
Bengal Pollution Control Board
(PCB) and released by West Bengal
Environment Minister Ratna De
Nag, documented the trend based
on Particulate Matter (PM) 10,
fine particulate pollution and data
generated under National Air Quality
Monitoring Programme. Speaking
on the subject, Biswajit Roy
Chowdhury, secretary of Kolkata-

MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 63

 ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Kolkata-Asansol and Kolkata-
Digha already being proposed as
a medium of inter-city travel with
charging stations every 25 km,
the City of Joy is set to get ‘green
zones’ in parking lots where only
electric vehicles would be allowed.
They could position themselves
for charging their batteries in the
parking lots.
Electric buses
Ranking Kolkata as third among
the six megacities that have been
adopting electric mobility faster,
the EV City Casebook 2021 by
Paris-based IEA, an autonomous
inter-governmental organisation
within the OECD framework, has
stated that the city has the largest
fleet of electric buses along with
Asia’s oldest surviving tram network.
Not stopping at that, the study has
positioned the City of Joy ahead
of London in terms of percentage
penetration of electric buses.
The state government operates
93 electric air-conditioned buses
across different routes of the city.
Amounting to a big chunk of public
transport solutions that consists of
64 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
buses, metro and tram network with
shared mobility access claimed to
be as a high as 80 to 85 percent,
Kolkata has seen its public bus
network reliability go up to 98
percent despite initial challenges.
This, merely with the faster adoption
of e-buses! However, there’s more
to be done to secure clean air
for the city, claimed a source on
the condition of anonymity. He
mentioned that efforts are needed
to encourage and hand-hold private
operators to embrace electric
vehicles at various levels, including
e-buses. Bhaskar Dhar, a private bus
owner, explained, “The government
is only extending subsidies under
the FAME-II scheme of the Central
Government, which is not beneficial
for us. Electric buses cost around
INR 4 million, whereas the IC
engine-powered ones cost roughly
half the price. Moreover, there are
challenges like range anxiety and
the availability as well as access to
charging infrastructure.”
Stressing on the need for the state
government to hand-hold private
operators like him by ensuring that
the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
of an e-bus is low and conducive
enough to migrate to it, Dhar said,
“Our vehicles are hypothecated,
and if we wander into the electric-
bus market without government
guarantee, we will not be able to
pay the EMIs.” Revealing that their
buses typically run 120 km a day and
consume about 25 litres of fuel, Dhar
informed, “Electric vehicles in the
wake of the steep rise in fuel costs
will help to reduce the operational
costs; however, challenges like the
higher initial acquisition cost and
availability of charging infrastructure
are there. “What fix will we have if the
e-bus runs out of charge?” he rued.
Drawing attention to the base ticket
price for an e-bus, which is INR 20,
and that of an IC engine bus, which
is INR 9, Dhar said that the ability
of the commuters to afford the fare
is also of paramount importance.
With a drop in commuters during the
lockdown periods, many private bus
operators went out of business after
incurring a loss, he added. “This has
led to a shortage of private buses,”
quipped Dhar.
The government presently runs
a fleet of Tata Starbus AC electric
buses that run on lithium-ion battery
pack. It is fast charge-enabled with
an integrated motor generator under
its hood allowing maximum power
of 245 kW. With maximum speed
ranging between 70-75 kmph, the
vehicle can run around 200 km on a
single charge.
Electric three-wheelers
One of the most popular modes of
public transport in Kolkata is the
LPG-powered autorickshaw. Their
exact count is difficult to find out, but
they amount to a fair chunk of the
over 1,000 autorickshaws registered
in the state. Plying on different
routes, they could go electric to
reduce pollution. A member of the
South Kolkata Auto Union said on
condition of anonymity that there is
a worry among the current operators
about electric ones standing up
to the grind. The autorickshaws
here, he informed, have to cross
many bridges and traverse over
tough terrain to ferry passengers.
Once a company representative
arranged for a test drive with four
people including the driver and the
vehicle petered out on an incline, he
recounted. Aware that an e-rickshaw
would reduce the operating costs
unlike the current situation where an
operator has to pay INR 65 for a litre
of gas that provides a mileage of 20
km roughly, the member mentioned
that the other matters of worry are:
the range, the downtime because
of charging and the availability of a
charging infrastructure.
If it is necessary to address
the questions that bother the
autorickshaw operators for them
to embrace e-autorickshaws, the
high price of gas as well as petrol
is clearly a discomforting factor as
of now. A helping hand from the
government in terms of addressing
the worries of the current operators
and a friendly scheme to help them
migrate to pure electric vehicles
should work wonders. Unlike other
markets in the country, the market
in this region may require a slightly
different handling of the situation
to help electric three-wheelers
to proliferate, it is apparent. The
practice here is to ferry four
passengers excluding the driver, and
over a demanding terrain! Home to
hundreds of hand-pulled rickshaws,
the City of Joy has got a noticeable
population of electric autorickshaws.
However, there is much scope yet to
