Automotive
Auto Tech Review
Who Takes The Honours In The MPV Battle?
Maruti Suzuki launched the second generation Ertiga in India a few months back. Based on the fifth-generation HEARTECT platform, the new Ertiga is bigger, broader and lighter. Besides the new platform, Maruti Suzuki has also introduced the Ertiga with a new 1.5 l K-Series petrol engine. The motor now boasts of triple digit horse power figures and generates adequate torque. While the Ertiga comes packed with many features and stands tall for class-leading specifications, we bring it alongside the reliable and robust Honda BR-V to stack up the performance of the Ertiga on multiple fronts. In this comparison test, we pitch the Ertiga with the new 1.5 l, naturally aspirated, four cylinder petrol engine against the 1.5 l, naturally aspirated, four cylinder, i-VTEC petrol engine on the BR-V.
4 min |
March 2019
Auto Tech Review
Honda Civic Makes A Comeback With Renewed Vigour
Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) is bringing back a car model to the country, which saw reasonable levels of success during its first run here. We’re talking about the 10th generation Civic sedan, which is being rolled out across the country this month. The Civic is Honda’s longest running automotive nameplate, and happens to be the largest-selling model from Honda at present, globally. Auto Tech Review was invited by HCIL to drive the new 10th generation Honda Civic sedan in and around Bangalore. We bring you all that you need to know about the company’s first launch of 2019.
6 min |
March 2019
Auto Tech Review
Geared Up To Meet Emission, Powertrain Challenges
BorgWarner has increased its presence in India and South Asia, carrying out an expansion of its Kakkalur facility in Tamil Nadu.
4 min |
March 2019
Auto Tech Review
Development Strategy For Individual Mobility Of Tomorrow
Mobility faces huge challenges today. Only holistic systematic views, in particular of the energy chain, enable economical and ecologically sustainable solutions for the individual mobility of tomorrow. As a technologically innovative partner to the entire mobility industry, Schaeffler redefines this product diversity.
6 min |
August 2019
Auto Tech Review
“Collaboration Is The Way Forward For Any Automotive Component Player”
Over the years, Sandhar Technologies has been consistently focussing on passive safety and is now keen to foray into the active safety space. Auto Tech Review caught up with Arvind Joshi, WholeTime Director (Finance & Procurement), Chief Financial Officer & Company Secretary, Sandhar Technologies to understand about its offerings in areas of automotive safety and security systems.
7 min |
August 2019
Auto Tech Review
Thermal Issues In Battery Packs For Electric Vehicles
India is poised to be one of the first countries with a tropical climate to adopt electric vehicles (EVs) with lithium-ion battery packs, on a hopefully large scale.
5 min |
August 2019
Auto Tech Review
Futuristic Bike Concept With Series Potential
Edag maintains the utility patent for a special front wheel drive for motorcycles. Core of the concept is a chassis basis that will pave the way for a completely new, flexible architecture and an innovative means of industrial production.
7 min |
August 2019
Auto Tech Review
Redefining Mobility With New Vehicle Concepts
Mobility is the lifeblood of any urban city’s survival and it continues to evolve from merely serving as a medium of transportation from point A to point B towards comfort and safety driven, technology-powered solutions at a feverish pace.
6 min |
August 2019
Auto Tech Review
Two-Wheeler Fuel Systems Transitioning Towards Electronic Solutions
A method of increasing efficiency of internal combustion engines, while keeping a check on their emissions, is by adopting an optimal fuel supply system.
5 min |
August 2019
Auto Tech Review
Who Wins The Tech Battle Among Sub-Compact SUVs?
India has been witnessing a gradual shift in customer preference towards sub-compact SUVs. Having sub-compact SUVs in its line-up has become a ‘must-have’ for OEMs looking to capture a piece of this ever-growing market pie. Hyundai was the latest to add its name to a list of manufacturers offering sub-compact SUVs in India, and has left no stone unturned to ensure its success. But how does it compare to its competitors – the Tata Nexon and the Mahindra XUV300? Let’s find out.
5 min |
August 2019
Auto Tech Review
Technology & Innovation In Mobility
Technology and Innovation (TI) have been the hallmarks of automotive industry and continue being so.
