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      in Bike

      Ola Electric Scooter Plant Construction Underway – Production Will Start In 2021

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      Ola Electric Scooter and the manufacturing plant site
      Ola mega-factory Phase-1 production to begin within months

      Construction at Ola’s larger than life mega-factory on its 500-acre site has gotten underway earlier this month. In December 2020, Ola had announced a Rs 2400 crore MoU with Tamil Nadu government. Land acquisition was completed in January 2021. With work progressing rapidly, the company intends to start plant ops in the next few months.
      With industry and manufacturing processes largely improved at current times, this will be one of the quickest transition times starting from scratch to production. With R&D and data to fall back on, Ola’s plant will be one that’s bound to be closely followed by many a big name in vehicle manufacturing. The transition from being a solely ride-hailing platform to manufacturing would in part be based on data, and projected trends.
      For this to come to fruition, an estimated 10 million+ man-hours is planned to aid building the factory in record time. This in turn will help the company becomes operational regard to electric scooter manufacturing at the earliest.
      Ola global markets
      Ola’s factory development processes focus on sustainability. The green belt in the area is being conserved by preserving and transplanting onsite trees. Plans are afoot to maintain a large forest area within the site. And reuse soil and rocks within the factory. Below is the first look video shared by Ola.
      [embedded content]
      Ola’s mega-factory has an initial capacity of 2M units a year in phase 1. The large-scale operational quest will cater to Indian and international markets. This being Ola’s global manufacturing hub for electric scooter range, and two-wheelers across India and international markets, including Europe, UK, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Australia and New Zealand.
      Industry 4.0 principles
      Industry 4.0 principles are standard for the factory. This will be powered by Ola’s own proprietary AI Engine and tech stack. Processes will be deeply integrated in all systems. The new manufacturer is expected to create 10,000 jobs.
      Once operational, the factory is expected to be India’s most automated. 5,000 robots and automated guided vehicles will be pressed into service when ops are in full capacity. Global partners and suppliers have already been onboarded.
      Current preparedness and forward looking approach will aid in sticking to projected operational timelines. Ola will launch its first electric scooters in a few short months.
      They will be built around great design, removable battery, high performance and range, and industry first tech features. The scooter has already been recognised with the IHS Markit Innovation award at CES, and the German Design Award. More

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      in Motor News

      Jeep Wrangler Half-Door Option Available to Order, Starts at $2350

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      If you’re a Jeep Wrangler shopper and you want the openness of a half-door, with a lower opening and removable windows, it’s time to head over to the 2021 Wrangler configurator.
      The cost for the half doors depends on how many you need (two or four) as well as whether you choose the base or premium upper half. Not all paint colors are available with the half door, either.
      The Dual-Door Group option has been available to order since the fall, but deliveries are just now starting, as Jeep forum users are quick to point out.
      If you’re shopping for a 2021 Jeep Wrangler, you can now pay more to get less. Less door, anyway, which some people think means more fun.

      Jeep Wrangler EV Concept Coming This Spring

      Wrangler Rubicon 392 Launch Edition Costs $75K

      Jeep has added half doors to the configurator for the new Jeep Wrangler JL. True to form, Jeep has kept the names for these options as byzantine as its trim designations, so for the curious, the key things to look for on the website are the terms “Dual-Door Group,” which come with either “Premium Uppers” or “Base Uppers.” As Jeep fans know, the term Dual Door is used because when you add this Group option, you actually get two sets of doors: the standard pair and a set of half doors where the metal is actually lower for a larger opening and removable windows. You can swap them out any time you want.
      Jeep knows how to promote its half-door option, saying on the Wrangler configurator site that half doors are “not as confining as full doors” (points for honesty) and that they offer “a different driving experience.” For example, in case the windows get muddy or broken or otherwise obscured when driving on a trail, “half doors give you unobstructed views to ensure you are staying on course,” Jeep says, without mentioning that when you use a half door, you don’t have windows that simply roll down.