effectively address the challenge of
vehicular pollution in the megacity.
Termed as ‘Totos’, the e-rickshaws
serve the last-mile transport needs
with their ability to traverse through
narrow alleys and lanes.
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 65
A limitation faced by e-rickshaws in
Kolkata is that they are not being
allowed to ply on the main roads. In
the suburbs, the picture is different
as they have one or two main
roads that link parts of the locality.
An unorganised rickshaw industry
in West Bengal has witnessed a
massive jump in profits due to the
paradigm shift. From hand-pulled
and cycle rickshaws, many are
now owners of the electric model
that has not only reduced manual
labour but allowed the drivers to
increase their income by 50-60
percent. According to Bappa Gayen,
an e-rickshaw owner, “Earlier, we
would earn around INR 6,500-7,000
a month, but after switching to the
new technology, we can easily earn
up to INR 14,000 in a month.”
Most of the e-rickshaws plying in
the city are made with imported
parts from China. Manufacturers
import most of the parts and
assemble them into units at
the workshops situated mainly
on the outskirts of the city like
Barrackpore. They operate on
lead-acid battery. Auto giants
like Mahindra and Piaggio have
also launched their
own battery-operated
vehicles, but they have
yet to run parallel with
the assembled one in
terms of sales. Stating
that e-rickshaws reduce
manual labour and ensure
profitability, Sambhu
Mistry, a member of the
Centre of Indian Trade
Union in Kolkata, said that
the maintenance cost of
these vehicles is more
than that of the cycle
rickshaws. For those
who have migrated to
e-rickshaws form cycle
rickshaws, it has been
a big cultural change,
he added. So, what is
luring the cycle rickshaw
operators to e-rickshaws?
The answer is in their
reliability. E-rickshaws in
Kolkata are fast gaining
the image of being highly
reliable. If the sources are
to be believed, the state
government is devising
an EV policy of its own, which
would encourage local assembly
and manufacture. It is a welcome
move. MT
 ELECTRIC VEHICLES
All-Woman Ola
Mega Factory
The Ola Electric mega factory will deploy all-woman
workforce to carry out the entire production.
Rajni Jose
A
nnouncing that the sales of its
S1 electric scooters crossed
INR 1,100 crore in two days,
Ola Electric has raised over USD 200
million, led by Falcon Edge, Softbank
and others, at a valuation of USD 3
billion. With the S1 and S1 Pro electric
scooter variants priced at INR 99,999
and INR 129,999, respectively, the
company has deployed an all-woman
‘first batch’ workforce at its ultra-
modern manufacturing mega-facility at
Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu. Spread over
500-acre, the mega-facility is termed
as Ola Futurefactory. Deploying an
all-woman workforce amounting
to over 100 at full scale, according
to Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-founder,
Ola, the Futurefactory will be run
entirely by them. “Atmanirbhar Bharat
requires Atmanirbhar women. The Ola
Futurefactory will be run entirely by
women, 10,000 plus at full scale, and
will be the largest all-woman factory
in the world,” announced Aggarwal.
Incorporating Industry 4.0 principles,
the Ola Futurefactory will be powered
by Ola’s own proprietary AI engine
and tech stack that will be deeply
integrated into all the systems.
Equipped with around 5,000
robots and automated guided
66 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
vehicles, the Ola
Futurefactory, touted
as the country’s most
automated factory,
will provide close to
10,000 employment
opportunities. Upon
meeting the ‘first batch’
of women workforce,
Aggarwal tweeted that
he was inspired by
their passion. He wrote
further in his tweet that
India’s women will
bring the EV revolution
from India to the
world. When women
are equal participants
in India’s economic
growth, India will lead
the world. Aggarwal
also posted a short video showing
the ‘first batch’ of women at the Ola
Futurefactory. Undergoing training
to learn new manufacturing skills,
the all-woman workforce at the Ola
Futurefactory will be responsible for
the entire production of every vehicle.
With just 12 percent of the women
in the manufacturing side of the
industry, Ola Electric has deployed
an all-woman workforce to create
a more inclusive work culture and
provide more economic opportunities
to women. It is confident that such
an initiative will boost the morale of
women to consider employment in a
male-dominated industry and provide
a more wholesome work environment.
Aggarwal said, “Enabling women
with economic opportunities will
improve not just their lives but
that of their families and the whole
community. In fact, studies show that
just providing women parity in the
labour workforce can grow India’s
GDP by 27 percent. For India to
be the world’s manufacturing hub,
we must prioritise upskilling and
generate employment for our women
workforce.” As per the statement
issued by Ola, the Futurefactory, at
full capacity, will roll out one electric
scooter every two seconds, resulting
in the annual production of 10 million
vehicles. This will roughly constitute
20 percent of the current global
two-wheeler capacity. In the initial
phase, the mega factory will serve as
the company’s global manufacturing
hub of electric two-wheelers for India,
Europe, the UK, Latin America, Asia
Pacific, Australia and New Zealand.
The mega factory site at Krishnagiri
was acquired following an MoU of
INR 24 billion with the Tamil Nadu
government in December 2020.
Focusing on sustainability in line
with Ola’s policies by having a
large forest area within the site, the
excavated soil and rocks within the
factory are known to have been re-
used. MT
 AROUND THE WORLD

