Reva To Unveil Two New Models At Frankurt Auto Show
Electric car manufacturer Reva is all set to unveil two new models, NXG and NXR, at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor show. The new models feature new technology called the REVive which seeks to address the 'range anxiety' among electric car owners.
The REVA NXG is a sporty two seater with a targa roof top, designed by none other than Dilip Chhabria of the DC design. The NXG will go into production in 2011 and will have a respectable top speed of 130 kmph and a range of 200 kms.
The REVA NXR is a two door hatchback family car specially designed for city driving conditions. The new NXR can be booked and ordered from the show onwards, with production scheduled to commence at the beginning of 2010. The car will run on lithium-ion batteries and will have a top speed of 104 kmph and a range of 160 kms. A lead acid battery variant will be made available for India, which apart from being cheaper will have a reduced top of 80 kmph and a range of 80 kms.
The company will also introduce the REVive technology, a feature unique to REVA that addresses 'range anxiety' and will act as an invisible reserve fuel tank. If the customer runs out of charge, he/she can telephone or send a SMS message to REVA 24/7 customer support center and remote charge enables the REVA new models to continue driving within a few minutes.
Both REVA NXG and NXR will feature the REVive telematics technology. The company hasnt disclosed the technical specifications or the price which will be announced in the due course.
"The REVA NXR and REVA NXG will redefine the Indian consumer car market," said Chetan Maini, deputy chairman & chief technology officer, REVA Electric Car Company.
"The unveiling of NXR and NXG at the Frankfurt Show is a tremendous step forward in what is sure to be a fascinating journey for EV users across the globe - Affordable and stylish electric vehicles will finally be available to consumer." he added.
The new models will be manufactured at REVA's new green manufacturing plant in Bangalore. The new models will receive their first boost of charge from solar power at the new plant which is built on LEEDS guidelines with water harvesting, solar charging and natural ventilation with an intent to reduce the carbon footprint.
REVA will also launch a new website, www.revaglobal.com which will go live during the unveiling of the cars at Frankfurt. The website will also let customers to register on the priority list for new car online.
Source: REVA
Bajaj will launch two 125+cc motorcycles by fiscal end
A Bajaj official has said the company will introduce two motorcycles in India which will have engine capacities of over 125cc by the end of this fiscal. Apart from this addition, Bajaj is also looking at revamping one product in its existing portfolio.
Sources say this new motorcycle is codenamed Sprint with engine capacity of around 135cc. The report also says Bajaj will revamp the Pulsar and Discover line-up this year. I'm not sure what they would change, but the DTSi 2.0 series of engines could be installed on the bikes.
Another report in the media says Bajaj is planning new variants and models in the 100 cc category once Discover sales touch 80,000. Last month, Bajaj was able to sell 65,000 and the 80,000 mark is spitting distance away taking into account the purchasing mood of people in the festive season that has begun to gather steam.
[Source: HT]
Yamaha, Hero Honda, Suzuki and TVS log growth in sales
Yamaha India has reported an increase of 63% in its sales during August 2009, at 19,508 units, as compared to 11,974 units sold in August last year. The company has bookings for over 12,000 units for its latest bike that was launched in India recently - the 150cc Fazer.
Hero Honda reports an increase of 35.88% in sales during August this year, at 415,137 units, as compared to 305,516 units sold in August last year. 'With sales of more than four lakh units, August 2009 has been a month of record sales for Hero Honda,' said Anil Dua, senior VP (marketing and sales), Hero Honda.
Up next is Suzuki, which logged a 17.68% increase in its two-wheeler sales in India during August this year, at 13,030 units, as against 11,072 units sold during August last year. According to Suzuki, its latest offering in the Indian market - the GS150R - was the main reason behind this increase in sales.
And finally, TVS Motor, which saw its total two-wheeler sales go up by 11%, at 126,842 units during August this year, as against 114, 321 units sold during August last year. TVS sold 51,127 motorcycles and 28,582 scooters in the domestic market during August 2009. The company also exported 11,747 two-wheelers during August this year, a decline of 35% over last year's figure for the same month.
[Via: indiaautomotive]
2 Year Warranty on Skoda Geniune Parts
SkodaAuto India announced an introduction of 2 years warranty on Skoda Genuine Parts and Skoda Genuine Accessories with effect from August 15, 2009. Starting August 15, 2009 the two year warranty will be available on Skoda Genuine Parts & Accessories across the product range which includes the Skoda Superb, Skoda Octavia, Skoda Laura and Skoda Fabia.
According to Mr. Jiri Ihln, head of Skoda Genuine Parts & Accessories, the introduction of 2 years warranty is a new initiative by SkodaAuto India to bring down the cost of ownership for customers and secure the quality of the product for a longer period. In line with the company's warranty terms and conditions, parts & accessories purchased from August 15, 2009 onwards will be applicable for two years warranty.
[Via: CW]
Chennai to host Petronas Asian Road Racing Championship
After more than a decade's hiatus, the country is all set to host an International circuit racing event- The Petronas Asian Road Racing Championship, one of the continent's most prestigious racing event for motorcycles. The racing events will be collectively held under the banner of 'Sidvin Festival of Speed'.
