Tata Motors Dharwad Plant bags National Energy Conservation Award 2015

Tata Motors Dharwad Plant has been awarded the first prize at the National Energy Conservation Awards 2015, in the Automobile Sector, by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)

Tata Motors Dharwad Plant achieved 12 per cent reduction in energy consumption in FY 14-15 over FY 13-14, by taking up various initiatives to reduce High Speed Diesel (HSD) and Power Consumption, some of which are mentioned below.

To reduce High Speed Diesel

• Low temp Degreasing chemical was developed for ACC line.
• ACC & PCC oven nozzles modified to optimize the usage of HSD.
• Hot water circulation system in Paint Shop was modified ,thereby reducing the HSD consumption

The following initiatives were taken to reduce Power Consumption

• Installation of Variable Speed Drive (VFD) for blowers in BIW Shop
• Use of portable compressors in Paint Shop during colour change
• Relocation of chiller unit outside Paint Shop.
• 

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. K Mohan Kumar – Plant Head, Tata Motors, Dharwad plant said“We at Tata Motors, are extremely delighted to have received this award from BEE". This award is a testament of ongoing efforts by each and every one at TML Dharwad Plant towards making our facility greener and efficient in terms of energy utilization. This award has encouraged our team to continue to adopt of energy efficient practices and technologies and we hope to become a benchmark of a green manufacturing set-up in India.

Tata Motors Limited, Dharwad started its operations in March 2012. ACE Zip – India’s first mini truck. Light and Intermediate Commercial Vehicle Chassis are also produced at this Plant. In a short span since its inception, the plant has been bestowed with prestigious awards namely, Platinum Rating by Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), Golden Peacock for Environment Management in 2014, Karnataka State Safety Award, and the plant is also certified with ISO 14001:2004, ISO 50001:2011, TS 16949:2009.

Maruti unveil first look of their upcoming Compact SUV - Vitara Brezza

The much awaited “compact SUV” from Maruti Suzuki will be called Vitara Brezza.

The global unveil of Vitara Brezza will take place at Delhi Auto Expo in early February.

The first sketch of Vitara Brezza points to a stylish compact SUV that is confident and energetic, designed to especially appeal the urban SUV customer. On the exterior, the designer has captured the essence of an SUV profile and infused it with the dynamism of urban vehicles.

Several elements in the exterior design impart a distinct character to the Brezza. In the words of the designer: “Balanced proportion supported by square wheel arches, short overhangs, high ground clearance and upright hood gives the vehicle a confident stance. The raising belt and rocker lines, and the roofline that slopes down gently towards the rear give the vehicle a dynamic posture.”

Drawing our attention to the nuances, the designer says: “The body surfaces are natural and sculpted tastefully to create the right interplay of highlight and shadow. Instantly recognizable floating roof over the wraparound greenhouse adds to the visual drama, and makes the Brezza standout in the crowd.”

Stand out, it does!

Brezza, Italian for “fresh breeze”, will be launched in the Indian market a few weeks after the Delhi Auto Expo. More details will be available in the run-up to the Expo.

Automotive Updates - 6th and 7th January 2016

• Bajaj Auto Ltd, India’s largest exporter of motorcycles and three wheelers, will enter a dozen new export markets by end of March, a top company official said in an interview on Tuesday.The maker of Pulsar and Avenger motorcycle brands has reported a decline in exports volume in the last few months because of political and economic uncertainties in some of its export markets, particularly in oil-producing emerging markets. Bajaj plans to maintain its leadership in the export market by expanding into newer markets— a plan that some analysts are skeptical about given the current stress on emerging market economies and their currencies.(livemint)

• As India gears up to leapfrog to BS VI auto fuel emission norms by April 2020 to check pollution, Maruti Suzuki on Thursday said this will not bring any perceptible change in air quality but may push car prices by anywhere between Rs 20,000 to Rs 2 lakh.Stating that cars contribute only 2 per cent to the overall pollution, Maruti Suzuki Chairman R C Bhargava said it will be a challenge to upgrade technologies to meet BS VI norms in just four years and prices could go up by anywhere between Rs 20,000 to Rs 2 lakh depending on the vehicles.(businesstoday)