The German
Auto Industry
The German auto industry, after dominating the world for over half
a century, is at the crossroads of disruptive innovation and a need to
upskill its workforce.

Bhushan Mhapralkar

Image credit: Rainerhaufe

68 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021

A
udi recently unveiled its
flagship e-tron GT and RS
at the Buddh International
Circuit in Greater Noida, India. Both
the vehicles highlight the strengths
and abilities of the German auto
industry, which has traditionally
been strong and respected
the world over. Enjoying better
recognition than other German
industries like pharma and machine
tools, which have been as capable
if not less, the auto industry in
Germany is tackling climate
change. Belonging to a country
that is also termed as Europe’s
biggest economy, it is looking up
to a new political order that is likely
to be different from what has been
until now. With the new political
order expected to be the coming
together of different ideas and
thought processes, the German
auto industry is also busy tackling
significant shifts concerning
digitisation and alternative-fuel
vehicle technologies.
With German Chancellor Angela
Markel retiring after steering the
country tactfully through some of
the most furious storms for the
last 16 years, the German auto
industry, which has developed a
successful industrial model, is in
a position to define the country’s
future prospects by how it
succeeds in tackling the challenges
that lie in front it. With China as
the biggest trading partner of
Germany, the auto industry over
there, with an ability to reach out
to the government and for the
government and politicians to give
a patient hearing, is a vital part of
that nation’s economy. Turning out
beautiful autos that are not just
beautifully engineered but also
revered for their ability to perform
and impress, the German auto
industry is particularly strong in
exports. It exported an estimated
3.5 million passenger cars in 2019
as compared to the export of an
estimated 2 million passenger cars
in 1998. It achieved a new high in
2016 by exporting an estimated 4.5
million passenger cars.
Contributing to Germany’s
reputation as the world’s best
producer of engineered goods,
the German auto industry is also
tackling the challenge of a rapid
shift from making just autos to
providing mobility solutions.
Amounting to a big chunk of
Germany’s manufacturing sector
(which contributes around 18
percent of the GDP), the industry
is at the cross roads to significant
geopolitical and geoeconomics
shifts prevalent. Dominating for
over half a century – the first motor
carriage road trip by Bertha Benz
in August 1888 that changed
everything and presented the
world a new revolutionary motoring
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 69
Image credit: BMW
medium is still well-instilled in the
minds of motoring public across the
world, the German auto industry is
also busy getting on the disruptive
innovation bandwagon.
Disruptive Innovation
With the number of German
companies termed as the world’s
most valuable shrinking to three
from seven in 2000, the auto
industry there is in need of not
just disruptive innovation but also
of upskilling its workforce. In the
wake of the raging debate as
to which alternative-fuel vehicle
technology is better – battery
electric or hydrogen, the German
auto industry is re-visiting almost
every policy it has set in place
until now. With the trade volume
between Germany and China
surpassing USD 100 billion in
2008, and is now estimated to be
over USD 180 billion as compared
to USD 16 billion in 1998, the
German auto industry is engaged
in some highly active joint ventures
in China with local partners there
for the last two decades or more.
This could perhaps be one of the
reasons why there is a growing
voice that Germany could be too
reliant on China as a market for
its goods. With the auto industry
in Germany also known to have
active arrangements to source parts
and raw materials with Chinese
 AROUND THE WORLD
partners, it is not surprising to hear
a growing voice about being more
vigilant, especially in the wake of
the emerging strategic competitive
environment between the US and
China.
With the talks of not placing all the
eggs in one basket gaining force,
the German auto industry, in the
face of a systemic competition
brewing between China and the
US, is changing the ways it has
traditionally used to approach
innovation, the processes it has
traditionally used to adopt change.
With China leading Germany in
the crucial manufacturing aspect
of digitisation, there is a growing
realisation in the German auto
industry that it may need more
coders than engineers proficient
in putting together complex parts
of a beautiful automobile that is
also immensely desirable. With
two-third of German businesses
known to use fax machines before
Covid-19 hit trade and altered the
parameters governing economies
and health, the German auto
industry is catching up with China
on digitisation and alternative-fuel
70 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
vehicle technologies, electric ones
especially. Overseeing the biggest
ever shift, Oliver Zipse, CEO, BMW,
is known to express that they are
launching a lot of electric vehicles.
Alternative-fuel Vehicle
Technologies
To ensure more profitability
and to retain half a century of
dominance, the German auto
industry is developing the right
set of products. It is investing in
a robust alternative fuel vehicle
supply chain and is upskilling its
manpower. These are, however,
activities that take time. The need
therefore is to accomplish them
in the shortest possible time. With
the American auto industry quick
to realise the need to change – the
Tesla and Nikola is an example, the
German auto industry is making
efforts to gain the territory it has
lost to its rivals in the alternative
fuel vehicle space. It is also
scaling up disruptive innovation,
which at this moment looks like is
limited to a few start-up ventures
like Munich-based Sono Motors
whose approach as a ‘carmaker’ is
Image credit: Mercedes Benz
about developing a solar-powered
mobility solution rather than an
automobile. Without losing out
on its traditional strengths and
knowledge, the auto industry in
Germany is warming up to the fact
that fewer people in the world will
buy automobiles.
With factors like Covid-19-led
disruptions and climate change
accelerating geopolitical and geo-
economic changes, the German
auto industry is understanding
as well as acting on the drastic
and rapid change in perception
surrounding automobiles. It is
looking at emerging mobility
concepts like car-sharing, ride-
sharing, power-sharing etc. With a
helping hand from the government,
it is bracing itself to a future that
is much different and far more
disruptive than anticipated. With the
thrust on tackling climate change
rising, the German auto industry
is embarking on upskilling the
manpower too. From engaging
in producing IC-engine autos
to producing alternative-fuel
technology autos with fewer moving
parts that are highly different in

