Transmitting More Than Torque

Transmissions are major enablers and candidates for reducing carbon footprint, improving vehicle fuel economy, reducing total cost of ownership and enhancing the driving experience.

Focusing On R&D Trends For Clean And Sustainable Mobility

The 10th Automotive R&D Trends conference was recently held in Chennai.

Deliberating On Future Mobility Solutions

The future of mobility is poised to walk down the connected and autonomous paths, with infotainment and safety systems being important parts of this future.

TVS Infuses Racing DNA Deeper Into New Apache RTR 160 4v

It’s been a hectic few months for TVS Motor Company with a slew of launches since December 2017, starting with the roll-out of its first supersport premium motorcycle – the Apache RR 310. The company subsequently launched two new variants of the Apache RTR 200 4V as well as its first 125 cc scooter – the NTORQ 125. Maintaining the ‘launch’ momentum, the Indian two-wheeler manufacturer recently rolled out its newest model in the naked premium motorcycle segment, the Apache RTR 160 4V. We bring you a first ride report.

'Additive Manufacturing Presents An Opportunity To Disrupt The Supply Chain'

Simulation software for engineering has been an important area for product developers, especially in current times, with reduced product development cycles and pressure to get designs right the first time over. One of the leading providers of engineering simulation software solutions is ANSYS, which claims to have been promoting engineering simulation for the 21st century. In a recently interview, Dr Ajei Gopal, President and CEO, ANSYS Inc, told us about the broader industry view on pervasive engineering, additive manufacturing, automotive megatrends defining future of mobility and industry standards.

Gearing Up For A Sustainable Move Towards E-mobility

In India, the move towards electric mobility has recently been underlined by Niti Aayog’s announcement to go all-electric by 2030. Complementing this initiative is the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric vehicles (FAME) scheme, which intends to offer significant financial and infrastructure-related incentives to the automobile industry in having an operational eco-system in place for complete electrification.

HMSI's Expansion At Narsapura To Address Global Demands

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt Ltd (HMSI) sold its very first two-wheeler in India in June, 2001, in the city of Bangalore, Karnataka. The two-wheeler sold was the Activa automatic scooter, which has now the mainstay for HMSI, currently holding the position of the top-selling two-wheeler in India. The company began its journey in India with its first factory in Gurgaon, with a single production line, which has now grown to four manufacturing facilities with 11 production lines across four states. The company currently has a total of over 31 mn customers across the country, and is seeing growing demand for its products, especially its flagship model, the Activa.

Connected Technologies Take Hyundai Venue Above & Beyond Competition

When I think of a sub-compact SUV, the first thought that crosses my mind is a vehicle that fits the budget of the common man. SUVs are not for everyone owing to their size, price and utility. But with a growing trend of SUVs becoming status symbols, manufacturers have curated smaller and more compact SUVs that obviously come with a much more affordable price tag for the masses. For long, Hyundai has been shying away from the sub-compact SUV space with no offerings that sit under the Creta. Finally after much ado, the Korean carmaker has brought an India centric sub-compact SUV – the Hyundai Venue. Despite being priced well within the reach of the common man, this compact SUV is a technological marvel in itself, with connected features that have not yet been seen in this segment in India.

Failsafe Door Latch Without Lock Cylinder

Despite increasing levels of digitisation, cars are still equipped with lock cylinders to ensure the door can be unlocked at any given time. Kiekert’s ReactiWake locking system guarantees this on a purely electronic level, thus creating new opportunities in vehicle design and operating concept. Besides reducing complexities in the aftermarket, the supply processes associated with a mechanical replacement key are completely dispensed with and free positioning of the latch and exterior handles by designers is possible.

Managing Paradoxes Of Mobility With Automotive Electronics

The preliminary days of the mobility industry had a very limited role for Automotive Electronics (AE) that warranted communication and exchanging signals between sub-systems and components to cater to the basic functionalities of a vehicle traversing between locations.

Solar Electric Car Focussing On Eco–friendly Mobility

Riding high on its solar car innovation, the Electro-X India team led by Akhilesh Tripathi, from Galgotias University is now gearing up to take part in the upcoming Bridgestone World Solar Challenge in Australia

Smart Tech 2019 Harps On Intellgent Tracking Solutions

The transformation to the next generation of mobility is likely to be drastic.

Attribute-Based Development Of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems

Advanced driver assistance systems and automated driving are a megatrend in the automotive industry. The following questions arise: will vehicle manufacturers still be able to differentiate themselves brand-specifically in the future or will all vehicles be perceived as the same, when being driven? How can a brand DNA be implemented and how to achieve the transfer from funto-drive to fun-to-be-driven? In order to provide solutions, clear driving characteristic goals – in front of the customer – must be defined and the requirements for vehicle systems and components shall be derived from this. But what are driving characteristics in the context of assisted and automated driving and how can those specifically be realised in development? Porsche has addressed this challenge together with the University of Applied Sciences Kempten and MdynamiX.

Compass Trailhawk – Engineered To Take On The Beaten Road

Having tasted success in the Indian market with the Compass SUV, Jeep is now preparing to introduce the Compass Trailhawk in a bid to drive fresh appeal in the market. Sitting above the Limited variant, the Compass Trail hawk is a specially designed SUV that draws strongly from Jeep’s rich history with SUVs that are capable of taking on the beaten path. We not only sampled the Compass Trailhawk, but also got to learn more about the extensive work carried out by various teams at Jeep. Read on to learn just how much has changed on the upcoming Compass Trailhawk.

Henkel RLE Mobility Alliance Aims To Address Future Opportunities

It was in November last year that Henkel and RLE International had announced their decision to form a strategic ‘mobility alliance’ to drive automotive innovation, expand value creation opportunities and become a premier design-in engineering solution provider for the mobility industry.