      Stellantis

      The difference between the two kinds of half doors is that the Premium style uses a fabric similar to the Jeep’s soft top, while the Base half doors are more of a plasticky vinyl to again match the base top. The Premium half doors also come with heated mirrors and speed-sensitive power locks, while the Base half doors do not.
      Adding half doors isn’t free, to be sure. The lowest-cost way to get them is on a two-door Wrangler, where the Base Uppers cost $2350 and the Premium Uppers are $2550. On the four-door Wrangler, the costs are either $3995 (Base) or $4395 (Premium) but playing around with the configurator shows that not every 2021 Wrangler paint color is available with the half door option. Specifically, the Dual-Door Group is available with the following exterior colors: Billet Silver, Black, Bright White, Firecracker Red, Granite Crystal, HellaYella, Hydro Blue, Sarge Green, Snazzberry, and Sting Gray. It is not available with Chief Blue and Nacho exterior colors.
      People have been able to order the half-door option since the fall, and JL Wrangler forums are full of people patiently—or impatiently—waiting for their vehicles to arrive as Jeep Wrangler models with the new Dual-Door Group are only being delivered to dealers now, Jeep has confirmed to Car and Driver.

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      TVS Sales, Exports Break Up Jan 2021 – Jupiter, Apache, XL 100, Ntorq

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      Image – Bengal Rider
      TVS Motor Company is currently the third-largest two-wheeler manufacturer in India behind Hero MotoCorp and Honda Two Wheelers

      With the coming of the new year, the automotive market has continued its surge for growth since the last two quarters of 2020. This was evident at the start of 2021 with automotive sales reaching new heights. In the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, demand for personal mobility has grown rapidly, especially in the two-wheeler segment.
      Domestic Sales- XL, Jupiter Lead Charts
      TVS, one of the major players in the two-wheeler segment in the Indian market, has been raking in good sales volumes in 2021. The Hosur-based manufacturer posted some strong numbers for January this year as it registered a cumulative domestic sales of 2,05,216 two-wheelers which are 42,209 units higher than January 2020.
      In other words, it recorded YoY growth of 25.89 percent. The highest contributor to its domestic sales volume was the brand’s moped offering- XL. It registered sales of 59,007 units last month against last year’s 52,525 units. This translates to YoY growth of 12.34 percent.
      It is followed by the company’s most popular scooter Jupiter with a cumulative sales of 51,852 units. In comparison, the company sold 38,689 units of Jupiter in January 2020 thus ensuring growth of 34.28 percent.
      TVS Motor Sales Jan 2021
      Apache, Ntorq, others show strong numbers
      Taking the third spot was the brand’s popular range of sporty commuter motorcycles Apache which recorded sales of 28,456 units against last year January’s figures of 23,157 units. This translated to a YoY growth of 22.88 percent. The company’s flagship scooter Ntorq raked in 27,766 units in January 2021. In comparison, the company dispatched 20,638 units of Ntorq to dealerships across the country thus registering a YoY growth of 34.54 percent.
      Ntorq was followed by Radeon to take the fifth spot after the brand retailed 9,857 units of the entry-level motorcycle. In comparison, TVS dispatched 6,055 units of Radeon to dealerships in January 2020 translating to YoY growth of 62.79 percent. The sixth spot was occupied by TVS Sport after it recorded cumulative sales of 8,174 units in January 2021. This is way more than last year’s 2,882 units, thus commanding a greater YoY growth of 183.62 percent.
      At seventh place was the brand’s entry-level offering Scooty Pep+ with a sales volume of 8,076 units. In January 2020, the underbone scooter registered sales of 5,1136 units, therefore, making YoY growth of 57.24 percent. It was followed by Star City which raked in 6,529 units last month in comparison to 10,476 units in January 2020. It was one of the few products which recorded negative growth of 37.68 percent.
      TVS Motor Exports Jan 2021
      Exports
      As far as exports are concerned, TVS shipped 88,284 two-wheelers last month to various overseas markets. In comparison, last year in January, the figures stood at 56,016 units thereby recording YoY growth of 57.60 percent. The chart was led by Star City 125 which registered disbursement of 30,070 units last month against 17,249 units dispatched in January last year. It recorded a positive growth of 74.33 percent.
      It was followed by the regular Star City at 26,488 units registered last month instead of 23,883 units last year. Thus, it recorded a growth of 10.91 percent. Next in line were Apache and Sport with exports of 16,192 units and 8,292 units respectively. Both motorcycles recorded healthy YoY growth of 227 percent and 222 percent respectively. TVS dispatched 4,556 units of Ntorq against last January’s 3,696 units which translated to a YoY growth of 23.27 percent. More

