Tag: maruti suzuki

Auto Expo 2023: EVs Take Centre Stage With Participation From Over 70 Automakers

The Auto Expo got off to a rousing start in the national capital on Friday, showcasing electric vehicles (EVs) by more than 70 domestic and international automakers.

EVs are at the centre stage of this year’s Auto Expo, Japan’s NHK World international service reported. Maruti Suzuki, a subsidiary of Japanese auto manufacturer Suzuki Motor, has the largest share in the passenger car segment in the Indian market. 

According to the NHK World report, Suzuki Motor President Suzuki Toshihiro said electric vehicles have emerged as a viable option for vehicle owners and synthetic fuel and hydrogen are also new-age options in the automobile space. 

He also stressed the importance of thoroughly considering customers’ needs, the report said.

With India grappling with serious air pollution over the last few years, the Central government has planned to reduce vehicular pollution. As part of its plan of cutting down on vehicular pollution, the government will work on encouraging 30 percent of vehicle owners to switch to EVs by 2030. 

India’s car population of 1.4 billion is expected to expand even further, according to the NHK World report. Maruti Suzuki’s latest concept EV was the main attraction at the event. The Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) can travel 550 kilometres on a single charge and the manufacturer aims to put it up for sale by 2025 in the Indian automotive market, the NHK World report claimed.

Other manufacturers in the Indian auto space such as Tata Motors and South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Company also showcased their EVs at the event.

Earlier, New Delhi created history by achieving the highest ever state-UT-wise monthly electric vehicle sales in the country.

As of December last year, New Delhi registered 7,046 electric vehicles with a year-on-year growth of 86 per cent. Since the launch of the EV policy, the UT registered 93,239 electric vehicles, of which two-wheelers contribute nearly 55 per cent of the total EV sales in the year 2022.

Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, in a media address, said Delhi has always led from the front on the registration and sale of electric vehicles, making it the EV capital of the country and it is ready with the required private and public charging infrastructure with a total of 2300+ charging points and 200+ batteries swapping stations operating across the city.

Delhi’s EV policy was launched on August 7, 2020, with 2-wheelers (2W) and 3-wheelers (3W) identified as the priority vehicle segment.

 

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

India’s Passenger Vehicle Makers See Double Digit Growth Amid Improvement in Chip Shortage Issue: Details

Improvement in semiconductor shortage issue helped auto makers, including Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra, report single to high double-digit growth on Monday in their domestic passenger vehicles sales in July.

Other manufacturers, Kia India, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), Honda Cars India, Skoda Auto India, also reported robust growth in their domestic passenger vehicle sales with the auto industry estimated to have achieved the highest-ever passenger vehicle wholesales in July this year.

Maruti Suzuki India said its domestic passenger vehicle sales rose 6.82 percent last month to 1,42,850 units compared to 1,33,732 units in July 2021.

“The shortage of electronic components had a minor impact on the production of vehicles, mainly in domestic models,” the company said in a statement.

The company’s sales were driven mainly by compact cars, including Baleno, Celerio, Dzire, Ignis, Swift, Tour S, and WagonR, which rose to 84,818 units in July 2022 from 70,268 units in the year-ago month.

Sales of mini cars — comprising Alto and S-Presso — grew to 20,333 units last month, up from 19,685 units in July 2021. However, sales of utility vehicles —including Brezza, Ertiga, S-Cross and XL6 — were lower at 23,272 units compared to 32,272 units.

“The overall industry sales stood at over 3.42 lakh units last month as compared with 2.94 lakh units in July 2021. This is the highest wholesale figure we have ever seen in the industry,” MSI India Senior Director (Marketing and Sales) Shashank Srivastava told PTI.

The previous best wholesales stood at 3.34 lakh units in October 2020, he said, adding, it has been possible due to better production as chip shortage eased a bit.

The industry is expected to cross 37 lakh unit sales mark this fiscal, which is going to be the highest ever, he noted.

Another major player Hyundai Motor India said its domestic sales were at 50,500 units last month, 5.1 percent higher than 48,042 units sold in July 2021.

“With the improvement in the semiconductor situation, the passenger vehicle segment is showing positive trends riding on the green shoots of pent-up demand and customer desire towards personal mobility,” HMIL Director (Sales, Marketing & Service) Tarun Garg said.

Tata Motors posted a 57 percent increase in its domestic passenger vehicles sales at 47,505 units as compared to 30,185 units in the year-ago month. The company’s passenger electric vehicle sales also rose to 4,022 units last month from 604 units in July 2021, the company said.

