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      in Electric Cars

      Maruti Omni Electric MPV Imagined In New Render By Design Student

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      New Gen Maruti Omni Electric – Render
      Maruti Omni was discontinued last year after being in 35 years in the market due to outdated safety norms

      At the last Auto Expo held earlier this year in February, many manufacturers showcased concepts of their older generation models as future electric cars. The most prominent of all was seen in Tata Motors’ pavilion in the form of Sierra EV based on Tata Sierra which was a popular SUV back in the 1990s.
      It generated quite a bit of buzz and trended on the internet as well. Similar to that in recent months, more than one case of Maruti 800 has been digitally rendered as an electric vehicle, some of them even nailing the micro hatchback’s design. In a similar instance, a designer has rendered the image of the next-gen Maruti Omni as an EV.
      Maruti Omni, although discontinued, continues to be part of many livelihoods, especially those who carry out small businesses. It has also been actively used as a ferrying machine to drop children to and from their homes and schools.
      Even though it has been infamously described as a kidnapping machine, thanks to multiple bollywood movies using the car for kidnapping scenes! But truth be told, it was a perfect utility van for people on a strict budget. Although it had its fair share of drawbacks it was surely one piece of a reliable machine.
      New Gen Maruti Omni Electric – Render
      Exterior Design
      Automobile design student, Shashank Shekhar (@shekhar_design01) has reimagined a new generation Omni with an electric powertrain. Like the IC engine-powered model, this rendered Omni also adopts a boxy design. However, here it features a semi-bonnet package, as opposed to the discontinued model’s cab-over format. In real-world, this could lead to slightly better performance due to improved aerodynamic design. Overall, this would lead to enhanced safety as well.
      At the front end, it gets similar rectangular headlamps with C-shaped and straight-line LED inserts that are smoked. This makes it look very premium and futuristic. The bonnet and front bumper have a clean contour with uninterrupted surfacing giving a very low profile look.

      Further down, it is laced with horizontal LED fog lamps. On sides, it features squarish wheel arches, alloy wheels along chunky wing mirrors. The black underbody claddings and a high ground clearance give it a more rugged look.
      Door handles of the conventional front door and sliding rear doors are placed together and form a single unit. It also gets a side turn indicator on its B-pillar which complements the ones integrated on the side ORVMs.

      The rear of Omni EV gets familiar combination lamps but with LED light guides and are connected by a full-width LED stripe on its tailgate. From this profile, Omni appears to be wider. It also gets additional goodies such as rear wipers, defoggers and fog lamps. It is also offered in a dual-tone colour scheme.
      Dimensions
      The designer further elaborates on his design that his version of Omni EV will measure 4,000mm in length; 1,735mm in width and 1,860mm in height. In retrospect, the older Omni measured 3,370 mm in length, 1,410 mm in width and 1,640 mm in height therefore clearly this rendered model is bigger than its predecessor. This rendered Omni EV if at all make it to market will cost between Rs 5-7 lakh (ex-showroom).
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    • 188 Shares129 Views

      in Bike

      KTM 490 Duke, Adventure Confirmed By CEO – To Be Made in India By Bajaj

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      Image for reference
      This will be the first time that Bajaj Auto will be developing a twin-cylinder engine in India

