Tata Motors car sales slump 5% in September, EVs grow 57%

Tata Motors car sales slump 5% in September, EVs grow 57%

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Tata Motors on Sunday announced in a regulatory filing that the automaker registered a five per cent sales slump in September in the passenger vehicle segment. The homegrown automobile manufacturer claims to have sold a total of 45,317 cars last month, down five per cent from 47,864 units registered in the same month a year ago.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 01 Oct 2023, 17:37 PM

Tata Nexon facelift
Tata Motors is expecting to see sales growth during the festive season thanks to the new product launches.

Domestic sales of Tata Motors’ passenger vehicle sales in September were down by six per cent at 44,809 units. In comparison, the auto manufacturer sold 47,654 units in the same month last year. Export numbers in the segment have jumped 142 per cent to 508 units last month, up from 210 units registered in September last year.

Watch: 2023 Tata Nexon EV facelift first drive review: Best-seller gets even better?

Total passenger vehicle sales in the second quarter of the current financial year too were down by three per cent to 138,939 units, as compared to 142,851 units sold between July and September 2023. Domestic sales of Tata passenger vehicles were down by 2.7 per cent to 137,950 units in the same period, as compared to 142,325 units recorded in the corresponding period of last fiscal.

While the overall passenger vehicle sales slumped marginally for the homegrown automobile manufacturer, sales of electric vehicles have recorded impressive growth. Tata Motors has registered a whopping 57 per cent growth in the electric vehicle segment with its models like the Nexon EV, Tigor EV and Tiago EV. The automaker claims to have sold 6,050 electric cars last month, up from 3,864 EVs sold in the same month a year ago. In the second quarter of the current financial year, Tata Motors sold 18,615 electric cars, up 55 per cent from 12,041 units sold in the same period a year ago.

Watch: Tata Nexon facelift first drive review: Can it set the benchmark higher?

Speaking about the sales performance, Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd. and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd., said that the PV sales remained strong in the second quarter of this financial year thanks to the new product launches. “Passenger vehicle sales remained strong in Q2 FY24 driven by new launches and pre-festive offtakes. Tata Motors posted quarterly sales of 138,939 cars and SUVs in Q2 FY24, 2.7 per cent below our highest-ever quarter, Q2 FY23. Our EV business continues its strong momentum and has posted growth of about 55 per cent year-on-year. In Q2 FY24, we extended our innovative twin-cylinder CNG offering to Tiago, Tigor and Punch, which have been received well by the market. This quarter also saw the launch of the new generation Nexon and Nexon.ev, which have received an overwhelming market response. We had proactively reduced supplies of the outgoing models this quarter to enable a smooth transition to the new generation models,” he said further adding that with the deliveries commencing of its new products, Tata Motors is expecting higher sales volumes in the festive season and beyond.

First Published Date: 01 Oct 2023, 17:37 PM IST

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Future of our transport will be on green hydrogen: Hardeep Singh Puri

Future of our transport will be on green hydrogen: Hardeep Singh Puri

by with No Comment Electric vehicles cars

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Under this initiative, Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) has embarked on a meticulously designed program to conduct operational trials of 15 Fuel Cell buses powered by Green hydrogen.

These trials will encompass designated routes in Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. The project’s inaugural moment saw the launch of the first set of two fuel cell buses from India Gate. This program is the first of its kind in India to dispense green hydrogen at 350 bar pressure for operating fuel cell buses.

Furthermore, Indian Oil has established a cutting-edge dispensing facility at its research and development (R&D) campus in Faridabad. This facility can refuel green hydrogen produced through electrolysis using solar photovoltaic panels.

According to SM Vaidya, Chairman of Indian Oil, the launch of these two buses signifies the commencement of a comprehensive assessment of the performance and durability of this new technology. The trial period, spanning more than 3 lakh kilometres across all buses, will generate vital data that will serve as a national repository.

This repository is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of zero-emission mobility in India, powered by green hydrogen. In his address, Hardeep Singh Puri emphasized, the Indian government’s commitment to clean and green energy. Hardeep Singh Puri said, “The Future of our transport will be on green hydrogen”.