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      2021 Super Soco Electric Motorcycles – TC Wanderer, TS Street Hunter Unveiled

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      SuperSoco TC Wanderer Electric Motorcycle
      Super Soco’s new range electric motorcycles come with more comfort, features and range

      Vmoto, an Australian EV brand owned by Super Soco, hosted a virtual unveiling event of its three electric offerings. These include the TC Wanderer and TS Street Hunter motorcycles along with a CUmini e-scooter. We talk here about the TC Wanderer and TS Street Hunter electric motorcycles.
      TC Wanderer
      The TC Wanderer is a variant in Super Soco’s retro-styled TC lineup. It boasts of a retro design theme with some new features and some borrowed from the Super Soco TC. It gets wrap-around headlamps, raised handlebars, a small fly screen, café racer styled seat and simple body works. It however, boasts of a circular digi-analogue instrument cluster, full LED lighting, keyless ignition, USD fork and disc brakes at both ends.
      SuperSoco TC Wanderer Electric Motorcycle
      Design elements to the rear include a slim LED tail lamp unit and high positioned LED turn indicators. It rides on dual purpose tyres and receives three riding modes. The display indicates a 100 kms range once the battery is fully charged. All critical parts of TC Wanderer are covered with high resistant and infiltration proof aluminum for added protection.
      TS Street Hunter
      Super Soco TS Street Hunter was also unveiled as a replacement for the Super Soco TS. This is a naked sports bike with a sharper design and heavier stance. It gets LED light fittings where headlamp, tail lamp and turn signals are concerned along with a fully digital instrument cluster, 17 inch wheels and stopping power via disc brakes at the two ends along with a Combined Braking System.
      SuperSoco TS Street Hunter Electric Motorcycle
      Power and Performance
      Super Soco TC Wanderer and TS Hunter share the same specs. This motor generates 2.5 kW and 180 Nm with two 60V and 32Ah battery packs taking total storage capacity to 3.84 kWh. The battery can be fully charged in 3.5 hours. The TS Street Hunter rider is offered three modes to alter throttle response and offering a top speed of 75 km/h.
      The Super Soco CUmini e-scooter, ideally suited for urban mobility, gets powered by a 600W continuous motor with a swappable 20 Ah battery. It offers a range of 60-70 km and gets features such as LED lighting and keyless start along with an alarm system, GPS position and battery charge display via a smartphone app.
      Price and Launch Plans
      Super Soco has not yet revealed any details of pricing of these electric motorcycles. The current TC is priced at $4,000 (approximately Rs 2.91 lakhs) in Europe, but the new model could command a higher pricing due to its increased range.
      When will these e-bikes be launched in India is still not certain, especially considering the import bans from China. However, if and when launched in the country, they could compete directly with the likes of the Revolt RV400, Kabira KM 4000 and KM 3000. The Super Soco CUmini could rival the Ampere Magnus Pro. More

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      in Electric Cars

      Strom R3 Electric 3 Wheeler Launch Price Rs 4.5 L – Drive Range Up To 200 Kms

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      Strom Electric 3 Wheeler
      Strom R3 electric three-wheeler possesses a claimed range of upto 200 km on a single charge

