This new Bajaj plant will not only manufacture Chetak, but also produce KTM, Husqvarna electric scooters for global market.
In recent months, however, things are looking up for Chetak. Sales have been continuously rising since July and in September, a total of 288 units were sold. The company has also sorted out most of the issues related to sourcing of parts from China.
As Bajaj is expecting increased sales in the future, it is proactively looking to setup an exclusive manufacturing facility for Chetak. This plant will also cater to the manufacturing of other electric products in the pipeline such as Husqvarna scooter and KTM scooter.
Chetak new plant options – Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad
Manufacturing to begin by 2022
It is expected that Bajaj will finalize the location for the new plant by first half of 2021. Once that’s done, setting up the plant can be completed in a few months. If everything works out as planned, Chetak’s new manufacturing facility will become operational by 2022. Production capacity of this new plant is at 5 lakh units annually. Till then, Chetak will continue to be produced at the company’s current facility in Chakan (near Pune).
In the next twelve months, Bajaj has plans to launch Chetak across the nation. Currently, the scooter is available only in Pune and Bengaluru. With the new plant, Bajaj will be able to meet both domestic demand for Chetak as well as its exports to international markets. Bajaj is India’s leading two wheeler exporter. They already have presence in more than 70 countries, so launching Chetak in global markets should not pose any major challenges for the company.
Mahindra Treo Zor Electric Cargo Three Wheeler Launch Price Rs 2.73 L
Mahindra Treo Zor Electric
The Mahindra Treo Zor has a best-in-class payload capacity of 550 kg and can go 125 km on a full charge
Mahindra has augmented its fast growing Treo electric three wheeler brand with a cargo variant. Called the Treo Zor, the zero emissions goods carrier is priced at INR 2.73 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) which includes the FAME 2 and state subsidies.
Mahindra Treo Zor
The Mahindra Treo Zor electric three wheeler is available in pickup, delivery van and flat bed variants. The vehicle will be retailed through Mahindra’s SCV dealerships in select cities with deliveries commencing in December 2020.
With a best-in-class payload capacity of 550 kg, the Treo Zor is suitable for last mile transport and is claimed to offer savings of around INR 60,000 per year (fuel cost saving of INR 2.10/km) compared to a diesel model. The goods carrier is claimed to have a maintenance cost of 40 paise per km. The certified driving range on a full charge stands at 125 km.
Specifications
The electric motor is good for 8 kW (10.7 hp) of power and 42 Nm of torque, and it is equipped with a Boost mode to handle challenging situations. The lithium ion battery pack comes with a 3 year / 80,000 km warranty. Mahindra says that the IP67-rated battery pack has a life of 1.5 lakh km. The battery can be charged using a regular 15 A socket. Of course, the transmission is automatic.
| Mahindra Treo Zor | Specs |
|---|---|
| Power | 8 kW / 10.8 bhp |
| Torque | 42 Nm |
| Transmission | Automatic |
| Payload capacity | 550 kgs |
| Drive range | 125 kms |
| Maintenance Cost | 40 Paise / Km |
| Wheelbase | 2216mm |
| Tray loading height | 675mm |
| Battery Life | 1.5+ lakh kms |
| Charging | Via any 15 AMP socket |
| Warranty | 3 yrs / 80,000 kms |
The highlights include a wheelbase of 2,216 mm which is longest in the industry and tyre dia of 30.48 cm which is largest in the industry. The tray loading height of 675 mm is claimed to be the best in segment as well.
Features and benefits
The Mahindra Treo Zor benefits from NEMO mobility program, a cloud based fleet management service which allows the owners to remotely monitor the vehicle status such as range, speed, location and so on.
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="726px" width="1280px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
The rust free modular SMC body panels, finished in white-blue dual-tone color theme, are claimed to have long life and easy to repair and replace. The electric three-wheeler also comes with windscreen wiper, telematic unit with GPS, Economy and Boost driving models, 12V socket, 15 A off-board charger, Hazard indicator, reverse buzzer and spare wheel provision.
The Mahindra Treo Zor will benefit from a after sales service network of over 140 touch points across the country. The Tro passenger rickshaw recently became the first of its kind to cross 5k sales milestone in India. The cargo variant, with its impressive performance parameters, is expected to boost the brand’s overall sales volume significantly in the coming months.
Royal Enfield Meteor 350 Thump, Exhaust Sound – Revealed In New Teaser
Royal Enfield Meteor 350 will replace the now discontinued Thunderbird 350 and 350X from the brand’s product profile
After months of delay Royal Enfield has finally revealed the date in which its upcoming cruiser bike is going to launch. The upcoming retro-classic cruiser Meteor 350 will, at last, be launched on November 6. Below is the latest teaser, which also reveals the thump / exhaust sound of the Meteor 350.
