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    Royal Enfield Meteor 350, Bullet Prices Increased – New Price July 2021

    Image – MRD VlogsMeteor has emerged as a popular choice, both in domestic as well as international markets
    This year has witnessed multiple price hikes by several two-wheeler manufacturers. In most cases, rise in input cost has forced companies to raise prices. Latest announcement comes from Royal Enfield that has increased prices across the range. It includes Classic 350, Bullet 350, Meteor 350, Himalayan, and 650 twins (Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650).
    Meteor 350 price hike
    One of the bestsellers in Royal Enfield’s portfolio and a popular choice in 350cc segment, Meteor prices have been hiked by up to Rs 10,048. Starting with the base Fireball variant, the price hike is Rs 9,441. Fireball retails at Rs 1,92,109. Next is Stellar variant, which is priced at Rs 1,98,099. It gets an increase of Rs 9,665. Top-spec Supernova variant is priced at Rs 2,08,084. It gets the highest increase of Rs 10,048. All prices are ex-showroom, Bengaluru.
    Among the entire range of Royal Enfield motorcycles, the recent price hike applied to Meteor and Classic range is the highest. For Meteor, price hike is of 4.23% while in the case of Classic, the hike is up to 4.24%.
    Bullet 350 price hike
    Bullet 350 prices for July 2021 now start from Rs 1.58 lakh as opposed to Rs 1.53 lakh previously for the Silver and Onyx Black option. Price for the Black Bullet 350 has been increased to Rs 1.65 lakh from 1.6 lakh. Prices of the Bullet ES 350 range has been increased to Rs 1.82 lakh. Below are the detailed new prices of Bullet and Meteor 350 range.
    Royal Enfield Meteor, Bullet Prices – July 2021
    Meteor 350 design and features
    Launched last year in November, Meteor 350 was the first in a series of next-gen products to be introduced by the company. The cruiser utilizes a retro design theme, as is evident in the round headlamp and rear view mirrors, teardrop shaped fuel tank and turn signals, round instrument pod and broad rear fenders. Meteor has a comfortable riding stance, making it suitable for both urban commutes as well as long distance touring.
    RE Classic 350 Price Hike – July 2021
    Another of Meteor’s USP is its vibrant colour options. The variety in paint job allows users to choose the one that best suits their individual tastes. Colour options for Meteor vary based on the variant. In case of Fireball, colour options are Fireball Yellow and Fireball Red. For customers choosing Stellar variant, the colour options include Stellar Blue, Stellar Red and Stellar Black. Supernova variant has colour options of Supernova Brown and Supernova Blue.
    Meteor 350 engine
    Being a next-gen product, Meteor 350 is equipped with a new J series 349cc, air-oil cooled, SOHC engine. It is capable of generating 20.2 bhp of max power at 6100 rpm and 27 Nm of peak torque at 4000 rpm. It is mated to a 5-speed constant mesh gearbox. The engine has electronic fuel injection, which ensures optimal power delivery at start as well as throughout the rev range. This new engine will also be used by other next-gen 350cc motorcycles that are expected to be launched in the future.
    Meteor 350 has a new chassis as well. The twin downtube spine frame offers several advantages such as reduced vibration and better control and handling. The bike has standard 41mm telescopic forks at the front. Rear suspension setup comprises twin tube emulsion shock absorbers with 6-step adjustable preload. Braking duties are performed by 300mm and 270mm disc at the front and rear, respectively. Dual-channel ABS is offered as standard. More

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    Our Favorite Car Commercials: Window Shop with Car and Driver

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    Automakers spend fortunes making car commercials to run on the 364 days of the year that the Super Bowl does not. This week, the Window Shop crew answered the challenge of choosing the best commercial and finding a car for sale to match.Road & Track staffer John Pearley Huffman channeled both Joey Capparella’s normcore energy and Tony Quiroga’s love of cream of mushroom soup (gray-on-gray) cars. Starting with Honda’s 2005 “Cog” commercial, he sourced a 2005 Acura TSX. Yes, Honda used its award-winning two-minute spot to advertise the European Accord wagon that never came to the U.S. But Pearley’s TSX, the sedan version of that Euro offering, remains a Window Shop favorite even though it’s an automatic. The 10Best winner with the 2.4-liter four cylinder even earns thoroughly questionable associations with Porsche and Alfa Romeo.