Steer-by-wire Systems Safety, Comfort And Individuality

As automated or autonomous driving is becoming more widespread, it can be assumed that steer-by-wire systems will prevail. With them, the driving experience can be improved and driving safety can be increased. In addition, OEMs have more flexibility in designing the interior of the vehicle as well as in the engine compartment by eliminating the mechanical components. In this article, Thyssenkrupp describes the advantages and the current state of development of steer-by-wire systems.

Ceat Securadrive – Optimised For Grip, Performance & Comfort

Tyres form an integral part of the automobile industry and with customers increasingly demanding more from their vehicles, tyre technology has evolved in many ways over the years.

Raising Paint Efficiencies For Cost Optimised Tomorrow

Nippon Paint India is riding high after the inauguration of Nippon Paint X’press - its state-of-the-art car paint and refinish facility in Gurugram earlier this year.

We'll Serve The Big Changes In Future Urban Mobility With Solutions, Product Of Our Own

While conventional vehicles with IC engines will continue to be in demand, the future of mobility would see multiple interpretation of cars, including electric powertrains, hybrids of various kinds and autonomous vehicles. Diversified German automotive supplier ZF is preparing ground to serve such changes with solutions and products of its own. Auto Tech Review spoke to Dr Stefan Sommer, Chief Executive Officer, ZF Friedrichshafen AG for this exclusive interview. 

Efficiency, Ease Of Use, Performance, Key Drivers For 2W Transmission Development

Where in areas like engines, braking systems and suspension technology, two-wheeler manufacturers have made great progress over the last 4-5 decades, transmission is one area where things have, apparently, not changed too much. For more than half a century, the basic format has remained the same – a hand-operated clutch and foot-operated five- or six-speed transmission. Of course, part of the reason why things haven’t changed too much is, one, this format pretty much works very well for most riders, and two, unlike car drivers, two-wheeler riders haven’t exactly been demanding automatic or semi-automatic transmission. Most riders are happy to trade ease of use for the sheer ‘control’ that a fully manual transmission provides. And yet, with the in evitable march of technology, changes have started creeping in gradually. Here, we take a look at some of the more recent developments in two-wheeler transmission technologies.

Electrification Of An Eight-Speed DCT

Dual-clutch transmissions are compelling predominantly because of their sporty direct shifting. ZF demonstrates how clearly this technology also signifies efficiency and functionality gains with the modular full hybridisation of its new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (8DT).

Battery Tech, Management Software To Drive Growth For Electric Two-Wheelers

There are close to three dozen electric two-wheeler models currently available in India. Regarding who manufacturers these, Lohia and Hero Electric are two OEM names that you might recognise, while the others are largely anonymous. For the most part, electric two-wheelers in India represent cheap, often poorly-built scooters that offer very basic mobility on a budget. On the other hand, elsewhere in the world, a small bunch of electric vehicle manufacturers are trying to re-write the two-wheeler rulebook by producing cutting-edge vehicles packed with the latest electric motor and battery technologies. Here we take a quick look at the state of things globally, vis-à-vis the Indian scenario.

Plastics Extrusion For Effective Automobile Solutions

The increasing demand for improved fuel efficiency and light weighting in automobiles has resulted in many auto component manufacturers opting for engineering plastics across the automobile design value chain. Helping this cause further is the process of plastics extrusion, which has remained the preferred process for designing automotive parts over the last many years. PPAP Automotive Limited has been a leading supplier of injection moulded parts for many OEMs in India, for a wide variety of sealing systems, and interior and exterior parts. ATR met Anil Sharma, Deputy General Manager, Manufacturing, PPAP Automotive, at their Noida plant to understand the extrusion process for vehicle applications.

MG Motor's iSmart Next Gen – Makings Of An Internet Car

We’re just a few days away from MG Motor India’s first product introduction in the market – the Hector SUV. While the market has been abuzz with MG’s entry into India, the company put together a fairly large event early April to showcase its iSMART Next Gen connectivity platform, which the company claims, would make the Hector India’s first internet car. So, what exactly is an internet car?

Cleaner Environment Calls For Cleaner Alternative Fuels

The automotive industry has relied heavily on fossil fuels as the most utilized means of powering engines since inception. This reliance on fuel sources that are mostly not renewable is something that the entire world is accepting as detrimental to the environment.

Concept Car With Fuel Cell Plug-in Hybrid

In the context of electrification and development activities, fuel cell vehicles represent an increasingly inter esting approach for various vehicle classes, especially for those with long ranges. AVL provides proof that a competitive fuel cell plug-in hybrid vehicle can be realised with existing components and minimal changes to the powertrain.

Innovating To Address Future Mobility Needs

Driven by the enormous possibilities in the future of mobility, a few senior professionals in the automotive industry explored the possibility of coming together to build an organization of their own.

Efficient Drivetrain For Electric Two-Wheelers In India

The adoption of electric mobility may not be moving at the speed the Indian government wishes for. However, the robust government push in the form of the FAME II scheme announced earlier this year has infused hope about facilitating an electric vehicle ecosystem in the country. Pune-based Team Drivetrain offers a solution in this area.

Charging Up The Indian Electric Vehicle Market

Riding on the government’s push to propel electric mobility in India, Hyundai brought in its first electric vehicle (EV) – the Kona Electric, amidst much fanfare.

Surface Innovations For Interiors Of Future Vehicles

A cooperation between Kostal and YFAI is intended to synergetically combine the HMI and interior technology areas in order to offer market-ready solutions for intelligent surfaces in the short term and, at the same time, to reduce organisational complexities for OEM customers. Instead of electronic modules that are installed in the vehicle interior and then covered, the partners are developing new products from a single source.