nature, upskilling of manpower is
highly necessary.
Not Putting All The Eggs
In One Basket
Investing in manufacturing, R&D
and parts sourcing arrangements
with India with the determination to
not put all its eggs in one basket,
the German auto industry, in the
face of the growing might of China,
is refraining from exposing itself
to excessive risks. With a number
of African countries expressing
dissatisfaction on the quality of
Image credit: ZF
work by Chinese companies, and
countries like South Africa courting
Chinese automakers like Anhui
Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp.,
Ltd., the German auto industry
is well-poised to gain ground in
markets that it may have overlooked
or found unviable until now. In India,
German automakers like Daimler
India Commercial Vehicles have
invested in manufacturing facilities,
in components sourcing a deeper
localisation. German suppliers like
ZF have been steadily investing in
India as well. In 2017, the company
commissioned an India technology
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 71
centre at Hyderabad. As recent as
June 2021, it announced that it will
invest INR 200 million in India to
grow its business in that country
by consolidating and expanding its
Indian subsidiaries and capitalising
its JV partners. Going to great
lengths to develop India-centric
platforms, German automakers like
the Volkswagen Group have been
courting the Indian market for some
years now.
While companies like MAN Trucks
folded just before the arrival of BS VI
emission regulations, the connection
between the German auto industry
and the Indian auto industry is not
missed. It was the Bajaj Tempo (now
Force Motors) 3-wheel Hanseat
that provided mobility to the young
country that India was in 1947. It was
the Tata Mercedes 1210 truck that
played in the industrial revolution of
India after it gained independence in
1947. While automotive suppliers like
Robert Bosch and Schaeffler have
been instrumental in India charting
its automotive journey through the
decades, there are many more who
are keen to invest in India, who
are keen to ink pacts with Indian
companies that could complement
their abilities, especially in the
area of software development and
digitisation. Companies of various
sizes and nature that are part of the
German auto industry are known to
be looking at India in response to the
push for alternative-fuel technology
development in that country. MT
Image credit: Bundesarchiv
 AROUND THE WORLD

Pandemic’s Mixed
Bag Effect
The effect of Covid-19 pandemic on the Malaysian commercial vehicle
market has been a mixed bag.

Stefan Pertz

M
aking good progress
in 2019, the Malaysian
commercial vehicle market
made news with the appointment
of Marie Sjödin Enström as the first
female head of Scania operations. In
early 2021, Heba El Tarifi succeeded
Enström as the new Managing
Director of Scania Southeast Asia
to be based in Malaysia. She took
over at a time when the commercial
vehicle market in Malaysia was
experiencing the disruption caused
by the Covid-19 pandemic, starting
mid-2020. The results for 2020
were surprising for some. Even
though the number of vehicles sold
(passenger cars and commercial
vehicles) dropped by 12.4