    Deputy testing director K.C. Colwell drove back to the 20th century for Lincoln’s 1994 “Raising the Bar” commercial that hawked the Lincoln Mark VIII. The ad probably should have been named “Lowering the Car,” but Colwell found a surprisingly creamy 1995 example—literally—with just 11,500 miles that hadn’t fallen either on hard times or on its air suspension. What the commercial failed to note is that the car that raised the bar helped prematurely end the Lincoln Continental lineup. Senior editor Joey Capparella brought Fargo and The Big Lebowski to Window Shop with his Volkswagen GTI “Unpimp Your Auto” advert from 2006, the ad fronted by a Swedish actor, Peter Stormare, who portrays anything but Swedish characters. Capparella’s four-door 2008 GTI—a slightly racy option for him—has just 15,000 miles, asks $15,000, and begs questions about reliability, German engineering, engine codes, and Window Shop fairness.Contributor Jonathon Ramsey, as usual, took a meandering and international trip before settling on a 2005 Mercedes-Benz E-class commercial about a woman ordering a burger in a library. Because this challenge had no budget, he took the opportunity to indulge in another high-dollar option, this time a 2016 Mercedes-AMG E63 wagon with all its badges in the right places for $69,000 in cash or crypto. The commercial predates the “This is an Arby’s” and “This is a Wendy’s” memes by more than six years, which did nothing to help him sell his pick.Deputy editor Tony Quiroga went back to an ad that time forgot from the Decade of Greed to create the most aggressively American combination of commercial. GM’s “Mine’s Bigger” spot for the 1987 Cadillac Brougham sees two gentlemen arguing over size, one of them taking victory with an extra two inches. Quiroga, who found that very year and model, had a long list of arguments to support his pick. Alas, two inches were worth a lot more in 1987 than they are today, but it seems not everyone got that memo when it came time to vote.

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    This Week in Cars: An EV Muscle Car, the Last Gas-Powered Lotus, and Full Self Driving?

    Car and Driver—that’s us—named the Ford Mustang Mach-E the winner of our inaugural EV of the Year award. The Mach-E faced off against 11 competitors, which represented every on-sale EV we could get our hands on. Over the course of three weeks of testing and evaluating—including a 1000-mile road trip­—the Mach-E offered a rewarding driving experience and usable range at a competitive price. Plus, it looks great. Read our coverage so you can be informed when you tell us why we’re wrong.This Week in SheetmetalToyota released interior photos of the TRD Pro edition of the next-generation Tundra pickup. The pictures show a large center infotainments screen and a few TRD-specific features including a red-trimmed steering wheel and a light bar mounted in the grille. We’ll see the whole truck, including non-TRD models, before the end of the year.Polestar showed a hopped-up prototype of its Polestar 2 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England. The prototype has 475 horsepower, 68 hp more than the production 2, and borrows its tires and front brakes from the much pricier Polestar 1. We wouldn’t be surprised to see some elements from the show car trickle down to the for-sale 2.

    Lotus

    Lotus has unveiled its last gasoline-powered car, the Emira. It’s a Boxster fighter inspired by Lotus’s electric Evija supercar and will come with either a 360-hp AMG-sourced four-cylinder or a 400-hp Toyota V-6. You probably won’t see many on the road, but they’ll be out there starting early next year.Bentley is marching forward with its plan to be fully electric by 2030 with the introduction of the Flying Spur plug-in hybrid. The new Spur will have a Bentley-appropriate 536 hp plus 25 miles of EV range. We don’t know how much this version of Bentley’s sedan will cost, but for reference, the non-plug-in Flying Spur tops out at $219,425.Three’s Company