BMW is among the automakers who have been working on hydrogen fuel cell technology over the last few years, as hydrogen could be a potential green and clean fuel for future cars.
BMW is among the automakers who have been working on hydrogen fuel cell technology over the last few years, as hydrogen could be a potential green and clean fuel for future cars.

India’s endeavours in the realm of low-carbon development, including emerging fuels like hydrogen and biofuels, are central to these efforts. Puri said, “India has one of the largest synchronous grids in the world, capable of handling intermittent renewable energy and we have achieved ‘One Nation-One Grid-One Frequency’.”

India, with its extensive synchronous grid capable of handling intermittent renewable energy, is poised to be a global champion in hydrogen production and exports. “We have recently witnessed the launch of the world’s first Bharat Stage 6 (BS 6) (Stage II) Electrified Flex Fuel vehicle prototype that encompasses both the flex fuel engine as well as an electric powertrain that offers higher use of ethanol combined with better fuel efficiencies. With Industry and Government collaboration, India is on its way to becoming a global hub for cleaner technologies and achieving self-reliance in energy soon”, Puri said.

Hydrogen, hailed as the fuel of the future, holds immense potential in helping India achieve its decarbonization targets. The global demand for hydrogen is projected to surge four to seven times by 2050, reaching 500-800 million tonnes. Domestically, demand is set to quadruple, from the current 6 million tonnes to 25-28 million tonnes by 2050.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is actively driving initiatives related to green hydrogen, including production and utilization in refineries, hydrogen blending in natural gas pipelines, localization of electrolyzer-based technologies, and promoting bio-pathways for green hydrogen production.

Fuel cells, the heart of these green hydrogen-powered buses, employ hydrogen and air to generate electricity for propulsion.

These buses are environmentally friendly, with the only byproduct being water, offering a stark contrast to conventional buses running on diesel and petrol.

Fuel cells are also highly efficient compared to internal combustion engines. Fuel cells boast an electrical efficiency of 55-60 per cent, a notable improvement over the thermal efficiency of 25 per cent for conventional internal combustion engines.

These buses are set to achieve a remarkable fuel economy of around 12 km per kilogram of hydrogen, compared to 2.5-3 km per litre for diesel buses.

Hardeep Singh Puri commended IOCL and Tata Motors for their collaborative efforts in developing indigenous solutions for fuel cells and hydrogen infrastructure for heavy-duty buses in passenger transport applications.

Puri stated, “I would like to congratulate the IOCL team for undertaking this collaborative approach along with Tata Motors for the development of indigenous solutions pertaining to Fuel Cell and hydrogen infrastructure in the country, for heavy-duty buses for passenger transport application. I am sure that the ecosystem developed through efforts like these can integrate a larger economy with the energy sector”.

He stressed that this green hydrogen-powered bus initiative could potentially transform India into a net exporter of clean hydrogen energy and set a global precedent in technology transfer and green hydrogen production.

The initiative has plans to soon operate an additional 15 fuel cell buses in the National Capital Region (NCR). Minister Puri expressed his commitment to closely monitoring this project, highlighting its importance on the national stage and its potential to revolutionize city transport in India.

India’s foray into green hydrogen technology signifies a significant stride toward achieving energy self-reliance and global leadership in the realm of sustainable energy solutions.

First Published Date: 25 Sep 2023, 17:11 PM IST

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2023 Tata Nexon EV facelift vs Mahindra XUV400: Price comparison

2023 Tata Nexon EV facelift vs Mahindra XUV400: Price comparison

by with No Comment Electric vehicles cars

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Tata Motors has tasted pretty good success with the Nexon EV. The pure electric version of the compact SUV was launched as the first-ever electric car from the homegrown brand. Since its launch, the Nexon EV has helped the automaker to grab around 80 per cent of the Indian electric car market. The facelifted iteration of the car aims to further strengthen the company’s grip in the segment.

Watch: 2023 Tata Nexon EV facelift first drive review: Best-seller gets even better?