      Mumbai based Strom Motors have opened bookings of their new Strom R3 electric 3 wheeler in India. Launch date was initially set for earlier this year but got delayed due to the pandemic that struck in early March 2020.
      Now the company has opened bookings for the R3, a 100 percent electric three wheeler at Rs.10,000. Introductory launch price is Rs 4.5 lakh. The new Strom R3 will be offered in three variants – R3 Pure, R3 Current and R3 Bolt.
      Strom Electric 3 Wheeler
      Dimensions and Features
      Strom R3, an eco-friendly, three wheeler, 2 seater electric car offers a compact personal mobility solution. It measures 2,907 mm in length, 1,450mm in width and 1,572mm in height with kerb weight at 550 kgs. It comes in with 100 liters boot space in the front and 300 liters at the rear and receives features such as round shaped headlamps, a distinctive front grille with the ‘Strom’ logo, sloping bonnet, rounded wheel arches and a tapering roofline.
      It also gets a raked rear windshield, and rides on 13 inch alloy wheels with wheels placed in a reverse orientation as compared to that seen on an auto-rickshaw, sporting two wheels in the front and one at the rear. Strom R3 will seat 2 passengers with a two door configuration and will be presented in four exterior colour options of Electric Blue, Neon Blue, Red and Black.
      [embedded content]
      The interiors receive a host of state of the art features. It sports a 12 way adjustable driver seat, 4.3 inch touchscreen digital instrument cluster and a 7 inch vertically oriented touchscreen head unit with IOT enabled Continuous Monitoring System with 4G connectivity.
      Features also include voice control and gesture control, a 20 GB onboard music storage system with a smart music playlist. The three wheeler electric vehicle also gets mobile connectivity, turn by turn navigation and a 2.4 inch touchscreen.
      Range and Top Speed
      Strom R3 will get powered via a 15 kW electric high efficiency AC motor offering 20 hp power and 90 Nm torque along with a lithium-ion battery. The engine will get drive by wire electric throttle and get mated to a single speed gearbox.
      Strom Electric 3 Wheeler
      It will get three driving modes of Eco, Normal and Sport and will command a top speed of 80 km/h with a claimed range of 80 kms on the Strom R3 Pure and Current variants while the R3 Bolt will get 200 kms as standard on single charge.
      The batteries can be charged in 3 hours via an on board charger. The R3 gets disk brakes on its two front wheels while the rear wheel gets drum brake. It also supports regenerative braking while suspension is via dual shock absorbers. The R3 gets 185mm ground clearance. Strom Motors is offering a 3 year/1 lakh km warranty on the R3. More

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      2021 Royal Enfield 650 Twins New Colour Options Leak Ahead Of Facelift Launch

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      2021 Royal Enfield 650 Twins Colours
      An update from Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 is on the cards which are expected to be launched sometime later this year