New RE Meteor 350 will sport retro-classic elements such as circular halogen headlamp, LED DRLs, round turn indicators, LED tail lamps, forward-set footpegs and raised handlebars. From the brochures it was revealed that the upcoming retro cruiser will be offered in three variants- Fireball, Stellar and Supernova.
Features
Meteor 350 has spotted testing on roads on multiple occasions prior to this for well over a year now. Specifications have been leaked on the internet. Features addition on this bike includes Tripper Navigation which is assumed to be a Bluetooth-enabled GPS system. This tech is offered as standard across the range and will come in handy in long-distance touring. It also comes equipped with a USB charging port which enables the riders to charge their phones and action cameras, thus becoming useful as a tourer.
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="338px" width="600px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)
Other features on offer are a semi-digital instrument cluster, a TFT screen that reads out important details of trip metre, service reminder, odometer, a ring of LED DRLs around the headlamp and more.
The mid-spec variant Stellar variant comes with an additional backrest whereas the top-spec Supernova will come with premium leather seats and a windscreen. It will also be offered with machine-finished alloy wheels. The bike will be made available in seven colours namely- Fireball Yellow, Fireball Red, Stellar Red Metallic, Stellar Black Matte, Stellar Blue Metallic, Supernova Brown, and Supernova Blue.
Powertrain & Transmission
Coming to its most critical addition, the Meteor 350 will be powered by an all-new 349cc air-cooled single-cylinder engine which kicks out 20.5hp and 27Nm of peak torque. This is 0.4 bhp more and 1 Nm less than the current generation 346cc engine. This will be paired with a newly developed 5-speed gearbox which is expected to offer far smoother shifts. It will also employ a new clutch with less number of linkages and components for longer life.
Royal Enfield Meteor will be the first bike which will be underpinned by the all-new ‘J’ platform. It is expected to be priced between Rs 1.60-1.80 lakh (ex-showroom) and will directly lock horns with recently launched Honda H’Ness CB 350. It will replace the outgoing Thunderbird 350 from Royal Enfield’s portfolio.
Toyota Regional Stockyard Launched – Innova, Fortuner Delivery Time Reduced.
First TKM regional stockyard begins operations in Guwahati, Assam
Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) now has its first regional stockyard in Guwahati. This ensures a leaner and efficient distribution network in the region. Delivery time from the current 13 days will be reduced to a maximum of two days dealers in far flung areas in the Northeast states.
In all, the move will ensure customers are benefited, and operational waiting time is reduced to great time, essentially by not having to wait for parts to be dispatched from elsewhere.
In the last two years, Toyota has introduced two new 3S (sales, service and spare parts) outlets in the region, one in Naharlagun, Arunachal Pradesh, and the other in Imphal, Manipur. A Pro-Service centre is operational in Jorhat, Assam. TKM has 13 customer touch points in the Northeast.
While, waiting for parts was something of normal operations in earlier times, now with businesses taking pride in quick service, all manufacturers that operate locally have felt the need to ensure quick parts availability across regions. With the first regional stockyard now operational for northeast, more such yards can be expected to further boost seamless operations in other regions.
Regional Stockyard
The northeast vehicle market is a small one, but has grown in recent years. And so has the need for quicker service turnaround times. TKM Guwahati stockyard will enhance distribution efficiency, reduce inventory costs, and turnaround time for dealer working capital besides.
All of this works in tandem with dealers being in position to meet meet customer requirements faster. Ease of business will allow dealers to focus on sales and after-sales as the move will help improve reputation. Leaving a car for long at a service centre doesn’t bode well with customers, and such word of mouth testimonies mould potential buyers’ viewpoints.
Naveen Soni, Senior Vice President, Sales and Service, TKM, said, “We are happy to announce the launch of our first regional stockyard in Guwahati during this auspicious festive season. We have been witnessing growing demand from this region over the years as more and more customers are preferring to buy Toyota vehicles due to its world class quality and reliability.”
Toyota cars in India
Toyota India has been expanding its sales and service network in the region to improve service to customers. Alongside, processes are being strengthened, and manpower capability at dealerships improved to meet market requirements. While constantly curating new ways to reach customers, the stockyard launch will ease the Toyota customer ownership experience.
Toyota has a limited vehicle portfolio in India, and two of its recent launches are an outcomes of its partnership with Suzuki. This includes Urban Cruiser based on Vitara Brezza, and Glanza based on Baleno. It’s bigger utility vehicles include Innova Crysta and Fortuner. There’s also the Toyota Yaris. Self-charging hybrid vehicles include Camry and Vellfire.
0 comments:
Post a Comment