2 min |
February 2018
Auto Tech Review
System Solutions For Diverse Simulation Needs
Spark Minda, Ashok Minda Group recently inaugurated the Spark Minda Technical Centre (SMIT) – the group R&D centre – at Chakan, Pune. We spoke to the company to learn about the various initiatives that will be undertaken at this facility. Suresh D, Group CTO and CEO, Spark Minda Technical Centre provided us with insights about its future course of action.
5 min |
February 2018
Auto Tech Review
'Public Transportation Should Be The Focus Area For Electric Vehicles'
With so much of talk around electromobility, we decided to speak to Rashmi Urdhwareshe, Director, Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) to know her perspective on how the country is geared up to transition from ICEs to EVs, as well as her views on other energy sources. The country’s EV focus should be on public transportation and subsequently on creating public infrastructure for EVs, she said. Excerpts from a freewheeling interview:
7 min |
February 2018
Auto Tech Review
Exxonmobil | Advanced Lubrication Techniques For Optimising Performance
Many global players are focusing on developing sustainable lubrication solutions for vehicles and are investing heavily in research activities.
4 min |
February 2018
Auto Tech Review
Log 9 | Enhancing Battery Performance Through Graphene Derivatives
The battery market is driven by growing integration of electronics, demand for transportation, fuel saving, government incentives for cleaner transportation, new hybrid and electric automotive models from OEMs.
3 min |
February 2018
Auto Tech Review
Kruzr | Easing Smartphone-Related Road Safety Concerns
Smartphones are becoming an intrinsic part of our lives and can pose a distraction.
4 min |
February 2018
Auto Tech Review
Automotive Testing Expo 2018 Brings Focus On EVS, Autonomous Driving
The Automotive Testing Expo India has become a very important event in the industry’s calendar, with the specialised solutions that it brings to the design and development of new components and products.
3 min |
February 2018
Auto Tech Review
“Indian Market Expected To Embrace Aluminium Wheels In A Big Way”
The global wheel manufacturing space is undergoing a steady shift from steel wheels to aluminium wheels. Brazil-headquartered Maxion Wheels has been at the forefront of this shift, and in order to cater to the Indian market demands, it had recently laid the foundation of an aluminium wheel plant at Pune that is expected to be up and running by 2019. Auto Tech Review caught up with Pieter Klinkers, CEO, Maxion Wheels to know about Maxion Wheels’ global presence and new focus areas.
7 min |
April 2018
Auto Tech Review
NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL – OBJECTIVE VIEW OF FUTURE ENERGY NEEDS
In its endeavour to be the powertrain supplier of choice, Cummins, the global power and technology leader, is working on developing a broad portfolio of technology capabilities so that it is able to offer its customers the right technology suited to their specific markets. In India during the Auto Expo in February this year, the Cummins leadership team made it clear that the US-headquartered company is focused on adding that critical piece of value leveraging on the deep understanding it has built over a century of its existence.
7 min |
April 2018
Auto Tech Review
Focusing On Facilitating Faster Led Adoption
The LED lighting market has grown significantly over the last few years and is expected to witness rapid technology adoption. Lumax Industries Ltd has substantially contributed to this growth trajectory. We recently got an opportunity to visit the company’s Bawal plant in Haryana to understand the production of lighting modules as well as the various advancements currently undertaken at the facility.
6 min |
April 2018
Auto Tech Review
Market Shares Of Various Power Trains Scenarios Till 2030
Everyone is talking about electric vehicles, but nobody can foresee how the markets for battery powered, fuel-cell and combustion-engine vehicles will develop. Which overall CO2 scenario will emerge from which mix of the various options between now and 2030? The Institute of Vehicle Concepts at the German Aerospace Center (DLR Stuttgart) has developed the simulation model “Vector 21”, which makes it possible to evaluate individual technologies in the overall context of a passenger car fleet and the technical, social and political framework conditions. It is thus possible to run through scenarios that can be modelled afresh when the parameters change or are updated. The DLR describes two particular scenarios in this article.
9 min |
January 2018
Auto Tech Review
Volvo XC60 - Premium SUV With Goodies From A Segment Above
Volvo Auto India has had a very good year in the country this year, especially in terms of the number of new models launched. The automaker began the year by launching its S60 Polestar performance sedan in April, followed by the V90 Cross country station wagon in July. It ended this year’s launch schedule with the introduction of the second-generation XC60 SUV for the model year 2018. The premium SUV was launched at a price of Rs 55.9 lakh, ex-showroom, in the ‘Inscription’ variant that includes the Tech Pack consisting of all top-end features.