      Ever since Austrian bikemaker KTM joined its hands with Indian two-wheeler giant Bajaj Auto, Indian biking community has been treated to a plethora of new products for over a decade now. In Bajaj, KTM has found a reliable partner that manufactures and assembles the former’s bikes in India.
      The company’s majority stakes are held by PMAG. Recently, in an interaction with an automotive website, PMAG majority owner and KTM CEO Stephan Pierer confirmed that it is developing a new 490cc platform in association with Bajaj in India.
      Bajaj-KTM Partnership
      Currently Bajaj Auto develops and manufactures 125cc, 200cc, 250cc and 390cc single-cylinder units for KTM motorcycles. The last three units are also used Husqvarna twins- Svartpilen and Vitpilen. All of these motorcycles are manufactured by Bajaj at its facility in Chakan near Pune in Maharashtra. For reference, Swedish bikemaker Husqvarna is a subsidiary of KTM Industries.
      Earlier this year, we had reported that KTM was in discussions with Bajaj to develop a new 490cc parallel-twin engine that could be used for Duke and Adventure range of motorcycles. This powertrain could also power future Husqvarna models as well.
      KTM 790 ADV India launch next year
      Currently, the high displacement twin-cylinder models using 790cc and 890cc units are imported from overseas. In fact, this new engine is set to be a lot more refined and powerful than the current 390cc unit. It is likely to have a similar format and architecture as 790cc and 890cc units.
      Prospects of the new 490cc powertrain
      Pierer revealed that the company will target its consumer base who want to upgrade from its 390cc bikes such as RC390, Duke 390 and Adventure 390. He further revealed that this new platform is still under development and the first motorcycle to be based on this platform is likely to be launched in 2022. As mentioned before, this new platform will be developed and used for a streetfighter, an adventure motorcycle and a fully-faired bike.
      The report further goes on to mention that these bikes will be fully developed at Bajaj’s R&D centre in Pune and supported by KTM’s R&D. Pierer further adds that these motorcycles could also be developed in China by their partners CFMoto. The bikemaker started building its new manufacturing facility 18 months ago and is completely ready now with production to commence from 2021.
      The 490cc bikes will bridge the long gap between the 390cc and 790cc products in terms of specs, power as well as price. The performance gap between the current 390 and 790 stand at 43 bhp and 105 bhp. Going by the KTM’s thirst for manufacturing performance-oriented bikes, we can expect these new 490cc motorcycles to be class-leading in their segments.
      SOURCE More

    • 125 Shares119 Views

      in Bike

      Ather 450x Electric Scooter Gets Performance Improvements Via OTA Update

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      Ather electric scooter
      Ather regularly rolls out OTA updates – The latest one also delivers performance upgrade

      India’s leading electric scooter manufacturer, Ather Energy has rolled out an update for its app on Android and iOS. This update is primarily a patch that has performance improvements as well as bug fixes. This update will be applicable for 450X and 450 Plus owners. One of the fixes is that the colour and name will now be displayed correctly in the app.
      For Android users, the update is already available on Google Play Store. iPhone users may have to wait a couple of days, as the update is pending review on the App Store. Apple team will be on Christmas holidays till December 27, which has resulted in delay.
      Ather expansion plans
      In terms of numbers, Ather Energy is currently placed at third place in the list of bestselling electric scooters. It trails behind Hero Electric and Okinawa. Ather is ahead of other rivals such as Revolt, Ampere, Benling, and Pure EV. In April-Sep 2020, Ather had sold a total of 941 units. In comparison, the numbers for Hero and Okinawa were 2,629 and 1,836, respectively.
      To boost sales, Ather is currently working to expand operations across the country. In addition to Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad, Ather now has presence in Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad. Other cities on the radar include New Delhi, Kolkata, Kochi, Coimbatore, Calicut and Kozhikode.
      Ather electric scooter test rides are now available in many new cities
      In phase II, Ather electric scooter will be launched in several other cities such as Jaipur, Chandigarh, Surat, Noida, Lucknow, Nasik, Indore, Bhubaneswar, Hubli, Mysore, Vijayawada, Guwahati, Nagpur and Siliguri. If things progress as planned, Ather would have expanded operations to 27 cities by end of next year.
      Ather’s new plant
      As Ather expands its footprint across the country, demand is expected to increase significantly in the future. To fulfil that, Ather has setup a new manufacturing facility at Hosur in Tamil Nadu. This plant is much bigger, spread across an area of 4 lakh square feet.
      Its estimated production capacity is 1 lakh units per annum. When this new plant becomes fully operational, Ather would have catapulted to an established two-wheeler manufacturer from its current status of an EV startup. Ather has already discontinued production at its Bengaluru facility.
      In every city where Ather has presence or will launch its electric scooter in the future, the company will be adding more charging stations. Availability of charging stations takes care of range anxiety, which is a crucial step for motivating customers to switch from standard petrol scooters to electric scooters. Ather 450X true range is 85 km on a single charge. It comes with fast charging and has ride modes of Eco, Ride, Sport and Warp. More

    • 113 Shares189 Views

      in Bike

      Bajaj Buys IP Rights Of American Motorcycle Brand Excelsior-Henderson

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      Excelsior-Henderson Super X. Credit – pinimg
      Bajaj has reportedly purchased the IP rights to the long defunct US-based premium motorcycle brand

