plus 4, Power Min plans to rate mileage: Auto industry fumes - Rediff

Power Min plans to rate mileage: Auto industry fumes - Rediff
India Auto Expo in limelight - SamayLive
Delphi to showcase auto components at Delhi Expo - Hindu Business Line
Gearheads compare Triumph, Buell, BMW - Edmonton Journal
Delphi to showcase number of auto components in Delhi Expo - Economic Times

Power Min plans to rate mileage: Auto industry fumes - Rediff

Posted: 28 Dec 2009 03:29 AM PST

Traffic The auto industry is miffed over a move by the power ministry to start rating passenger cars on the basis of fuel economy by next month, stating manufacturers are already making public the mileage of vehicles.

The nodal agency for implementing energy conservation programme, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, is expected to implement rating of cars on the basis of fuel efficiency charging about Rs 200 per unit from manufacturers.

"A proposal is with the Power Ministry. It is likely to be approved soon and start by January. The energy efficiency rating of cars will be on a voluntary basis initially, and made mandatory later," a power ministry source said.

Consultations have been going on with the automobile industry on the issue for the past 3-4 months and the proposal was modified accordingly, another power ministry source said.

However, when contacted, a senior Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers official, said no such consultations took place on conditions of anonymity.

"No documents or papers ever reached us. It is being done single handedly by BEE," the official said, adding such ratings are unwelcome as manufacturers are making public and constantly upgrading mileage of their vehicles.

"What is the benefit that customers are going to get from the BEE rating?" the SIAM official said.

SIAM has already implemented a voluntary programme from April this year, under which all of its members declare mileage of their vehicles certified by the Automotive Research Association of India [ Images ].

As per the new proposal by the power ministry, star ratings would be given to vehicles, where five stars would stand for the maximum output in terms of mileage, Power Ministry sources said.

In the initial phase, only cars would be given star ratings, while other vehicles like motorcycles, scooters, trucks, buses and other commercial vehicles would be added to the programme later.

The size of the Indian passenger vehicle industry is over 18 lakh (1.8 million) units and if every unit is charged Rs 200, then it could fetch the BEE over Rs 35 crore (Rs 350 million).

The BEE, which comes under the purview of Power Ministry, does not have its own vehicle testing facility.

At present it has no plans to set up such a facility and would use those of the Automotive Research Association of India and another laboratory in Hyderabad.

Earlier last month, environment minister Jairam Ramesh [ Images ] had said auto manufacturers would have to sell vehicles with mandatory energy-efficiency tags by 2011 and the information on the labels would have to be certified by the BEE.

The government is in the final stages of notifying the fuel efficiency standards and was looking at how these standards could be notified either through the Energy Conservation Act or the Motor Vehicles Act, Ramesh had said.

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India Auto Expo in limelight - SamayLive

Posted: 28 Dec 2009 01:06 AM PST

Mumbai/Tokyo: Keen to boost sales, global automakers will unveil a slew of cheap, compact cars at India's Auto Expo next week as they turn to one of the few remaining growth markets to keep their engines humming.

Car sales in India, the world's second-most populous country, are set to jump about 16 per cent this year to 1.4 million vehicles, buoyed by robust economic growth and government incentives, in contrast to a slump in many developed markets.

That, and the abundance of important new models waiting to make their world premiere has industry insiders talking for the first time of a Delhi auto show that could rival or surpass the annual Detroit auto show in importance.

"The Indian auto industry and the Indian auto market have become internationally very important and therefore, no one can ignore this market," said Mahindra & Mahindra's automotive chief, Pawan Goenka, who is also the president of industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

"Even though the Detroit auto show immediately follows the Delhi auto show, there is full participation from all international companies and they are bringing in concept vehicles as well as launching brand new products."

The Auto Expo, held every other year in the capital city of New Delhi, first grabbed global headlines in 2008, when Tata Motors showcased its $2,500 Nano with the promise of bringing motorisation to the masses.

Next week's show will have no shortage of rivals -- from Toyota Motor Corp to General Motors Co -- looking to debut their own compact cars as they seek a larger presence in one of the world's few healthy auto markets.

India is also expected to become a strategically crucial base for producing small cars for global automakers, many of which are looking to ship their cheap cars and components overseas.