• Mahindra has launched the new Imperio, its new single and double cab pick-up. This new pick-up is also based on the Ingenio platform that it shares with the Xylo, Genio and the Quanto. The Genio pick-up will be replaced by this new pick-up truck for the Indian car market. Talking of the engine, it has a 2,5-litre diesel engine that churns about 75bhp of power and 220Nm of torque. This pick-up has a payload of 1240 kilograms and it has a fuel efficiency of 13.55km/l. The other features on this vehicle are power and fuel economy mode and brakes with LSPV for effective braking. Mahindra is offering three years and 1 lakh km warranty on this pick-up.(cartrade)

• Swedish commercial vehicles major Volvo on Monday announced consolidation of its bus business in India into a group company, Volvo India Pvt. Ltd, which is also responsible for manufacturing of Volvo trucks.“With effect from 31 December 2015, Volvo Buses India has merged into the joint company of Volvo Group in India, namely Volvo India Pvt. Ltd (VIPL),” the group said in a statement on Monday.(livemint)

• To be displayed at the 2016 Auto Expo in February, the new Hyundai Tucson will be launched later in 2016 in India. It will be brought in as a CBU. The Indian version will be powered by a 2.0 liter CRDi diesel engine offering peak power of 182 hp and peak torque of 400 Nm mated to a 6 speed automatic transmission.(rushlane)

• Tata's much awaited hatchback - Zica, might be launched in India on January 20, 2016, according to our sources.This car measures 3,746 mm in length, 1,647 mm in width and 1,535 mm in height. It has a wheelbase of 2,400 mm and a ground clearance of 170 mm. The car boasts of a boot space of 242L, which is bigger than the Bolt (210L).(team-bhp)

•  Madison OOH, the outdoor unit of Madison World, has won the outdoor mandate of Tata Motors. The agency's specialist unit, Platinum Outdoor, bagged the business following a multi-agency pitch."Tata Motors is at a defining juncture in its evolution as it gears up to disrupt the passenger vehicles industry. With the combination of our campaigns and the immense expertise at Madison OOH, we are sure to present some interesting visual branding displays," said Delna Avari, head of marketing communication and services, passenger vehicle business unit, Tata Motors.(ETauto)

Mahindra's Auto Sector sells 37,915 units during December 2015, registers a 4% growth

 Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M Ltd.), India's leading SUV manufacturer, today announced its auto sales numbers which stood at 37,915 units during December 2015 as against 36,328 units during December 2014, representing a growth of 4%. The Passenger Vehicles segment (which includes UVs, Cars and Vans) sold 18,197 units in December 2015 as against 17,980 units during December 2014. The company's domestic sales stood at 34,839 units during December 2015 as against 34,460 units during December 2014. In December 2015, the Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicles segment sold 528 units, registering a growth of 74%. 

Exports for December 2015 stood at 3,076 units, registering a growth of 65%. 

Speaking on the auto sales performance for December 2015, Pravin Shah, President & Chief Executive (Automotive), M&M Ltd. said, "Inspite of a challenging external environment, we at Mahindra have closed December on a positive note. Having been encouraged with the positive response to our upcoming KUV100, we are excited about this compact SUV launch on 15th January, especially with our first mFalcon petrol offering. We are delighted with our exports performance during December which has grown by 65%". 

Honda Cars India Ltd. registers monthly domestic sales of 12,379 units in December 2015

Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL), leading manufacturer of premium cars in India, registered monthly domestic sales of 12,379 units in December 2015 against 14,428 units in the corresponding month in the year 2014.  