72 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021

percent, some brands witnessed
significant sales increase despite
the lockdowns. In the case of
heavy-duty trucks, the ones whose
utilisation dropped significantly
had their sales plummet. The ones
whose utilisation continued to
be good saw their sales go from
strength to strength. Daihatsu, for
example, was able to sell one model
(in a range of variations) 26 percent
more than forecasted in 2019.
This was because of the increased
need for last-mile transport. With
Heba El Tarifi
lockdowns, the country almost
exclusively shopped online. Small
traders moved their business out
onto the streets.
The segment-wise performance
of commercial vehicles has
been affected by the lockdowns.
Lockdowns are, however, deemed
as the best way to fight the
Covid-19 pandemic. An iteration
of the lockdown starting in June
has paralysed Selangor, the state
with the biggest concentration of
businesses. It is also home to North
Port, the 13th busiest port globally.
The transport industry has been
asked to park their vehicles for a
while. Truck and bus makers have
been told to close down their offices
and their workshops. Permits to
open up the workshops, it is being
claimed, have been denied or are
being given out slowly. This has
had an effect on the ports. Ports, it
is said, are at 130 percent of their
capacity; warehouses and depots
too are claimed to be choc-o-block.
A source has mentioned that there’s
container movement restriction
between the haulier’s depot and the
port. So, should a client not have
permission to operate, their goods
are to be parked with the haulier.
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 73
Chaos
Driver shortage is likely to be the
outcome of the scenario where
commercial vehicles are not being
allowed to ply. Drivers, often times paid
per trip, are going to find other means
to make money. Once they get away
from the wheel of a truck or a bus, to
get them back is tough. When allowed
to resume operations, it is quite likely
that fleets would be found wanting for
drivers. This would pose problems in
swiftly moving the containers. Vehicle
utilisation would be affected. With Just-
In-Time (JIT) and very little material held
at the conveyor belt, manufacturers
are likely to run out of material soon.
A scramble for parts will set in. With
transporters typically picking up a
load, moving it and dropping it off, the
need to store containers and goods
in their yard is likely to create a set of
unique problems – because many of
them would not be prepared to do so.
They are quite likely to lack a system
to track where the containers are.
Also, assuming that the containers
will be delivered strictly according to
LIFO, the question is how long would
the transporters offer their yards for
storage?
Based on the information derived from
a workshop having certain bays and
 AROUND THE WORLD
the daily capacity of trucks serviced,
it may be safe to assume that there
are hundreds of trucks being fixed
daily. They are being serviced and
kept in good running condition. With
the workshops closed, that support
will go missing. Dozens or hundreds
of vehicles might be inching closer
to a potential failure for every trip that
they are doing. Breakdowns cannot
be completely ruled out even if one
were to consider that a truck is being
sent for service for a reason, and at a
specific time. They just happen, and
for those who might void warranties
by exceeding the recommended
mileage, a service is most essential. It
is, in the case of commercial vehicles,
to ensure their costs as a business
are kept well under control. Getting
the vehicles to be back on the road
and running is likely to be a near
impossible task with the workshops
not operating. Once normalcy
returns, workshops are likely to be
faced with an avalanche of jobs.
This is certain to have an effect on
the availability of trucks to move the
cargo. Similar is likely to be the case
with buses as well.
Spoiled Goods
The fact that trucks in Malaysia
are on an average twice as old as
their brethren in Europe, chances
are that they would be less reliable
or would require a more intensive
service. This would also give rise to
the question of safety and quality
74 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021
transportation of goods and of goods the effect of which would culminate
getting spoilt because they cannot in a few dozen containers belonging
be moved or consumed. To recycle to each of them not getting moved
them or to get them into a landfill like they did before, is likely to create
will also involve massive efforts. confusion, especially if it amounts to
As a health hazard, either effort will the violation of SOPs. So why not let