Indian ratings agency CARE has forecast domestic passenger car sales to rise 14.5 per cent annually to 2.4 million units in the fiscal year to March 2014, with growth led by small cars.

The US market is expected to total around 10.4 million vehicles this year, the lowest tally since 1982. This year, China is due to surpass the United States as the world's largest auto market with about 13 million vehicles sold.

Small is big: The long-awaited unveiling of Toyota's compact car concept, code-named EFC for Entry Family Car, will be among the highlights at the Delhi show, which runs from Jan. 5 to 11.

Toyota has not announced a price, but the model is due to become its cheapest offering, likely putting it well below $10,000. The world's biggest automaker plans to start building the car at its factory in Bangalore from late 2010, followed by Brazil in 2011 or later.

Automakers have identified such low-cost cars as key to gaining a foothold in emerging economies, where small sedans such as Toyota's Corolla or Honda's City are considered a luxury item.

"In any country, the base of the (income) pyramid is the biggest group," said Osamu Suzuki, chief executive of Suzuki Motor, parent of top Indian carmaker Maruti Suzuki India.

"Starting at the entry-price level was a successful strategy for us," he said.

Maruti Suzuki commands half the Indian market with cut-price hatchbacks such as the Maruti 800 and Alto. The mini and compact segments of cars shorter than 4 metres (13 ft 1.4 in) account for three-quarters of India's car market.

Among the more than 10 tiny cars to be launched at the show will be GM's Chevrolet Beat, a compact hatchback designed for the Indian market and due to hit showrooms in 2010.

Honda Motor will make a splash with the "New Small Concept" to occupy the space below its Jazz/Fit model.

Volkswagen will display the Polo, local production of which began this month near Mumbai.

Ford Motor will showcase Figo, introduced by CEO Alan Mulally earlier this year.

Market leader Maruti Suzuki, meanwhile, is working its way up the product line-up, with plans to debut a compact multi-purpose vehicle concept called Concept R3.

Delhi Auto Show: The Delhi Auto Expo, which runs from January 5-11 is set to host 10 global launches, all in the small car segment.

India, where about 10 million cars, trucks and motorcycles are sold a year, is Asia's fourth-largest auto market and the world's fourth-largest truck market.

Below is a sampling of models to be exhibited:

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd

* Compact, six-seater multi-purpose vehicle concept R3

* Multipurpose family car Eeco, to be sold from Jan. 7, priced under 400,000 rupees ($8,547)

* Suzuki Kizashi, imported from Japan

* Around 17 new and existing vehicles total

Toyota motor corp

* Concept model of compact car code-named EFC, or Entry Family Car

* A total 14 production and concept vehicles, including the Prius hybrid and an electric commuter car

General Motors Co

* Chevrolet Beat for the Indian market

* Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid car

* Chevrolet Camaro sports car

Ford Motor Co

* Figo compact vehicle to be launched next year

Honda Motor Co

* Concept model of new small car for the India and other emerging markets

Volkswagen AG

* Polo hatchback and sedan

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Delphi to showcase auto components at Delhi Expo - Hindu Business Line

Posted: 28 Dec 2009 12:37 AM PST

Update at 1410 hrs (IST)

Corporate
Delphi to showcase auto components at Delhi Expo

NEW DELHI: Global auto component maker Delphi on Monday said it will showcase a number of its automotive technologies during next months Delhi Auto Expo including SD card-based navigation and generic body control module designs.

The Troy (Michigan)-based company will also display other products like advanced engine management systems for cars and two-wheelers, battery monitor for lower energy consumption, alternate refrigerant solutions, and enhanced vehicle security, consumer s afety and accident prevention products.

We are excited about the opportunities offered by the Indian market and we are committed to grow our businesses with both domestic and international original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Our exhibit at Auto Expo will showcase comprehensive technology portfolio relevant for the India market, the Delphi Asia Pacific President, Mr Majdi Abulaban, said.

He said the displays are a precursor to the companys plans for expanding its product portfolio in the country.

The companys electronics and safety division will demonstrate SD card-based navigation which can support over one million searchable point of interests.

Its powertrain systems division will showcase evaporative emission canisters, Gas EMS product portfolio and fuel handling systems, while the companys thermal division will feature an alternate refrigerant solution.

