Automotive Updates - 10th May 2014

• Hindustan Motors has informed the exchange that the company's board of directors, at its meeting held on May 10, 2014, has appointed Mr Uttam Bose as additional director, Mr. Moloy Chowdhury as manager, Mr Tarun Kumar Kabra as company secretary and Mr Aniruddha Sarkar as chief financial officer with effect from May 10, 2014. 

• This apart, the company has also decided to hire a consultant to get a perspective on the challenges and possible solutions for its Uttarpara plant in West Bengal. The move is part of the company's overall endeavour to restructure Hindustan Motors. 

• Indian automobile major Mahindra & Mahindra expanding its footprint in the United States opened Mahindra GenZe electric two-wheeler facility and the North American Technical Center in Southeast Michigan.

• According to a Business Standard report, Mahindra Two Wheelers will bring to the market several new products and variants over the next 12 months.The company, now under the watch of industry veteran Dr. Pawan Goenka who assumed the role of the president this year, is targeting annual sales of one million units with a 10 percent contribution from exports.

• Audi has beaten fellow German competitor BMW (and its i8 supercar) to the market with the launch of the first production car with laser headlamps. Only 99 units of the limtied edition Audi L8 LMX Coupe will be manufactured. The R8 was the first production vehicle to debut full-LED headlamps in 2008.

•  SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers (ACF), a joint venture between the BMW Group and SGL Group is tripling the capacity of carbon fiber plant in Moses Lake, USA, with an investment of $200 million, in addition to the previously invested $100 million.The expansion is expected to be complete by early 2015 to make the plant world's largest carbon fiber plant. With the anticipated creation of 120 new jobs, the headcount at the joint venture in Moses Lake is going to rise from currently 80 to about 200 people.

• Automobile production in Brazil rose 1.6 percent and sales climbed 21.8 percent in April from March, the national automakers' association said on Friday.Automakers in Brazil produced 277,100 new cars and trucks last month, while sales totaled 293,200 vehicles, according to data released by industry group Anfavea. Compared to April 2013, auto output fell 21.4 percent and sales dropped 12.1 percent.

• Venezuelans, who enjoy free highways and dirt-cheap gas, are struggling to buy cars as production falters thanks to a lack of foreign currency to pay for imported parts.Vehicle assembly plants are facing their worst year in the oil-rich OPEC nation, producing five times fewer vehicles than last year due to the lack of imported supplies amid an economic crisis that began last year.

• IBM and Robert Bosch GmbH have announced a collaborative partnership to create a new, data-driven model to more efficiently and accurately develop intelligent, interconnected automotive products.