have to be undertaken. In the case the transport companies and their
of hazardous good, the situation support system to operate. With
would be much more complicated. ports already running near or beyond
On the brighter side, for commercial capacity, and storage of containers a
vehicle manufacturers offering waste challenge, it would be a good idea to
management solutions, it would let the transport companies run. Run
mean a big business opportunity. by adhering to the laid down health
For example, the Southern Waste and safety guidelines.
Management has the biggest fleet
of Fuso trucks worldwide. The fleet Bust-ed
is over 1,000-trucks strong. On the
It would be good to let the transport
whole, however, it is a situation that is
companies run to get the right
best avoided.
containers out of the port, and from
The news of law enforcement officers the port onto the ships. It will be a
making the rounds to check if good opportunity to consider that
transport companies are complying Taipanco operates the largest fleet
with SOPs and regulations, and if of Hammar sideloaders. Hammar is
proper paperwork is in place, is easy the world’s leading manufacturer of
to understand as well as comprehend. Sideloaders, which are also termed
The news of fines being dished out as self-loading trailers. In the case of
to those who are
violating, and
being asked
to pay up, is
also easy to
understand and
comprehend.
But, with several
transport
companies told
to shut down their
operations for
several days, and
buses, the effect of the lockdowns
has been profound. They are perhaps
hit the most – more than the trucks.
Bus operators’ business has literally
nullified with no tourists visiting
Malaysia. With no factories allowed
to operate and people being asked
to stay at home, the bus industry
has been hit. It has seen a stretch of
over 15 months with no income. The
positive part of it is examples like the
local bus manufacturer Terus Maju
Services Sdn Bhd (TMS) revising
the configuration of its most popular
model into a mobile clinic. The state of
Johor was one of the first to place an
order for re-rigged vehicles to facilitate
vaccination in rural areas.
Of the opinion that these types of
vehicles ensure a lot of space, Loo
Kok Seong, Managing Director, TMS,
said, “What we did was to remove
the seats and install tables so that
nurses could attend to people getting
their jabs. In the back, we placed a
bunk bed so that someone not feeling
well after being vaccinated could
just lie down and rest.” The storage
compartments on the buses offer
enough space for all the items (like
canopies, chairs, signages, medical
supplies etc.) necessary to set up
a temporary vaccination centre.
Offering flexibility and an ability to
accommodate smaller number of
people for vaccination, buses such as
those designed by TMS are proving to
be useful. A ‘Kampong’ – a Malaysian
enclosure or village – can be visited in
one day and once everyone there is
jabbed, the bus can move to the next
‘Kampong’. “Not only is this effective,
it is also cheaper than to rent a hall for
two weeks to ensure that the villagers
get their vaccine. It also minimises
movement as it is just one vehicle
that comes to town instead of each
family making a trip in their personal
vehicle,” said Seong.
In The Waiting
The buses, once the vaccination
programme in the country is
complete, could be re-converted and
go back to doing what they were
originally meant for. The lockdown
and the associated restrictions
have had an effect on the country’s
commercial vehicle industry for
certain. In some case, it is more
severe than others. The bus side
of the commercial vehicle industry
has been perhaps the most severely
affected. The reporting of actual
status of the industry would be
MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021 | 75
difficult with many authorities facing
manpower shortage or already being
closed down. Only when normalcy
returns and the country opens up,
will the real extent of the fallout be
evident. It is then that it will be clear
as to who made it and who didn’t.
As this happens and lockdowns
and restrictions continue apart from
getting the country vaccinated as
soon as possible, two megatrends
seem to be emerging. One regarding
autonomous vehicles and the other
regarding electrification. These two
may be at a fairly nascent stage right
now but are looking to be capable
of giving a jolt to the industry. This
is because many do not seem to be
prepared for the onslaught of such
a technology transformation – a
transformation that would have a
profound effect on both man and
machine. MT
The author of this article is the editor of Malaysian
magazine on commercial vehicles called Asian
Trucker.
 ON THE BEAT