Here is a price comparison between the 2023 Tata Nexon Ev facelift and its closest competitor Mahindra XUV400.

2023 Tata Nexon EV facelift vs Mahindra XUV400: Price

The 2023 Tata Nexon EV facelift is priced between ₹14.74 lakh and ₹19.94 lakh (ex-showroom). Available in six trim options, the SUV comes available in two different powertrain variants: Long Range and Mid Range. The Nexon Ev facelift trims are Creative Plus, Fearless, Fearless Plus, Fearless Plus S, Empowered and Empowered Plus.

On the other hand, the Mahindra XUV400 comes available in trim options: EC Standard, EC Fast and EL (Long Range). This electric compact SUV is available at a pricing range of ₹15.99 lakh and ₹19.19 lakh (ex-showroom).

The all-new 2023 Tata Nexon EV facelift clearly comes undercutting its closest rival Mahindra XUV400 EV, as the base variant of the Nexon EV facelift, which is the Creative Plus is priced lower than the Mahindra XUV400 EV’s base variant EC Standard that comes priced at ₹15.99 lakh (ex-showroom).

First Published Date: 15 Sep 2023, 16:33 PM IST

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Maruti Suzuki aims to make 40 lakh cars annually by 2031, focusing on new tech

Maruti Suzuki aims to make 40 lakh cars annually by 2031, focusing on new tech

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Maruti Suzuki plans to invest a whopping ₹45,000 crore to double its annual production capacity in the next eight years, reported PTI. Maruti Suzuki India’s chairman RC Bhargava reportedly said on Tuesday that the automaker plans to produce 40 lakh cars annually by 2031 with the influx of investment it is making to double production capacity. This comes at a juncture when the Indian auto industry like the rest of the global automobile industry is witnessing the introduction of new technologies and Maruti Suzuki is aiming to take a lead in that.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 29 Aug 2023, 15:25 PM

Besides focusing on doubling production capacity to 40 lakh cars annually by 2031, Maruti Suzuki is also emphasising on development of new technology for its vehicle fleet.

Despite being the largest car brand in India, Maruti Suzuki is yet to penetrate the EV segment, while Tata Motors, Hyundai, MG Motors and Mahindra along with several luxury car brands have already launched their respective products in the country’s electric car segment. Speaking about this, Bhargava accepted that the company is late in the segment but believes that it will not impact the brand by damaging its ability to get an adequate market share in the space.

Also Read : Maruti Suzuki plans 10 new cars including 6 electric cars by 2030. Details here

Watch: Maruti unveiled eVX EV Concept at Auto Expo 2023

He also said that Maruti Suzuki aims to launch six electric cars by the decade’s end, which would give it a strong position in the market. “Yes, we are behind some companies in launching EV but that does not mean that we are late in the market or that when we are coming in 2024-25, we will have in any way damaged our ability to get an adequate market share,” he added.

As Maruti Suzuki is thriving towards greener and cleaner powertrain technology, it will increasingly focus on a wide range of new technologies including electric vehicles, hybrids, CNG, ethanol and compressed biogas in the coming days, said Bhargava. Speaking about these technologies, he also said that it is difficult to predict what will happen in the next eight to ten years.

Bhargava also said that Maruti Suzuki has reached the 20 lakh units annual production and sales milestone. Now, it is aiming to double that figure by reaching the 40 lakh units annual production and sales milestone, he said. The plan will be part of the automaker’s ‘Maruti 3.0’ strategy, under which the company is targeting to add another 20 lakh units of production capacity with about 28 different car models in the market by FY 2030-31.

The Maruti Suzuki chairman said that the era ahead is going to be a very uncertain and challenging one. “The era before us is going to be a very uncertain era, a very challenging era. Putting up these two million cars itself will cost us something close to ₹45,000 crore. It depends how inflation goes but at the moment we estimate the cost about ₹45,000 crore for two million cars,” Bhargava said.