Similarly, Mahindra & Mahindra reported a 33 percent increase in domestic passenger vehicles sales in July this year at 28,053 units as against 21,046 units in the same month last year, driven by its utility vehicles.

M&M’s domestic utility vehicle sales during the month were at 27,854 units, as against 20,797 units in the year-ago month, up 34 percent, while sales of cars and vans were down 20 percent at 199 units, as compared to 249 units a year ago.

“The supply chain situation continues to remain dynamic, and we are monitoring the situation closely,” M&M President, Automotive Division, Veejay Nakra said.

Kia India also reported a 47 percent increase in its wholesales to 22,022 units in July as compared to 15,016 units in July 2021.

Gradual improvement in the supply chain and continued demand for the brand is adding momentum to the company’s growth, Kia India Vice President & Head of Sales and Marketing Hardeep Singh Brar said.

Another automobile manufacturer Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) reported its highest-ever dispatches in a month at 19,693 units in July. This was 50 percent more than 13,105 units it had sold in July 2021.

Skoda Auto also reported a 44 percent increase in its wholesales at 4,447 units in July as compared to 3,080 units sold in July 2021.

“This is usually the period where big purchases are kept on hold as it’s the monsoon and deferred till the festive season kicks off. Yet, we have clocked in solid numbers on the back of our made-for-India, INDIA 2.0 cars, the Kushaq and the Slavia,” Skoda Auto India Brand Director Zac Hollis said.

Honda Cars India reported a 12 percent increase in domestic sales last month at 6,784 units.

The maker of City and Amaze also exported 2,104 units last month.

The company had reported sale of 6,055 units in the domestic market and 918 units in overseas markets in July last year.

On the other hand, MG Motor India reported a 5 percent decline in retail sales at 4,013 units in July as production impacted by supply chain constraints. The company had registered retail sales of 4,225 units in the same month last year.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Electric, Hybrid Cars to Face Long Waiting Periods as Carmakers Deal With Chip Shortage

Leading carmakers are grappling with a huge backlog of around 6.5 lakh units, with chip shortages continuing to crimp their manufacturing activities and leading to long waiting periods for customers. The country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki alone has a backlog of around 3.4 lakh units while Hyundai and Mahindra & Mahindra have a combined pending order list of about 3 lakh units.

Tata Motors, Kia, and Honda are also sitting on substantial pending orders.

With the auto industry slowly witnessing revival after pandemic shocks, in recent times, even luxury carmakers have seen demand outstripping supply, resulting in backlog of orders.

“As per our estimates, there should be a backlog of around 6.5 lakh units across the passenger vehicle market. For Maruti Suzuki alone, the figure has crossed the 3.4 lakh mark,” Maruti Suzuki India Senior Executive Director (Marketing and Sales) Shashank Srivastava told PTI.

According to him, enhancing production is the only way out of the situation.

“The last two quarters have been above nine lakh mark (sales) for the industry. It is the first time ever in the Indian auto industry that we have crossed nine lakh sales in consecutive two quarters…it means that demand remains very strong in the market,” Srivastava said.

The pending order list has grown due to chip supply issues which have been continuing for nearly two years now, he said and added that it will take time to reduce the backlog. “Going ahead, with enhanced production it will come down”.

A Tata Motors spokesperson said the waiting period for its passenger vehicle range stretches between 4-12 weeks, depending on model variant and colour.

“And for electric vehicles, it is going up to 6 months,” the spokesperson said.

Honda Cars India Director (Marketing and Sales) Yuichi Murata said the supply side challenges, including worldwide chip shortage, has affected its production and despatches since last year, leading to longer waiting periods for customers.

“Unfortunately, this situation still persists and we are trying our best to address this situation,” he said.

Further, he said the company has been prioritising the production of fast-selling models and variants to cater to the demand effectively.

The waiting period for company cars varies anywhere from 2 to 9 months.

Petrol variants have two months of waiting, diesel variants have 3-5 months, and City Hybrid have a waiting of 9 months for new bookings.

Semiconductors are silicon chips that cater to control and memory functions in products ranging from automobiles, computers and cellphones to various other electronic items.

The usage of semiconductors in the auto industry has gone up globally in recent times with new models coming with more and more electronic features such as Bluetooth connectivity and driver-assist, navigation, and hybrid-electric systems.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Exit mobile version