 The company registered a cumulative domestic sales of 1, 44,474 units in the period April-December 2015 against 1,31,133 units for the corresponding period of the year 2014 marking a growth of 10%.  

HCIL also exported a total of 364 units during December 2015.

HERO MOTOCORP REPORTS SALES OF 499,665 UNITS OF TWO-WHEELERS IN DECEMBER 2015

Hero MotoCorp Ltd. (HMCL) , the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, clocked 499,665 units of two-wheeler despatches in December 2015. The company had sold 526,097 units in December 2014.

 The calendar year 2015 marked several milestones in Hero MotoCorp’s journey towards being a global two-wheeler powerhouse.

Key Highlights 2015

Hero MotoCorp further extended its market leadership in overall two wheelers and motorcycles during the year.

Global Foray	-          Hero MotoCorp marked a historic milestone with the commencement of operations of its first overseas manufacturing facility at Villa Rica, Colombia
Consolidation of Leadership Team	-               Mr. Pawan Munjal        elevated as Chairman of Hero MotoCorp Ltd.
New facilities	-          Hero MotoCorp, in Joint Venture with Magneti Marelli (MM), commenced operations at its first autonomous ‘Production and Development Centre’ at Manesar, Haryana
Product launches	-                Hero MotoCorp launched two new scooters – the Maestro Edge & Duet – the first of its products developed by the in-house R&D team -             The company further strengthened its motorcycle portfolio with the launch of new Hero Xtreme Sports, Hero PassionPRO andHero SplendorPRO
Key Sales Performance	-             In October 2015, HMCL sold 639,802  units – all-time high despatch sales in a month -             Hero MotoCorp’s share in the domestic scooter market went up to 15%, up from 13% in September. -              Further consolidated its leadership by clocking 1 Million       units in retail sales during the 35 days’ festive period -            Hero HF Deluxe, the most popular commuter bike, became the third Hero product to join the million club by clocking 1 Million unit sales in FY’15. The hugely popular Splendor and Passion have been million plus brands for many years
Sports Initiatives	-           Became the title sponsor of ‘Hero Caribbean Premier League’T20 tournament -         Hero MotoCorp hosted the prestigious ‘Hero World Challenge’along with the Tiger Woods Foundation, held in the Bahamas in December 2015
New Brand Ambassadors	-            Hero MotoCorp roped the Southern superstar Allu Arjun as its first regional brand ambassador

 

Tata Motors sales for December 2015 at 39,973 units

Key Highlights:

• LCVs witnessed a growth of 11% in December 2015, bucking recent trends
• M&HCVs continued to grow by 2% in December 2015
• Company’s exports grew by 15% in December 2015    

Tata Motors continued to witness year-on-year growth in the M&HCV segment in December 2015, with a growth of 2%. Total sale of Tata Motors passenger and commercial vehicles (including exports) were at 39,973 vehicles, lower by 4%, over 41,734 vehicles, sold in December 2014. The domestic sale of Tata commercial and passenger vehicles for December 2015 were at 35,416 nos. lower by 6% over 37,776 vehicles sold in December 2014. 

Cumulative sales (including exports) for the fiscal at 364,946 nos., higher by 1% over 362,986 vehicles, sold last year.

Commercial Vehicles

In commercial vehicles, while M&HCV sales continued to grow at 12,673 nos., higher by 2%, over December 2014, the Light & Small Commercial Vehicle sales has witnessed growth at 14,674 nos., higher by 11% over December 2014, thus increasing the overall commercial vehicles sales for Tata Motors in the domestic market by 6%, at 27,347 nos., in December 2015, compared to 25,736 nos in December 2014. LCV growth has come after many months, and if sustained, could see return of growth in this segment, albeit on a low base. 

Cumulative sales of commercial vehicles in the domestic market for the fiscal are at 227,655 nos., lower by 3% over last year. Cumulative LCV sales are at 118,797 nos., a decline of 18% over last year, while M&HCV sales at 108,858 nos., were higher by 22%, over last year.  