    Stellantis hosted a virtual EV Day this week in which it announced plans to electrify each of its 14 global brands. The big news for Americans was the word that Dodge will build an electric muscle car, which it says will be the first of its kind (as long as no one else beats them to it—Dodge’s EV won’t arrive until 2024). Meanwhile, Ram announced that it too will build a full-size electric pickup, following the internet-breaking launch of the Ford F-150 Lightning and a light-on-details acknowledgment from Chevy that it is working on an EV Silverado. Ram says its EV 1500 will offer a currently unheard-of 500 miles of driving range when it hits the market in 2024. The announcement video showed two other truck-shaped objects covered with drapes, perhaps a hint that Ram is planning to expand its pickup lineup.FSD DayNot to be overshadowed, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter that his company’s Full Self Driving (FSD) Beta 9 software will be available for download in California starting at midnight on Friday, though only for Tesla drivers who are already using the previous version of the test software. Musk’s announcement warned drivers to keep in mind that the software is still in beta, which is to say, not a final product, though he says that if all goes well the release could enter its final, public phase within a month.
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    Tesla says the FSD software can navigate most driving tasks, including intersections. CJ Moore, who directs Tesla’s Autopilot software program, told officials with the California Department of Motor Vehicles this spring that some of Musk’s claims about fully autonomous Teslas “[do] not match engineering reality.” Decide for yourself whether the eccentric billionaire or the engineer is more reliable. Further ReadingThe Polestar 2 prototype wasn’t the only thing for show at Goodwood this year. One EV concept would filter particulate matter out of the air as it drives, making it carbon negative. Take a look at the exceptionally odd China-bound Airo.If you’re dreading an eventual return to your pre-pandemic commute, here’s some advice from Bloomberg that’s either overly earnest or sneakily satirical.Read in the New York Times about Volkswagen’s decision to sell a 55 percent stake in Bugatti to exotic EV maker Rimac.Or, also in the Times, about the fatal Autopilot-involved crashes that make some people nervous about Tesla’s driver -assistance systems. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said last month that it will now require automakers to report crashes that involve a car using their advanced driver assistance or self-driving features.

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    Jeep Teases EV Wrangler with Drone Pairing, Autonomous Off-Roading by Decade’s End

    Jeep released the video below as part of its parent company’s Stellantis EV Day. It shows a two-door Wrangler EV, which looks similar to this year’s Magneto concept, and a four-door model that appears related to the 2017 Safari concept.Part of the video events are dated 2025 and show a two-door Wrangler EV using biometric recognition, peer-to-peer charging, and drone pairing.Later the video shifts to 2030, where the four-door Wrangler EV is seen driving autonomously off-road while the owners lie in the vehicle watching the stars through a panoramic sunroof.On Thursday, at parent company Stellantis’s EV Day event, Jeep declared that it will have an electrified model in every segment it competes in by 2025. Jeep already builds a plug-in-hybrid version of the Wrangler called the 4xe. But according to the company’s statement, the Wrangler will need to morph into an electric vehicle if it is to survive beyond this decade. While Jeep didn’t explicitly debut a Wrangler EV at the event, this detailed video released by the company clearly promises one, along with drone pairing and autonomous off-roading capability.
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    The video starts in 2021, following a seemingly always happy couple and their incredibly cute dog as they park and plug in a Wrangler 4xe at a charging station in the wilderness. The timeline then fast-forwards to 2025—now the man is seen proposing while the couple are submerged in a darkened pool and what appears to be an electric Wrangler lurks in the background. This two-door model is painted white with the word “Freedom” emblazoned on the side of the hood. Since Jeep’s new slogan is “Zero Emission Freedom,” the implication is that the vehicle has an electric powertrain. Jeep seems to confirm that with the text “Concept BEV model shown” at the bottom of the screen. This two-door looks strikingly similar to the Magneto, an electric Wrangler concept released at the 2021 Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, and it may just be the Magneto with new hood graphics.