Delphi has more than one lakh employees at 270 locations in 32 countries. In India, its major customers include OEMs like Maruti Suzuki India, Tata Motors, Toyota Kisloskar, and Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India. PTI

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Gearheads compare Triumph, Buell, BMW - Edmonton Journal

Posted: 28 Dec 2009 12:01 AM PST

In the automotive world, it's all so easy; the more pistons you have the sportier the car.

Oh, you can futz with the system with the addition of a supercharger, but, in general, the more connecting rods an engine has, the faster the car goes.

Motorcycles are not nearly as simple. When motorcycling was in its infancy, almost all bikes were singles or V-twins, simply because nobody figured out how to make a multi-cylinder motorcycle work. Then, the Japanese bike makers came along and showed the world how to create the now-classic across-the-beam in-line-four-cylinder. For 25 years, it was accepted that a four-cylinder engine was fast; anything else was slow.

Then, Ducati resurfaced as a superbike force and -- regardless of whether you agree with the displacement advantages various racing associations grant the blood-red V-twins-- the Italians re-popularized what had become a forgotten engine format. Not quite as historic but equally forgotten, the three-cylinder motorcycle engine has also recently been resurrected by Triumph, first as a comfy-cosy, somewhat flatulent touring power plant, but more recently in some seriously fire-breathing sportbikes. So, the argument begins anew: which is the superior sporting motorcycle engine -- two, three or four cylinders?

This was the premise (or excuse) for a track comparison -- not that I or any other member of Team Rigor Mortis (still alive and flailing despite our age) needs an excuse. As a further twist, however, we decided to test the three engines in their "naked" bike format, having noticed in previous tests that the fairing-less motorcycles' more upright seating position was easier on our pitiful bodies.

The weapons chosen were actually kind of obvious. Triumph's Street Triple R made the grade because its supersports cousin -- the Daytona 675 -- won our last track shootout.

The Buell 1125CR made an appearance because a) we didn't know it was going out of business and b) it was a new take on a format we liked.

BMW's K1300R was the least obvious choice until one realizes BMW makes the most powerful naked bike.

Indeed, the BMW proved two things, at least one of them obvious.

The first -- and, again, this is no great surprise -- huge amounts of power are massively entertaining. Tiptoe the 173-horsepower K1300 through Shannonville Motorsport Park's tightest hairpin and it launches down the back straight like all the hounds of Hades have assembled right here in southern Ontario.

By the end of the straight, there's a whopping 250 kilometres an hour on the speedo, assuming you are brave enough to keep the throttle pinned long past a sensible braking point and stupid enough to be looking at the gauges when doing this.

Foolish or not, that phenomenal turn of speed illustrates one important fact -- all things being equal (and, in this case, we admit they weren't), four-cylinder engines produce more top-end power than their two-and three-cylinder counterparts.

It's a simple matter of valve area or, more accurately, valve circumference. But four-bangers can pack more of it in for a given displacement than can twins or triples, so for the same displacement and state-of-tune (i. e., camshafts, etc.), a four will always be more powerful.

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Delphi to showcase number of auto components in Delhi Expo - Economic Times

Posted: 28 Dec 2009 12:44 AM PST

NEW DELHI: Global auto component maker Delphi on Monday said it will showcase a number of its automotive technologies during next month's Delhi Auto Expo including SD card-based navigation and generic body control module designs.

The Troy (Michigan)-based firm will also display other products like advanced engine management systems for cars and two-wheelers, battery monitor for lower energy consumption, alternate refrigerant solutions, and enhanced vehicle security, consumer safety and accident prevention products.

"We are excited about the opportunities offered by the Indian market and we are committed to grow our businesses with both domestic and international original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Our exhibit at Auto Expo will showcase comprehensive technology portfolio relevant for the India market," Delphi Asia Pacific President Majdi Abulaban said.

He said the displays are a precursor to the company's plans for expanding its product portfolio in the country.

The company's Electronics and Safety division will demonstrate SD Card-based Navigation which can support over one million searchable point of interests.

Its Powertrain Systems division will showcase Evaporative Emission Canisters, Gas EMS product portfolio and Fuel Handling Systems, while the company's Thermal division will feature an alternate refrigerant solution.

Delphi has more than One lakh employees at 270 locations in 32 countries. In India, its major customers include OEMs like Maruti Suzuki India, Tata Motors, Toyota Kisloskar and Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India.

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