First Published Date: 29 Aug 2023, 15:25 PM IST

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Tata Punch iCNG launched at ₹7.10 lakh, comes with a sunroof

Tata Punch iCNG launched at ₹7.10 lakh, comes with a sunroof

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Powering the Punch iCNG is a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder engine that produces 84.82 bhp of max power and a peak torque output of 113 Nm while running on petrol. On CNG, the power output falls to 75.94 bhp whereas the torque output decreases to 97 Nm. The engine comes mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed AMT. However, the CNG powertrain only gets a 5-speed AMT.

One of the biggest distinguishing features of Tata’s iCNG range is the use of dual-cylinder tech. Instead of using one large CNG cylinder, Tata Motors is using two small 30-litre cylinders which means the total capacity is rated for 60 litres. The cylinders are placed in the floor well of the boot. This means that there is still a usable boot space available for the occupants to store their luggage and other stuff.

Being a Tata, the CNG vehicles also come with several safety features. It gets a leak detection feature and Tata is using high-quality stainless steel and rust and corrosion-resistant materials. There is also thermal incident protection in which the CNG supply to the engine is cut off automatically and the gas in the cylinder is released into the atmosphere automatically. There is also a microswitch that makes sure that the car does not start if the fuel lid is open.

Cosmetically, the brand has not made any changes apart from the new iCNG badging. The cabin gets a CNG button that is used to switch the fuel supply from CNG to petrol or vice versa. The instrument cluster is updated to show a CNG gauge.

The Tata Punch CNG will come with twin-cylinder technology that brings two 30-litre tanks under the boot space, for a more practical storage solution
The Tata Punch CNG will come with twin-cylinder technology that brings two 30-litre tanks under the boot space, for a more practical storage solution

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Vinay Pant, Head-Marketing, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd., said: “Building further on our success with the Altroz iCNG, and to make the CNG segment even more hotly contested, we are excited to introduce the twin cylinder technology in not just one but three products today – the Tiago, Tigor and the much awaited and loved sub compact SUV, the Tata Punch. Since its debut at the Auto Expo 2023, the Punch iCNG has been one of the most awaited products in this segment. With its uncompromised boot space and high end feature upgrades, the Punch iCNG demonstrates the go anywhere attitude of an SUV, which is engineered to meet the constantly evolving requirements of customers, who are tech savvy and demand best in class features along with an environment friendly and economical product. I am confident that these introductions put together will make our CNG line up appealing, holistic and stronger than ever.”

First Published Date: 04 Aug 2023, 12:51 PM IST

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Tata’s Jaguar aims to bounce back from mediocrity with a shock design. Know more

Tata’s Jaguar aims to bounce back from mediocrity with a shock design. Know more

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Tata Motors-owned British luxury car brand Jaguar aims to bounce back from mediocrity. To achieve that target, the automaker plans to tap rich American buyers with polarizing designs. Auto News has reported that the automaker is targeting 20 million millionaires in the US who could be its potential customers in an attempt to salvage the brand. Jaguar Land Rover CEO Adrian Mardell believes that chasing volume has impacted the brand negatively and in a revised strategy, the company aims to change that situation.

The report has quoted Mardell saying that Jaguar will aim for a lower volume and higher price positioning, which will be the right thing to do for the company. This would make the Jaguar cars more elusively premium, raising the bar. He pointed to the fact that during the 1990s, Jaguar was highly successful in the North American market, when its cars were more expensive and targeted a wealthier demographic than the brand has been chasing for the last 20 years.

(Also read: JLR on track to become all-electric luxury brand; new car launches slated for 2025: N Chandrasekaran)

The JLR chief further conceded that the automaker’s strategy to chase volume during the previous two decades, first under Ford and then Tata Motors, has resulted in it losing touch with the wealthy car buyer community. He also admitted that it is a lot of work to build that brand equity. In order to bring back the luxury glory to the brand, Jaguar is focusing on fearless designs, which would be conceived to shock and reengage wealthy buyers.

The auto company’s design chief Gerry McGovern said that the brand will not worry about being loved by everybody. “What we will not worry about is being loved by everybody, because that is the kiss of death,” he said further adding that this is what has put Jaguar in the situation it is in today, which is with no equity whatsoever.

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