      Bajaj Auto has filed a second trademark for Excelsior-Henderson with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) on December 15, 2020 under the clothing category which includes riding apparel and gears. It is to be noted that earlier in 2018, the Indian two wheeler major filed a trademark for the aforementioned brand under the motorcycle design class which covers vehicles, spare parts and service.
      Excelsior-Henderson – A brief history
      Excelsior-Henderson is an ancient two wheeler brand which ceased to exist in its original form in 1931 during the Great Depression. Its origins can be traced back to an entity which was founded in 1876 under the banner Excelsior Supply Company as a cycle and parts manufacturer.
      As it entered the new century, the Chicago based company progressed to making motorcycles, and in 1912, an Excelsior became the first motorcycle in the world to be officially timed at 100 mph (160 kmph). In the same year, Excelsior was bought by another Chicago-based cycle maker Schwinn who also bought Henderson Motorcycles in 1917 and merged the two subsidiaries.
      As the Great Depression was projected to continue for several years, Schwinn shuttered Excelsior-Henderson’s motorcycle division abruptly in 1931 despite a full order book and shifted focus on the core business of bicycles. After several decades, in 1993, Hanlon Manufacturing Company revived the Excelsior-Henderson marque with its base in Minnesota.
      Bajaj buys IP rights of Excelsior-Henderson motorcycles
      The first production model of the new era was named Super X, a homage to the company’s early 20th-century history. Production commenced in 1999 with retro classic styling. In 1999 and 2000, the company produced a total of around 1,950 units before failing to secure additional funds to keep the operations going.
      Future plans
      Though Excelsior-Henderson ceased to exist as motorcycle OEM, the company still exists and owns intellectual properties. Photo from the trademark office confirms that Bajaj Auto has purchased the IP rights to the brand.
      Given that other Indian two wheeler OEMs are attempting to revive vintage motorcycle brands as a gateway into international markets, Bajaj Auto could also be working on a similar strategy with Excelsior-Henderson. For example, TVS Motor Co recently purchased British marque Norton, and Mahindra-backed Classic Ledgends has revived Jawa and is reported to be working on bringing Yezdi back to the fore as well.
      It is too early to speculate about what the trademark filings would eventually lead to, but it would be exciting to see Bajaj set up Excelsio-Henderson as a boutique motorcycle brand with exquisite designs and limited production runs. More

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      in Motor News

      Why Thieves Are Coveting Your Catalytic Converter, Particularly Now

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      All over the U.S., cities are reporting a spike in thefts of catalytic converters, especially from shops and repair facilities.
      There isn’t a national effort to track such thefts, since the National Insurance Crime Bureau stopped tracking them in 2015, but police departments say the numbers are up lately.
      There’s not a lot you can do other than parking in a secure area and making sure you’re insured.
      Start with total boredom and staggering unemployment, mix in tempting metal prices, and top off with slack law enforcement. The resulting cocktail served across the nation’s cities and small towns is the sawed-off catalytic converter. It’s an old favorite among enterprising criminals and dishonest metal scrappers, but the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has brought this strange thievery back into the spotlight.
      Police departments have been reporting a general swell of catalytic converter thefts—which require but a few minutes and pipe cutter—that typically hit repair shops and businesses with ungaraged fleets. The numbers aren’t as dramatic as those for some other crimes, but they’re worth noting in a year when a lot of vehicles are spending their time parked.

      If You’re a Fan of Breathing, Thank These Parts

      Watch a Catalytic Converter in Action

      In Wichita, Kansas, thieves stole “more than 500” catalytic converters in 2020 as compared to “fewer than 200” in 2019, according to KAKE ABC. Thieves in Topeka have targeted vehicles that transport senior citizens, according to WIBW-13, leading to nearly $20,000 in damages. In Lynchburg, Virginia, police reported 31 thefts since September. Police in South Bend, Indiana, have reported 26 thefts since November. The cold in Manchester, New Hampshire, hasn’t hampered thieves, either, with 22 thefts since November. On a repair lot in Milwaukee, one shop owner with repeat thefts over the past few months has resorted to deflating tires to make it tougher for the thief to crawl underneath his vehicles. Do a search and you’ll find reports everywhere.