Passenger Vehicles

In December 2015, Tata Motors passenger vehicles sales were at 8,069 nos., decline of 33%, compared to 12,040 nos. The wholesales of passenger cars in December 2015 were lower by 31% at 6,900 nos., compared to 9,956 nos., in December 2014 and the UV sales declined by 44% at 1,169 nos., in December 2015.  

Last year, in the anticipation of increase in excise, effective 1st of January 2015, the sales in December 2014 increased unusually. Hence, this year the sales have been impacted due to a high base effect. 

Cumulative sales of all passenger vehicles in the domestic market for the fiscal are 96,390 nos., higher by 5% over last year.

Exports

The company’s sales from exports were 4,557 nos., in December 2015, higher by 15% compared to 3,958 vehicles in December 2014. The cumulative sales from exports for the fiscal are at 40,901 nos., were higher by 12%, over 36,626 nos., sold last year. 

Indian Automobile Sales - December 2015

• Country's largest car-maker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Friday reported a 8.5 per cent increase in total sales in December at 1,19,149 units as against 1,09,791 units in the same month in 2014.The company said its domestic sales increased 13.5 per cent during the month to 1,11,333 units as against 98,109 units in December 2014.

• Leading Indian automobile manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) on Friday reported a four percent rise in its vehicle sales in December 2015.The company sold 37,915 units overall in December 2015 against 36,328 units in December 2014, a rise of 1,587 units in the period under review."Inspite of a challenging external environment, we at Mahindra have closed December on a positive note," said Pravin Shah, president and chief executive (automotive), M&M in a statement.

• Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) has registered a 28.8 per cent increase in domestic sales last month at 41,861 units.But even while domestic sales grew by around 29 per cent, exports fell by 17 per cent to 22,274 units. Total sales went up by 8 per cent to 64,135 units during the month.

•  Ford India on Friday reported a 24.55 per cent decline in its total sales at 10,865 units in December.The company had sold 14,401 units in December 2014.

• VE Commercial Vehicles today reported 44.3 per cent increase in total sales in December at 5,068 units as against 3,512 in the same month of 2014.The company, a joint venture between Sweden's Volvo Group and Eicher Motors, said Eicher-branded trucks and buses recorded total sales of 4,951 units in December compared with 3,398 in the same month of 2014, up 45.7 per cent.

• Mahindra and Mahindra today reported a 3 per cent increase in its tractor sales at 12,868 units in December.The company had sold 12,474 units in the same month last year.

• Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) on Friday reported an 11 percent drop in its total car sales for December 2015.The company sold 10,442 units last month compared to 11,738 units sold in December 2014, a drop of 1,296 units on a month-on-month basis. In the same month, Toyota exported 441 units.

• Royal Enfield reported 41 per cent jump in its total motorcycles sales at 40,453 units during last month as against 28,634 units in December, 2014.Domestic sales of the Chennai-based two-wheeler maker stood at 40,037 units during the month as against 28,179 units in the same month of 2014, a jump of 42 per cent.Exports of Royal Enfield were at 416 units during the month as against 455 units in December 2014, down 9 per cent.

• Mahindra Two Wheelers (MTWL), part of the Mahindra Group, sold 12,112 units for December 2015. The company’s domestic sales during December 2015 stood at 10,488 units while exports stood at 1,624 units, the company said.

• The two-wheeler major, TVS Motor Company, on Saturday posted 4% growth in December sales at 2,02,086 units as compared to 1,94,481 units in December 2014.The company's total exports stood at 32,771 units in the month of December 2015 as against 32,969 units during same period a year ago. Two-wheeler exports grew by 5.5% with sales increasing from 24,556 units in December 2014 to 25,906 units December 2015.

•  Engineering and farm equipment major Escorts today reported 8.9 per cent decline in tractor sales in December 2015 to 2,751 units. It had sold 3,021 units in December 2014. Domestic sales during the month were down 5 per cent at 2,727 units compared with 2,871 units in December, 2014, the company said in a BSE filing. 