      At the end of last year, Royal Enfield made its intentions clear that from here on we will see many new and updated products from the bikemaker for the next seven years or so. It started with the new Meteor 350 and continued with the updated Himalayan earlier this year.
      While there are plenty of upcoming motorcycles in the brand’s scheme of things, exact launch timeline of these products is still very much unknown. Plenty of testing prototypes from the Chennai-based manufacturer have been spotted on roads in recent months. This clearly suggests that the company’s R&D currently has its hands full.
      Amidst all this, new details have emerged online which might excite Royal Enfield fans. New colour options for the 650cc Twins- Interceptor and Continental GT have leaked on the internet which indicates that the modern classic roadsters might be given a mild-facelift soon.
      This is further established by the fact that the latter was recently spotted testing earlier this year. Both bikes made their debut in 2018 and with almost three years in the market, an update shall benefit the brand.
      2021 Royal Enfield 650 Twins Colours
      Updates Expected
      Although we believe that this update will mostly be cosmetic and in line with the updated Himalayan rather than a major makeover. This includes new colour schemes and subtle variations in styling. The manufacturer might also take the opportunity to rectify certain ergonomics issues on both the motorcycles which hamper the riding experience.
      Although, the biggest update expected is the addition of the Tripper Navigation which displays turn-by-turn navigation on the instrument cluster when paired with the Royal Enfield App on one’s smartphone via Bluetooth. This feature made its first appearance in Meteor 350 and later in the updated Himalayan.
      New Colour Options
      Coming back to the colour options leaked, the images show several new paint schemes on both motorcycles. These colour schemes resemble the options available on the 650cc Twins in the Italian market which launched in November last year.
      From the images, we see Interceptor with seven new colour options out of which Orange Crush, Glitter and Dust and Baker Express are already on offer in India. On the other hand, Continental GT is shown in five colour options including British Racing Lean, GT Red, Venture Black and Blue, Cookies and Cream and Mister Clean. Out of these, the last option is already on offer.
      Engine Specs
      Mechanically both bikes are identical. Both draw their power from a 648cc air-cooled parallel-twin engine which puts out 47 bhp at 7150 rpm and 52 Nm of peak torque at 5250 rpm. This unit is mated to a six-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch. There has been no official confirmation from Royal Enfield regarding this update. More

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      in Electric Cars

      Tata Nexon Electric Driven Till 0% Battery In Real World Conditions – Range Details

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      Image – Auto Town
      Tata Nexon EV is available in three variants namely- XM, XZ+, and XZ+ Lux at a price range of Rs 13.99 lakh and Rs 16.40 lakh (ex-showroom)

      With an exorbitant rise in fuel prices in recent times, people in India have been contemplating on shifting to electric vehicles (EVs), however, inhibitions remain. The biggest of them being range anxiety as in how much can an EV travel on a single charge.
      This anxiety is multiplied when one takes into account that EV technology and infrastructure in the country are still limited and at a very nascent stage. Therefore, range assurance becomes a very key marketing strategy for manufacturers, especially in the passenger vehicle segment since options are very limited.
      The most affordable EV in the country is Tata Nexon EV, available at a starting price of Rs 13.99 lakh (ex-showroom). Powered by the company’s Ziptron technology the company claims a single-charge range of 312 km although in a real-world scenario it is almost impossible to achieve this figure. However, with recent updates made to its software, customers admit that the electric crossover is now traveling greater distances on a single charge.
      Real-World Range Test
      This fact has been established by a video uploaded on YouTube by Auto Town, the vlogger conducts a test where he is seen riding through heavy traffic of Bangalore. This proves to be ideal conditions for daily commuting to evaluate a real-world range.
      [embedded content]
      At the start of the drive, the instrument console on Nexon EV showed a battery percentage of just over 50 percent remaining. The vlogger intentionally keeps the air conditioner running to emulate as close to real driving conditions.
      On battery diminishing to 25 percent, it is noticed that the vlogger could not drive the car in Sport Mode although power delivery remains consistent. There is a significant drop in power delivery felt when the battery levels drop to 10 percent and also the AC stops cooling even though the blower is still functional.
      At 6 percent charge, the car stops, urging the driver to restart the car by turning off the AC controls. The remaining distance is covered at a snail’s pace with constant emergency beep in the background to immediately recharge the battery.
      At the end of the journey, with zero percent battery levels, the trip meter reads 124 km. This roughly means that for each percentage charge of battery, the car could travel up to 2.5 km. The range was also helped by the presence of regenerative braking which replenished the battery on every occasion possible. This means on a full charge, the battery on Nexon EV could offer a real-world range of around 240-250 km on a single charge.
      Powertrain Specs
      This is a significant improvement to earlier range evaluation on Nexon EV which provided a single-charge range of below 200km. Powered by Tata’s Ziptron EV technology, Nexon EV features a 30.2kWh lithium-ion battery pack which is paired to an electric motor capable of generating 127 bhp and 245 Nm of peak torque. The battery pack gets an 8-year standard warranty and an IP67 waterproof pack. More

