Rise of the new auto superpower — India

India now has become the seventh largest vehicle producing country in the world, a top government official said.



'India was projected to become the seventh largest vehicle producing country in the world by 2016. We have achieved this milestone good six years ahead of the set target,' said B S Meena, Secretary for Ministry of Heavy Industry, while speaking at the a roundtable conference in the capital.






He also said the sector has performed extremely well in the period up to August with cumulative production of vehicles growing at 32.4 percent over the same period last year.

'While globally the automotive sector is still to recover fully from the downturn, we in India have been recording impressive growth figures. In fact, India was the second fastest growing auto market in 2009-10', he said.





According to him, the passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles and two-wheeler segments have all recorded growth rates of 32 percent, 49 percent and 31 percent respectively during this period.

Meena also said that it is estimated that the Indian passenger vehicles segment will grow to nine million in 2020 and the two-wheeler segment by 30 million units.

Kinetic Onslaught, Mercedes-style!

Saeed Akhtar takes a look at the SLS AMG E-Cell and explains why it holds such significance for petrol-heads everywhere.



A sportscar and electric-powered? Ludicrous! That might have been the instantaneous reaction a couple of years years ago. Not now, though, for it is rapidly evolving into a reality thanks to a number of inter-connected and inter-dependent factors. As the world struggles to cope with dwindling oil resources, the connoisseurs of fast cars are beginning to feel the guilt while cruising down Sunset Boulevard (replace it with your local elite street here) in their V8-powered missiles. Added to that is the realisation that one doesn't always need a supercar to drop the kids to school or fetch the mom from the airport. And that's where cars like the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-Cell come into the picture.

Looks to drool over



Looks are an important USP in supercars and the E-Cell does not let you down on this count. The highly attractive SLS AMG body-shell with its unmistakable gullwing doors has now been rendered even more visible owing to the 'AMG Lumilectric Mango' colour scheme. With a colour scheme like that, the E-Cell wouldn't need any V8-induced roar to call attention to itself!

It's both the beauty and the beast...



Let's first get the technicals out of the way. The E-Cell is powered by a lithium-ion battery pack (supplied by Deutsche Accumotive GmbH & Co. KG ) that provides motive power to four electric motors mounted on each of the E-Cell's wheels. In this guise, the E-Cell churns out 533 PS of peak power and a maximum torque of 880 Nm. To put things into perspective, the 6.2-litre, V8-powered SLS AMG puts out 571 PS and 650 Nm. Even after taking into account the increase in weight (because of the battery pack), these figures put the E-Cell bang into supercar territory with a 0-100 km/h timing of four seconds. Its top speed remains unknown as of now.

Sci-fi interiors



The transformation from petrol to an electric super sports car also called for some specific changes in the interior. The newly designed centre console is now dominated by a 25-cm touchscreen, which allows easy access to all the audio, climate and navigation functions, and also provides information on the flow of power to the four electric motors. The instrument console has been tweaked to resemble something straight out of the sets of 'Tron: Legacy' and provides information about vehicle speed, battery charge status and estimated range.

No compromise in performance!



AMG has also developed special 10-spoke, lightweight alloys for the E-Cell, which are fitted with 265/35 R19 tyres at the front and 295/30 R20 at the rear. As you might have guessed, the fitment of electric motors to the wheels also necessitated rework of the car's suspension. In place of the double wishbones that do the duty in the regular SLS AMG, Mercedes have now opted for an independent multi-link setup with push-rod dampers. Not much of a compromise there, then.

When are you getting yours?



The E-Cell is slated to go on sale in 2013. When it does, this tennis-ball coloured projectile will oust the Tesla Roadster as the torchbearer among fully electric supercars.

Just a bit of friendly advice. If you do buy one, always think twice before parking it in confined spaces, else you might get trapped inside your electric missile with no rescue in sight!

Source: Car India

Tata Nano: From 'people's car' to 'trophy car'

Leena Jacob, an IT professional based in Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram, is delighted with her Tata Nano. The small car, she says, proves very useful and convenient for city driving. The other two cars in the family garage: a Honda City and a Maruti Swift.

"I am afraid of taking my Honda City into the heavily congested city roads, but the Nano is very convenient," she said. The main advantage, according to Jacob, is its ease of handling and small size, letting her park in half the space of the Honda City.

In Mumbai, S P Shah, director-general, Federation of Automobile Dealers' Association, is waiting for Nano bookings to start again. "I drive a Honda City to office every day and find it very cumbersome to park. I will definitely buy a Nano when bookings reopen," said Shah.



Jacob and Shah are not alone. According to Tata dealers in various cities and towns, nearly 60-80 per cent of Nano buyers already own one or even two cars, but still prefer to purchase another small car. That is why it is not uncommon to spot a chauffeur-driven Nano on Peddar Road, which houses some of Mumbai's richest denizens.

While Tata Motors does not share customer profiles, a leading dealer in Delhi who sells both Tata and Fiat vehicles, confirmed: "Around 70 per cent of Nano buyers already have a car. They purchase a Nano for different reasons: to pick up children from school or go to crowded markets. The age profile could vary, from those in their 20s to 50s."

A dealer in Mumbai reiterates the point, saying around 60 per cent of those that booked a Nano already had a car in the family.



The fact that, in most cases, it is not a first-time car buyer moving up from a two-wheeler to a Nano is reflected in the fact that just 20 per cent of the 100,000 Nanos booked so far were the standard, no-frills version. "I use the Nano on short trips, like to the station and back, or to similar crowded areas as manoeuvring or parking the car is very simple. But, I prefer driving my wife's Maruti Zen Estilo for longer journeys," said Mumbaikar Ashok Vichare, the first buyer of the Nano.

Booking trends are the same in Kerala, where Tata Motors successfully cashed in on Onam -- the state's biggest festival -- by promising to deliver the car within 30 days. The new buyers range from well-heeled IT professionals to housewives, who already have a hatchback or a sedan in the family. Tata Motors reopened Nano bookings from August 1 in Kerala. Says R S Murali, sales coordinator at R S Motors in Kochi: "People booking the car are between the ages of 30 and 45, and mostly have a car in the family already. We have booked 1,000 Nanos since August 1."

In overcrowded cities, the Nano is emerging the vehicle of choice for daily commuting for its agility, practicality and fuel efficiency. Shorter than the Maruti 800, but roomier inside, the Nano delivers 23 km a litre. In addition, buyers also speak highly about its design and styling, which they consider far better than the Maruti 800, which costs around 55 per cent more.



Ironically, many had expected the Nano to eat into sales of two-wheelers, especially motorbikes, compelling companies like Bajaj Auto to manufacture its version of the small car. But the expected change has not happened.

Says S Sridhar, chief executive (two-wheelers), Bajaj Auto: "When you put out a low-cost car in the market, consumers immediately compare it with a two-wheeler. But 30 per cent of two-wheeler buyers today are students looking for something sporty. The balance of customers is from B- and C-class towns, where road conditions are poor and the maintenance cost of a car is higher than that of a motorcycle."



Nevertheless, Bajaj Auto is working on a low-cost car. But, it is looking at a car whose running costs will be low because of higher fuel efficiency.

One of the main reasons why the Nano hasn't pulled consumers looking for the first car, said auto experts, is because of the poor exposure the car has received since it was unveiled, which could have defined its road worthiness. "The performance of the vehicle cannot be evaluated now, because it is too short a period to have a clear idea on its performance," says Baiju N Nair, chief editor, Overtake, a local auto magazine in Kerala.

Source: Business Standard