The fourth round of the Petronas Asian Road Racing Championship (ARRC) will be held at the Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) race track at Sriperumbudur, Chennai from 3rd to 6th of September 2009. The first three rounds were held in Malaysia, Japan and Indonesia in April, May and June respectively earlier this year.
There will be two racing categories, the 600 Supersports and the Underbone 115cc, with two races in each. Chalermpol from Thailand currently leads the 600cc class while Fitriansayah of Indonesia leads the table in the Underbone 115cc class. Indian riders, Preetham Dev Moses K Rajini and Dilip Roggers have already confirmed participation in the 600cc category. The final two rounds of the six round event will be held at the Zuhai Circuit, China in October and December.
Also held concurrently will be the Round 3 of the UAM Asia Cup of Nations. In this, two riders each from eleven countries including India will race each other on identical 125cc Honda Stunner bikes. More than 20 riders are expected to race under their country's flag.
With the best riders from all over Asia landing in Chennai, the action is going to be really hot. Plan your weekend and don't miss it because this is as good as it gets.
Donor passes for the races will be available Madras Motor Sports Club, Guru Mansion, 1st Floor, 123/1, TTK Road, Alwarpet, Chennai 600 018. Telephone: 44 2499 0998.
[Via: BIKEINDIA]
Mahindra Two Wheelers to axe Italjet line-up
Changes are afoot at Mahindra Two Wheelers (MTW), the new company which M&M has formed after acquiring the Pune-based two-wheeler manufacturer, Kinetic Motors, last year. While M&M will retain most of Kinetic's 250 dealers across the country, changes are being planned to modify the product mix. And the first to go will be the Kinetic Blaze, which is fitted with a 165cc, 11.5bhp engine sourced from Hyosung.
According to MTW, a scooter like the Blaze (which, incidentally, is the most powerful, stylish and sporty scooter made and sold in India) has no market in India. The company will, instead, choose to focus on the Flyte, which is fitted with a 125cc engine from Taiwanese company, SYM. In fact, MTW will continue to work with SYM and may even launch a brand-new scooter later this year.
MTW currently sells around 3,000 units of the Flyte, which compares quite poorly with sales of the market leader - Honda Activa - which sells between 45-50,000 units per month. Still, with M&M's marketing and engineering muscle now behind the erstwhile Kinetic, the Flyte and other forthcoming two-wheelers from MTW just might be able to challenge Honda's dominance in the scooters segment in India, in the years to come.
[Via: indiaautomotive]
EICMA to organise motorcycle trade show in China
EICMA, which conducts one of the biggest annual motorcycle shows in the world in Milan, Italy, has now teamed up with the China Chamber of Commerce to hold a motorcycle trade show in Canton, China this year, though the dates for the show are yet to be decided. EICMA also organises the annual BikeAsia show in Singapore.
'In 2010, production of powered two-wheelers in China will reach a stunning 32 million units. The interest in creating a dedicated motorcycle show in China, the biggest manufacturer and consumer of motorcycles in the world, is all but evident. We are flattered by the fact that the Chinese authorities, opening to foreign partners, selected EICMA,' says Guidalberto Guidi, chairman of EICMA SpA.
India, which is second only to China in terms of annual two-wheeler sales volumes, does not yet have a large-scale show dedicated to scooters and motorcycles. The Auto Expo show held in Delhi caters to all classes of vehicles, including two-wheelers, cars and commercial vehicles.
[Via: indiaautomotive]
Hyundai announces record high earnings for Q2
Thanks to robust global sales, Hyundai posts record profits in Q2. The Korean car maker acquires 5 percent of the global car market for the first time ever!
While the global auto industry is moaning in the worst slump in decades, Hyundai posts a record quarterly profit in the three months ending in June. The Korean largest carmaker revealed its net earnings jumped to $650 million in the second quarter of this year (+48 percent). Profit jumped to record high thanks to increased global demand for smaller and more fuel efficient cars, weaker won and improving brand image.
In the first six months of 2009, Hyundai managed to sell 1,403,931 new cars and SUVs across the globe, representing a five percent decrease from a year earlier as demand for automobiles in the global market fell. Hyundai built 719,478 units at its domestic manufacturing plants, while overseas plants churn out 684,453 new Hyundai cars.
In its official statement, Hyundai also revealed it has acquired 5 percent of the global new car market share in the first half of this year for the first time ever. This result was achieved by expanded market share China, Europe and US as the automaker boosted efforts to raise its brand image and continued to expand marketing activities in local markets.
Hyundai has been particularly successful in China, where it has sold 257,000 units in the first half. For the 2009, Hyundai raised its overall sales target to 450,000 units from previous 400,000 units. The automaker continues to expand its new car line-up and will start selling locally produced Sonata sedans and i30 C-segment hatchbacks in July and September.
Lately, Hyundai has been very successful in Europe. Its sales in June rose by the largest margin among all carmakers operating in the region. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, Hyundai's June sales rose 27.1 percent from the same month last year to come in at about 35,000 units, while sales in the first half of the fiscal year increased 15.7 percent compared to the same period last year, pushing up the company's first-half share of the European market to 2.3 percent from the 1.8 percent recorded last year.
[Via: hyundai-blog]