    Jeep

    The “2025” portion of the video reveals some interesting upcoming features. First, this future Wrangler is equipped with biometric recognition—in the video, the car recognizes the man’s face, unlocking and starting the Wrangler in advance. The video also shows peer-to-peer charging, with the woman plugging the white Wrangler into a blue model for some extra juice. This segment ends by displaying the future Wrangler’s drone pairing capabilities, with the couple’s drone flying just in front of their Wrangler, providing extra light as they traverse an off-road trail through the night.

    Jeep

    The video then jumps ahead five years to 2030. Now the couple is seen camping next to a four-door model, which looks similar to the 2017 Safari concept from Moab, with transparent doors and a three-section roof rack. This model is clearly intended to indicate it’s an EV, with “Zero Emission” printed along the side sill. Jeep then shows the Wrangler piloting itself around the off-road trails, much to the surprise of another Jeep owner driving in the other direction, suggesting that the Wrangler will be capable of driving autonomously off-road by 2030. Jeep then promotes flat-seat stargazing, showing the couple lying in the Wrangler watching the skies above as the Jeep drives them to their destination.

    Jeep notes at the bottom of the screen that “future models and features may vary,” meaning that the timelines for the Wrangler EV and futuristic technologies seen throughout the video are not promises. Still, the video shows that Jeep is plotting a Wrangler EV, gives us a taste of what it may look like, and previews some neat features that will enhance off-roading in the future.
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    Kridn Electric Motorcycle Exports From India Start – Launched In Africa

    Kridn Electric Motorcycle
    One Electric has becomes the first Indian two wheeler electric company to launch its Made in India Motorcycle in Africa
    One Electric has become the first Indian electric two wheeler maker to export its product. The first lot of Flagship motorcycle Kridn, has been shipped to Kenya. The company targets four more African countries prior to expanding export operations to South America and Europe in early 2022.
    One Electric Kridn
    Gaurav Uppal, Chief Executive of One Electric has stated that the Kridn is designed for heavy road conditions and heavy loading. It can also withstand higher temperatures. The entry into Africa challenges an otherwise Chinese dominated market.
    Made in India Kridn Electric Motorcycle derives its name from Sanskrit, meaning ‘to play’ in the classical south-Asian language. It boasts of a robust structure with a metal body. It is priced at Rs.1.29 lakh in India (around $1,731 USD). In this price range, One Electric KRIDN competes with popular petrol powered motorcycles – TVS Apache RTR 200 and the Bajaj Pulsar NS200.
    Features includes comfortable seats and 17 inch front and 16 inch rear wheels. It is presented in two color options of blue and black and gets a digital instrument console, a halogen headlamp and gets its power via a 5.5kW hub motor which draws its power from a 3kWh lithium-ion battery, offering a range of 110 km/h in Eco mode and 80 km/h in Normal mode.
    Kridn Electric Motorcycle in Kenya, Africa
    Acceleration from 0 to 60 is achieved in 8 seconds while top speed is at 95 km/h. It receives 240mm and 220mm disc at the front and rear with a Combined Braking System. African markets place greater importance on motorcycles as a vital means of travel. This segment has seen more attention from Chinese two wheeler makers in the recent past while One Electric becomes the first to design, build and manufacture their electric vehicle for export to Africa.
    Apart from expanding its export operations, the company is also planning to set up a larger manufacturing unit in India. It is in the process of deciding between locations in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
    Export Target
    A part of the company’s global vision, export targets for the first year is at 3,000 units. The company plans to expand its global markets from Africa to South America and Europe by early next year. In India, the Kridn e-motorcycle especially targets the e-commerce segment that has been growing by leaps and bounds.
    Kridn Electric Motorcycle in Kenya, Africa
    The surge in B2C demand is what has also spurred the company to bring forward its plans for setting up a larger manufacturing base. The company aims to commence production at this new facility by the end of this year. Noting good response from dealerships in India, One Electric is currently working with its 25 dealerships across 6 states in India but does not plan on appointing any new dealerships as on date. More

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    New Harley Davidson Electric Motorcycle Called LiveWire ONE Debuts