• Atul Auto gained 3% to Rs.564.50 after the company reported 8.01% growth in sales for the month of December 2015 at 4,005 units as compared to 3,708 units sold in December 2014.The company’s total sales from April to December this year rose by 6.49% and stood at 33,372 units as compared to 31,338 units in the same period last year.

• Hinduja Group flagship firm Ashok Leyland today reported a 31.4 per cent increase in total sales at 12,209 units in December 2015. The company had sold 9,290 units in the same month last year. 

• Hero Moto Corp reported a decline of five percent in sale for the last month of 2015, clocking sales of  499,665 units of two-wheeler while the company was able to sell 526,097 units in December 2014.

• Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL), leading manufacturer of premium cars in India, registered monthly domestic sales of 12,379 units in December 2015 against 14,428 units in the corresponding month in the year 2014.   The company registered a cumulative domestic sales of 1, 44,474 units in the period April-December 2015 against 1,31,133 units for the corresponding period of the year 2014 marking a growth of 10%.  HCIL also exported a total of 364 units during December 2015.

• The last quarter of 2015 has been quite successful for Renault in India. This can be attributed to the immensely successful, Renault Kwid. In December 2015 the French automaker registered a massive growth of 160%. It sold 10,292 units in December 2015 against 3,956 sold in December 2014. In the calendar year 2015

• Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) registered overall sales of 306,779 units for the month of December 2015, down from 3,48,737 units in December 2014. Out of the current numbers, scooter sales stood at 198,332 units while motorcycle sales stood at 92,380 units. Export sales came to 16.067 units for the same period. The market share claimed by Honda for December 2015 in the domestic market is 25%, while the domestic as well as export market combined market share stood 22%.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Sold 139, 815 Units in Calendar Year 2015 Registering a 5% Growth Over Total Sales in 2014

• Toyota Camry & Toyota Etios Series register a cumulative growth of 42% and 12% respectively in the year 2015 when compared to the same period last year
• Toyota Kirloskar Motor Sold 10, 442 Units in December 2015

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) sold a total of 139, 815 units in the calendar year 2015 thereby registering a cumulative growth of 5% when compared to the sales volume in the same period last year which was 132, 673 units.

TKM sold a total of 10, 883 units in December 2015. This includes 10, 442 units in the domestic market and 441 units in exports. The company had sold a total of 11, 738 units in the domestic market in December 2014. The monthly sales were considerably affected by factors like the ban on registration of diesel vehicles with engine capacity of more than 2000cc in Delhi & NCR where Toyota is significantly present. The monthly sales were also hit due to the floods in Chennai.

The Toyota Camry registered a cumulative growth of 42% in the year 2015 when compared to the same period last year. The new Toyota Camry launched in April 2015, constitutes 86% of the total Camry sales in 2015. Almost 90% of this sale can be attributed to Camry Hybrid alone.

The Toyota Etios series also clocked a cumulative growth of 12% in the year 2015 when compared to total sales of Etios series in 2014. The Etios Xclusive and the New Liva have been a huge hit amongst the masses which has also contributed to this growth.

Commenting on the sales, Mr. N Raja, Director and Senior Vice-President, Sales and Marketing said, "We have a seen a cumulative growth of 5% in  the calendar year 2015 when compared to the sales in the same period last year. The growth would have been higher if we didn’t have to face few challenges like the ban on registration of diesel vehicles in Delhi & NCR and the flood situation in Chennai".

Maruti Suzuki sales Jumps up to 8.5% in December 2015

Maruti Suzuki India Limited leader in passenger vehicles sold a total of 119,149 units in December 2015, a growth of 8.5 per cent. This includes 111,333 units in the domestic market and 7,816 units in exports.

The Company had sold a total of 109,791 units in December 2014.

The sales figures for December 2015 are given below: