The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) on January 30, 2024, issued the Draft End-of-Life Vehicles (Management) Rules, 2024. The following provisions have been stated: Responsibilities
Hyundai Motors India Ltd (HMIL) is evaluating the feasibility of introducing a diesel and a CNG variant of its compact new offering - i10. The petrol version of the small car is presently being manufactured for domestic and export markets at its recently inaugurated second plant within its existing plant here. The new ultra modern plant would be fully commissioned by 2009, HMIL would be capable of producing 6,00,000 units per year, doubling its present capacity of 3,00,000 units per annum. The new pant has been set up as a global manufacturing hub for all small cars in Hyundai's stable. Ashok Jha, president, HMIL, said presently the new plant running was running a single shift and on an average it was producing 400 cars a day. Around 25,000 units had rolled out ever since the i10 model was launched few months ago. He said Santro, the lowest price in Hyundai's stable, continues to be the most popular model. "We will continue to produce Santro. Depending upon the customers' feedback and surveys, we are constantly improvement wherever required,' Jha stated. HMIL officials confirmed that the new plant had been set up by the leading Korean car manufacturer keeping in mind the growing segment of the small cars, especially after showcasing of Nano by Tata Motors. Already 40 per cent of the cars being rolled up from the existing facility were being exported. Jha was, however, non-committal about the deadline for developing a smaller car than Santro. On the new models to be launched this year, the company has announced to introduce the i20 model in the mid-size segment and Santa Fe in SUV segment. Both products to be rolled out by the end of 2008 would be available in the domestic and export markets. Santa Fe was popular in the US. Hyundai has also decided to phase out the Elantra. The company has invested Rs 1,419 crore in the second plan.
This column was the first to mention that the compressed air powered engine was on its way to Tata Motors, for use in a small car, and now the Tatas have confirmed this in a separate news report. Obviously, it will not be the only engine of choice in the Tata Nano (or any other small motor vehicle being developed by them right now, either), but it will certainly be an option for city taxies and short-run small cargo vehicles. This should, with any luck, convince the armada of environmentalists and greens. And bring the subject of a small vehicle back to the core issue: increased mobility is good for the nation as well as the people. Whether they use public transport as the mainstay or not, is another issue. Which brings me to the next point
IT'S official now. Tata Motors will kick off trial production of Nano at its Singur factory by June-July. The much-awaited Rs 1-lakh car will be commercially available nationally by September-October. This was announced on Wednesday by Tata Motors MD Ravi Kant. Mr Kant, who had dropped into the Singur factory to review the progress, said: "Trial production of Nano would kick off by June-July and commercial production would start in Singur by September-October.' Tata Motors MD, however, stopped short of revealing the details of the upcoming commercial rollout of Nano. Talking to newsmen here Mr Kant said: "We are happy with the progress. There are huge challenges but the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, Tata Motors and the West Bengal government are working together to ensure that the commencement of Nano production is not hampered.' The Shapoorji Pallonji Group is engaged in construction of the Singur factory. Mr Kant, along with members of his management team comprising MB Kulkarni, GM (CPED); AS Puri, senior GM (government affairs & collaborations); E Balasubramaniam, head (vendor development); and Girish Wagh, Tata Motors head (Nano project) flew down from Mumbai to get a sense of the pace of the Singur factory rollout. They spent nearly three hours in the factory premises where work had earlier this year been delayed by nearly two months due heavy flooding. Mr Kant added: "Trial production will take place in June-July, following which, equipment will be tested. It may be a month or two later that we will start regular production.'
Trial production of Tata Motors' Rs one lakh wonder
Commercial production of Tata Motors'
The trial production of the Tata Motors' controversial small car will begin at Singur in June or July to be followed by commercial production around October, Mr Ravi Kant, its managing director, said today after reviewing the progress of the ongoing construction. However, the Trinamul Congress greeted the announcement with a fresh threat that no car would be allowed to roll out of the factory till land is returned to the unwilling farmers who hadn't given their consent to its acquisition by the state government.
Tata Motors' Nano
The small car meets the aspirations of the consumer but may just compound the problems for the society he lives in. V.V. DESAI shows how.
The alternative fuel fever has caught up with Chennai-based TVS Motor Company, synonymous for
As Tata Motors gears up to launch the world's cheapest car Nano later this year, financing companies, including ICICI Bank, SBI Bank, HDFC Bank and Saraswat Bank, are busy charting out attractive finance schemes to woo the buyers. The Mumbai-based Saraswat Bank is offering a loan of Rs 70,000 at a monthly installment of a mere Rs 1,199 spread comfortably across 84 months or 7 years. The rate of interest is 11-11.5 per cent, which is cheaper than a two wheeler loan. The Nano has already driven these companies to look beyond the two-wheeler market, which has lately shown a huge slowdown.
