Trucks, 2-wheelers to cost more on ABS, AC cabin rules

Planning an automobile purchase? Prices may be about to rise, from the humble two-wheeler to a full-sized truck.

- Ayaan Kartik

NEW DELHI:

New government regulations, including mandatory air-conditioned cabins for trucks and a likely anti-lock braking system (ABS) for all two-wheelers, are set to drive up manufacturing costs that may be passed on to consumers, according to industry captains and analysts.

Costlier raw materials such as aluminium, and a global squeeze on rare earth magnets are adding to the pressure, leaving industry leaders and analysts to predict a potential wave of price hikes across autos, especially two-wheelers and commercial vehicles (CVs) like trucks.