    Harley Davidson LiveWire OneLiveWire One is Harley Davidson’s second attempt at the electric motorcycle market
    A few days after Harley Davidson introduced its first electric motorcycle named LiveWire, the iconic American bikemaker had announced that future electric bikes will be sold under a separate brand entity with the same name. The company has now officially introduced its first offering named LiveWire One under its spinoff brand.
    The new sub-brand from Harley will exclusively be dedicated to its electric-powered motorcycles. Interestingly, the iconic American bikemaker’s second outing with a battery-powered two-wheeler comes at a lot lesser price than its previous offering. LiveWire One has been priced at USD 21,999 (approx. INR 16.41 lakh). In comparison, the original LiveWire is currently priced at USD 29,799 (approx. INR 22,10,000).
    LiveWire One More Details
    Further, LiveWire One electric motorcycle will go by the model code LW1 while it has been internally codenamed as ‘XB’. To stay clear of any confusion, the current LiveWire will henceforth be referred to as ‘ELW’ going by its model code while its internal codename is ‘XA’, therefore providing a distinction between the two models.
    While specs haven’t been revealed, earlier VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) documents have specified that the upcoming motorcycle will have a peak power output of 101 bhp. This is a slight drop in power when compared to the current LiveWire bike which kicks out 105 bhp. However, the same electric motor and battery offered in Livewire One are expected to be the same as LiveWire ELW.
    Harley Davidson LiveWire ONE Electric Motorcycle
    Although continuous power output of LiveWire LW1 is expected to remain the same as LiveWire ELW around 70 bhp. The VIN information further confirms the LiveWire One will be demarcated as a 2021 model with its launch slated for later this year. Harley Davidson claims a range of 146 miles (235km) on a single charge for LiveWire One.
    Battery Charging & Features
    Using a DC charger, battery of LiveWire One could be juiced up 0-100 percent in 60 minutes and 0-80 percent in 40 minutes. Under realistic conditions, 0-80 percent of the battery could be rejuvenated within 30 minutes. There is not too much of a difference in styling between a new electric motorcycle and LiveWire ELW barring different colour schemes and body graphics.
    In terms of features as well, the upcoming electric bike is expected to carry forward all the bells and whistles from ELW and probably add some more. These include a digital instrument console, a six-axis IMU and more. Harley-Davidson had earlier revealed in May that the new LiveWire electric motorcycle will be showcased at the International Motorcycle Show (IMS) in the USA the very next day after its debut.
    Harley Davidson LiveWire ONE Electric Motorcycle
    Current LiveWire Specs
    However, the venue has pulled out of the event and decided to host only musical concerts through 2021. It is powered by an electric motor which is paired with a 15.5kWh battery pack and returns a claimed range of 235km on a single charge and a real-world range of up to 153km. This powertrain delivers a peak torque output of 105 bhp and 117 Nm torque. More

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    NIU Electric Scooter Sales Cross 2.52 Lakh In Q2 2021