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      in Motor News

      2022 Land Rover Defender Blessed with a 518-HP Supercharged V-8

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      The 2022 Land Rover Defender V8 is out this spring, and it comes with a 518-hp supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 engine.
      The V-8 engine will be available in both two-door Defender 90 and four-door Defender 110 models, and with it, the two-door will reach 60 mph in 4.9 seconds, Land Rover says.
      Defender V8s have a specially tuned suspension, quad exhaust tips, 22-inch wheels with blue front calipers, and an Alcantara steering wheel with chrome paddle shifters.
      We’re in a seemingly golden age of powerful off-road vehicles. There’s a 702-hp Hellcat-powered Ram 1500 TRX. Ford is debuting a higher-performance F-150 Raptor R next year that’s expected to have more than 700 horsepower. The Jeep Wrangler now has a 470-hp V-8-powered Rubicon 392 model. And the Hummer is back as a 1000-hp off-road-focused electric pickup on 35-inch tires. It’s only getting better, because the Land Rover Defender, now in its third model year in the U.S., is adding a supercharged V-8 model.

      View Photos

      Land Rover

      Jaguar Land Rover’s supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 makes up to 575 horsepower in the Land Rover Range Rover SVR and the Jaguar F-Type R. In the 2022 Land Rover Defender, it’ll spit out 518 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque—the same output as the Range Rover Sport Autobiography. The blown V-8 will be available in both two-door 90 and four-door 110 models, and it’s mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with four-wheel drive. Land Rover says the two-door will hit 60 mph in 4.9 seconds with a top speed of 149 mph. The Defender’s standard engine is a turbocharged four-cylinder, and a 3.0-liter inline-six is also available. In our previous test of the 3.0-liter Defender 110 SE, the sprint to 60 mph required 6.3 seconds.

      Tested: Ram 1500 TRX vs. Ford F-150 Raptor

      Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Has a 470-HP V-8

      New Bronco Is Here—It’s Everything You Hoped For

      Land Rover specifically tuned the Defender V8’s spring and damper rates and equipped larger anti-roll bars to account for the bigger engine. The active electronic rear differential that is optional on other Defenders is standard on the V-8 model, and a retuned yaw controller increases cornering performance. A new Dynamic mode in the Defender V8’s Terrain Response drive mode system stiffens the suspension and sharpens the throttle response.

      View Photos

      Land Rover

      Passersby will know a supercharged V-8 is under the hood by the rumble resonating from the Defender V8’s quad-tip exhaust, but there’s also V8 badging on the front fender and tailgate to alert them. Defender V8s ride on standard 22-inch wheels with blue front brake calipers and 15-inch rotors, although 20-inch wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires are optional—and the better choice.
      Only the Urban and Country accessory packs are available on the Defender V8. Sadly, the overlanding-focused Adventure and Explorer packs, which add such features as a roof rack, snorkel, and cargo box, are absent from the options. Three color choices are available: Carpathian Gray, Yulong White, and Santorini Black. There’s also a special Carpathian Edition that’s finished in the gray paint with a black roof and tailgate, “V8 Carpathian Edition” badging, and black trim pieces, and everything is finished in Land Rover’s satin protective film.

      View Photos

      Land Rover

      The Defender V8’s interior has unique black leather seats with suede inserts and an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel with chrome paddle shifters. Its illuminated door sills are also adorned with Defender V8 script. All 2022 Defenders introduce the option of a new, even larger curved 11.4-inch touchscreen (pictured above), and wireless charging is standard on all models. A 10.0-inch screen remains standard.
      We expect that the 2022 Land Rover Defender V8 will start around $85,000 for the two-door 90 and around $90,000 for the four-door 110 model.

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