Automotive Updates - 22nd August 2014

• Tata Motors Ltd’s board has approved a proposal to develop two sports utility vehicles (SUVs) with assistance from its UK luxury car making unit Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) as the Indian company looks to position them as global products, according to two people familiar with the development who spoke on condition of anonymity.(livemint.com)

• Maruti Suzuki India, the country's largest car maker, expects voting by minority shareholders to happen sometime in October for approval of its plans to let parent Suzuki Motor Corp own a proposed new plant in Gujarat."We haven't yet fixed a date. It could be in October probably but not certain yet," Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Chairman R C Bhargava told reporters in the national capital.(businesstoday.in)

• Given the Narendra Modi-led government’s focus on infrastructure and his recent call to drive manufacturing in India, Milacron LLC, the global leader in high precision plastic processing technologies and control systems, has announced plans to further invest $30 million (Rs 181.95 crore) in its India operations. The firm plans to invest $20 million (Rs 121.30 crore) in Ferromatik Milacron India’s Ahmedabad facility to double its manufacturing capacity of injection moulding machines and blow moulding machines as well as commence production of extrusion line. (autocarpro.in)
  

• Tata Motors, country's largest automobile manufacturer by revenues, will be using the 'hub-andspoke' model in which India will be the key manufacturing base while it will have mini-hubs in overseas markets. ET has learnt that the company is adopting the hub-and-spoke manufacturing model where the company plans to set up mini-hubs in potential markets like Africa (South Africa, East Africa and North Africa), the Middle East and South East Asia. The second phase will embark on setting up small assembly bases in Europe and Latin America. The company has set a target to be among the top 5 players, in those markets. (economicstimes.com)

• After successfully launching the second generation Elite i20 premium hatchback in the country, Hyundai India will focus on the compact SUV segment, an all-new turf for the South Korean manufacturer. The automaker is eyeing to increase its market share in India and is betting big on the new segments including MPVs to bring in substantial volumes for the company. The Korean automaker currently retails only the Santa Fe SUV in India and will launch the ix25 compact SUV next year (Hyundai’s next new product launch although the Elantra facelift will come before) that will be locking horns with the Renault Duster, Nissan Terrano, Ford EcoSport and the likes in the segment.(motorbeam.com)

• August 21 was a green-letter day for Toyota. Its UK manufacturing operations switched on almost 13,000 solar panels to power the Deeside factory in North Wales. These solar panels will provide up to 10 percent of all the electricity required for manufacturing at the site, which makes petrol and hybrid engines for Toyota Avensis and Auris models sold throughout Europe. The solar array, commissioned as a multi-million-pound project delivered by British Gas, will significantly reduce the site’s carbon emissions. It took three months to install the panels, supplied by Tata Power Solar, which cover an area that’s the equivalent of almost eight football pitches. .(autocarpro.in)

•  Sweden's SKF, the world's biggest bearings maker, said on Thursday Alrik Danielson would succeed Tom Johnstone as chief executive from 2015.Danielson has served as CEO of Hoganas, a producer of metal powders, since 2005. He worked previously at SKF from 1987 to 2005, holding a number of positions including president of its industrial division and serving as a member of its executive committee.(ETauto.com)

• Earlier today, Scania Commercial Vehicles India handed over India’s first ethanol-fuelled city bus to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for a trial run. The trial run spans three months and involves 5 buses during which Scania will bear fuel, staff and maintenance costs. Following a key hand over, the bus was flagged off by Shri Nitin Gadkari.(rushlane.com)

• Maruti SuzukiBSE 0.19 % India expects the economy to recover in the months ahead and is planning to launch a Light Commercial Vehicle ( LCV) next year, said Kenichi Ayukawa, MD & CEO, Maruti Suzuki. "We are expecting that economy will recover. The current demand trend should continue," Ayukawa said. "At the end of this month, is the festival season. We are expecting a good result for the following month also," Ayukawa said. (economicstimes.com)

• While the narrowing price gap between petrol and diesel fuels has resulted in petrol cars now outselling their diesel-engined counterparts, India’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki still sees huge potential in its diesel car portfolio. According to R C Bhargava, chairman, Maruti Suzuki, diesel-engined cars currently account for 49 percent of the total car market in India. However, for Maruti, the sale of diesel-run cars from its stable currently stands at only 29 percent to overall company sales, leaving behind huge scope for its diesel cars to catch up with market numbers.(autocarpro.in)

• BMW has started the production of the 5 Series with the second generation of popular automatic gearbox, the eight-speed ZF 8HP. Called 8HP50, the new gearbox will be first seen in the BMW 520d variant and will eventually be used in all other cars from different manufacturers.(carwale.com)

• 
  

•  images from economics times