    NIU Electric ScooterThe company’s next big launch is RQi electric motorcycle, deliveries of which are slated to commence shortly in a few days
    Chinese electric scooter manufacturer- NIU, has witnessed tremendous growth in the recently concluded second quarter of 2021. As per an official statement released by the company, NIU sold 252,998 units of electric scooters in the second quarter this year as compared to 160,138 sold during the period a year back.
    This resulted in YoY growth of 58 percent. Out of 252,998 units retailed, 6,980 units were shipped to overseas markets representing a 34.8 percent YoY growth. Currently, the Beijing-based e-scooter manufacturer remains unchallenged as far as sales volume is concerned.
    Growth in first half of 2021
    The figures appear to be more staggering when merged with the sales volume of the first quarter. The company sold a total 402,647 units of electric two-wheelers in the first half of 2021 which is more than double what the company managed to sell during the same time last year. In the first half of 2020, NIU dispatched 200,298 units to dealerships across the country, translating to YoY growth of 101 percent.
    The overwhelming growth recorded for the first half of 2021 is a result of a slowdown caused by the global Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions. To highlight its impressive performance, NIU has sold as many e-scooters as Tesla sells cars globally. The growth was also driven by launch of new products as well as expansion of its retail network across the country.
    NIU Electric Scooter
    NIU product lineup
    NIU has launched four new products- F0, F2, F4 and C0 models in April this year. Out of these four, the first two models have already been mass-produced and delivered in the second quarter of 2021. As many as 450 new retail centres were added across China in the second quarter this year. By the end of June 2021, NIU had 2,366 showrooms across the nation.
    Growth in the international markets was primarily driven by recovery from COVID-19, especially in North American and European markets. However, deliveries of products still remain a challenge due to constraints in international shipping.
    The company has a wide product portfolio that comprises eight series, four e-scooter series, two urban commuter electric motorcycles, a performance bicycle series and kick-scooter series. The range of electric scooters consists of NQi, MQi and UQi with smart functions and Gova. The motorcycle range comprises RQi and TQi models while NIU Aero is the brand’s sole performance electric bicycle.
    Electric Scooter Sales In India
    Compared to China, electric scooter sales are at a very nascent stage in India. In spite of India being one of the largest buyer of two wheelers in the world, sales of electric two wheelers constitute a minuscule percentage of total sales. But things are changing. More and more players are entering the EV field. India’s electric vehicle sales are expected to grow exponentially in the coming years as government norms and rising petrol prices push more and more buyers towards EV. More

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    New Yamaha Maxi Scooter For India – To Rival Suzuki Burgman Street

    Image – XIII Tips N VlogThe upcoming Yamaha Maxi-style scooter is likely to borrow its mechanical components from Fascino 125 and RayZR and its looks from NMax 125
    While Maxi-style scooters aren’t yet a big thing in India, internationally it is a very sought-after segment of two-wheelers. In India, options are limited to Aprilia SXR 160 which is a proper Maxi scooter while the others like SXR 125 and Suzuki Burgman Street are sort of Maxi scooters with a similar design philosophy.
    Yamaha intends to venture into this segment by introducing a new Maxi-style scooter in India in the near future. This scooter will be directly pitted against Burgman Street which is currently priced between Rs 82,700 – Rs 86,200 (ex-showroom) and is slated to hit showrooms by early next year.
    Expected Engine Specs
    The Japanese automaker believes that Maxi scooters space is bound to grow in future and Yamaha would like to gain an early mover’s advantage. The upcoming scooter will most probably utilise the 125cc platform and engine from Fascino and RayZR. This 125cc fuel-injected, air-cooled motor puts out 8.2 bhp and 9.7 Nm of peak torque.
    In comparison, its supposed nemesis Burgman Street is propelled by a 124cc, single-cylinder motor that churns an output of 8.7bhp at 6750rpm and 10Nm of peak torque at 5500rpm. NMax 125, on the other hand, is powered by a 124cc, liquid-cooled engine which delivers an output of 11.8 bhp and 11 Nm of peak torque.
    2021 Yamaha NMAX
    Expected Design & Features
    Design-wise, it is likely that Yamaha might draw inspiration from the larger NMax 155 which recently launched in Japan. The Maxi-style scooter might sport a similar front-heavy faired body with twin-beam headlamps at front apron and a long dark tinted windshield above.
    The headlamps feature integrated angular DRLs. Other styling highlights expected to be carried forward include a stepped-up single-piece saddle and designer alloy wheels.
    However, unlike NMax 155, the upcoming scooter is not likely to feature a raised floorboard. Yamaha has announced that all models under its lineup will receive the option of Bluetooth connectivity, therefore, that is a given. Apart from this, features likely to be made available in the power scooter are a digital instrument cluster, a 12V charging socket and an engine start-stop system.
    Hardware specifications are expected to mirror RayZR and Fascino with suspension duties carried out by telescopic forks and a mono-shock at front and rear respectively. Both front and rear wheels are expected to feature disc brakes which should be assisted by at least a single-channel ABS (anti-lock braking system). Upon its launch, the upcoming Yamaha Maxi scooter will be the most premium scooter in India.
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