By Antony Powath

Antony Powath is the President of PIN 365,

the publishers of Tyre Trends and Motoring
Trends. He travels a lot and is keen on learning
new things, technologies and trends in the
manufacturing space. An avid basketball player,
he sees the opportunity often to bring out-of-the-
box thinking to the business, by deploying the
best practices of one industry to the other.

Americans Can’t
Understand Indian Pitches

A
mericans are famous for Major League
Baseball, a sport very similar to cricket
but having a different set of rules. Just
like cricket being a lucrative sport for India,
so is the automotive market, just based on
India’s sheer size. Both baseball and cricket
have huge fan following in their local market;
both the sports have a batter/batsmen,
pitcher/bowler and fielders – and with that
the similarities stop. This, unfortunately, is the
same situation for the automotive industry as
well between India and the US. Both love their
cars and bikes, and keep an eye on what is
trending.
Be it General Motors, Harley Davidson or the
most recent Ford, all have left India. They
have tried various partnerships with local
companies; however, in the end it did not
materialise. Perhaps the core reason for this
is not fully understanding the Indian market,
culture, price points, after sales service,
strong local partners, resale value and, most
importantly, competition.
If we see companies like Suzuki, which
teamed up with Maruti years ago, they
understood the situation in India and its
requirement and worked well on pricing and
fuel economy vehicles. The closest company
with good return in India is Hyundai. It is
constantly looking to innovate and get market
feedback. Plus the company’s bet on the then
young and upcoming star Shahrukh khan
has paid off quiet well. Going by the products
released by GM and Ford in India, they would
lack in either technology, or price points, as
competition looked always one up against
them.
There is no doubt that some of the vehicles
like the Ford Mustang are real good cars.
However, again if you see, the competition had
interesting cars to launch in the market with
better features and better value in the same
price bracket.
Volkswagen and Skoda – with their new
launches Taigun and Kushaq, respectively
– have looked to make better relations
with the Indian component manufacturers,
thus bringing down the price of production
and coming out with cars that have the
latest features and compete with other car
manufacturers. Time will tell if this works, but it
does look like a step in the right direction.
One important note to add here is to see
how many brand building exercises these
companies take other than during the initial
hard selling phase. Perhaps, it is not there
embedded in our minds as competition was
always going hard into the market.
Whilst Ford is leaving India, another American
car manufacturer is looking to steamroll itself
in the Indian market. It is none other than
Tesla. It is the producer of one of the hottest
selling electric cars in the market and has
a great brand reckoning (just like the other
American brands). Let us hope that Tesla and
the other car manufacturers heading into India
would have learnt from the companies that
have not succeeded in India. Let us hope that
they come with a robust plan to take a good
pie in the ever-growing Indian automotive
market.MT

76 | MOTORING TRENDS | NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021

RNI No. MAHENG/2020/80332