6 min |
January 2018
Auto Tech Review
Excon 2017 Sees Smart Technologies Enabling Infrastructure Of The Future
The ninth edition of the largest construction equipment and construction technology exhibition in South Asia, EXCON recently concluded in Bangalore. This edition of EXCON focussed on the theme of ‘Smart Technologies: Fuelling the Next Generation Infra.’ We take stock of the developments in this sector, and highlight some of the prime introductions.
7 min |
January 2018
Auto Tech Review
Bosch Looks to Enhance Competitiveness With Industry 4.0
Bosch, the global technology and solutions provider, is betting big on connected industry or Industry 4.0 to enhance and bring about a revolutionary change in the way work is done in a manufacturing set-up. Riding strong on this belief, Bosch is set to implement Industry 4.0 in all 15 of its manufacturing facilities in India.Auto Tech Review was recently invited to Bosch’s Chakan plant near Pune to see how the company has man aged to enhance competitiveness in manufacturing, and drive efficiency in its production.
5 min |
September 2016
Auto Tech Review
Need For Machine Learning Based Simulator Approach To ADAS Validation
The global ADAS market is growing at a rapid pace and is expected to reach $ 60 bn by 2020 at a CAGR of 23 %, according to a report by Allied Market Research [1] with Europe and North America being the key geographies driving this growth. In order to make way for this rapid growth, investments are being made by various constituents of the value chain such as silicon vendors, OEMs, and sensor manufacturers along others to capture a pie of this market. This is resulting in innovations in chip design, artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning, radar, and computer vision-based solutions, which are key to realising vehicle autonomy.
4 min |
October 2017
Auto Tech Review
Turbocharging, Supercharging To Help With Engine Downsizing, Emissions Compliance
Due to increasingly stringent emissions norms and the need for improved fuel efficiency, one option that auto motive OEMs are increasingly going in for is engine downsizing. Fewer cylinders and smaller engine capacities help OEMs reduce emissions and achieve better fuel economy. However, to ensure that smaller engines are still able to deliver the kind of power and performance that customers expect, manufacturers often use forced induction – turbocharging, supercharging or even both. Here, we take a look at some of the latest advancements in forced induction and their implications for manufacturers, suppliers and customers.
8 min |
October 2017
Auto Tech Review
Efficient Batteries, Better BMS Needed For Future E2ws
Between 2013 to 2016, the global market for electric scooters and motorcycles grew at an average CAGR of around 3.3 %, going from $ 7,800 mn to $ 8,600 mn in that period. Due to the numerous challenges – the weight disadvantage that current batteries have, limited range, inadequate charging infrastructure and slow buyer acceptance – growth has indeed been slow. However, globally, government authorities are now beginning to push hard on promoting electric mobility, which is expected to increase the pace of high-quality battery-powered two wheelers in the near future. Analysts expect the global market for electric two-wheelers to reach the $ 10,000 million mark by 2021. Here, we take a look at the state of existing e-2W tech and possible future directions.
7 min |
October 2017
Auto Tech Review
Comsol - Integrating Acoustic Analysis With Multiphysics Modelling
Cosmol - Integrating Acoustic Analysis With Multiphysics Modelling
4 min |
August 2017
Auto Tech Review
NEIL - Precision Designing And Innovation To Fuel Growth
NEIL - Precision Designing And Innovation To Fuel Growth
4 min |
August 2017
Auto Tech Review
Valvetrain Innovation For Power, Reliability, Efficiency
With ever-increasing demands made on two-wheeler engines, for greater power and performance, without compromising on fuel-efficiency and while meeting strict emissions norms, it’s a challenge for engineers to deliver the results demanded by OEMs. Engine design has admittedly advanced by leaps and bounds over the last 25 years, with specific output from high-performance motorcycle engines increasingly by around 75-80 % in this period. Most of that is due to advances in combustion chamber design, tighter tolerances, stronger metal alloys (which allow engines to rev harder, for longer durations of time), improved cylinder head design and more advanced valvetrain. Since it’s the valvetrain that eventually controls the engine’s internal combustion characteristics, design and innovation in this space has led to improved, more consistent power delivery that can be tailor-made to a motorcycle’s intended usage. So, let’s take a quick look at some of the key advances in motorcycle engine valvetrain development.
7 min |