      Warped Perception via YouTube

      What Are They Worth?
      Cats may seem like small fry, but the earning potential is high—just as it is for copper pipe—when selling to metal scrappers. Cash payouts from $50 to a few hundred bucks can add up fast—and the sales aren’t tracked by law enforcement. Two of the three rare earth metals used in catalytic converters are worth more per ounce than gold. Palladium spot prices are currently more than $2300 (gold is about $1900), a 20 percent increase since January, according to Oklahoma metal dealer APMEX. Rhodium, which started the year around $6000, has spiked past $16,000. Platinum, after dipping during the March and April pandemic shutdowns, has been more stable. Although nowhere near the price levels of a decade ago, it crested $1000 in December, as it did in January 2020, when the metal hit a two-year high. With national unemployment peaking at a record 14.7 percent in April and lots of high-riding trucks and SUVs left idle or driven less this year, the crime opportunities for catalytic converters this year have been ideal.
      Exact thefts are unknown. The National Insurance Crime Bureau, the prime data source for vehicle thefts reported to insurance companies, stopped tracking converter thefts after 2015. In that year, the NICB wrote that nearly 4000 catalytic converters were reported stolen nationwide—a 23 percent increase since 2008—but that the real number was “much higher.”
      “While these thefts occur frequently, it is difficult to track these thefts accurately,” Tully Lehman, NICB public affairs manager, told Car and Driver. “As a result, the data obtained by insurers tends to be underreported.”
      What Can You Do about It?
      Owners of older vehicles tend to decline coverage for comprehensive damage, which would cover such a theft, because those insurance policies may be more expensive than their cars. Owners with comprehensive coverage may also decline to report a catalytic-converter theft, said Lehman, if the total repair cost is roughly equal to their deductible (and to avoid a likely increase in the policy premium).
      But replacing a cat isn’t cheap. Since it’s a critical emissions component, the EPA forbids the sale and installation of any used catalytic converter that hasn’t been refurbished and certified by an approved manufacturer. Used cats must also match the specific car’s original equipment and can only be installed if the vehicle is past a certain age, if a state inspection requires replacement, or if a car is brought into a repair shop without a converter. That means it’s illegal to swap a used converter straight out of another identical car, buy one from a junkyard, or fit a converter meant for a different car model. Even a refurbished cat for a 20-year-old Volvo can run $500. New factory cats are usually $1000 minimum. Add at least an hour of labor, and you’re looking at a big bill—or risk your car being undrivable and awfully smelly.
      While valuable car parts like wheels can be fitted with inexpensive locking bolts, there’s not much you can do to prevent catalytic thefts besides parking the most vulnerable, high-clearance vehicles inside a garage and carrying a good insurance policy.
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    • 113 Shares119 Views

      in Motor News

      Here's What a 700-Plus-HP Supercharged C8 Corvette Sounds Like

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      The C8 Corvette’s 495-hp 6.2-liter V-8 is more than enough. It makes all the right noises, and with a zero-to-60-mph time of 2.8 seconds, it’s quick as hell. For some of the more power crazed, though, that just won’t cut it.
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      Since the more powerful Z06 model hasn’t yet been revealed, the aftermarket is racing to add power to the C8. We’ve seen turbocharged setups for the mid-engine Vette, but ProCharger has just revealed the first supercharger option we’ve seen for the C8.
      The Kansas City supercharger company teased a “bolt-on supercharger system” for the C8 Corvette in a video released in November. Details are limited, but according to the clip’s description, the supercharger kit with intercooler pushes the C8 from 495 hp to over 700 hp on pump gas. The company says the blower kit “is just around the corner.”
      In a video posted this week, ProCharger showed what acceleration with its supercharged C8s looks like on a dyno. Yes, it’s fast and loud as hell.
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      ProCharger says its kit builds 8 to 9 psi of boost and uses an air-to-water intercooler system. Also, it looks pretty damn clean in the C8’s engine bay.

      ProCharger

      No word yet on pricing or availability, but we’ll update this story once we know more.

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    • 163 Shares99 Views

      in Motor News

      Yes, You Have to Clear the Snow and Ice off Your Car’s Roof

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      New Hampshire State Police via Facebook

      Throughout the cold months, injuries and accidents are commonplace from ice and snow coming off vehicles. A driver in New Hampshire was charged earlier this month with vehicular assault, among other charges, after a piece of ice came off his box truck and injured another driver.
      A handful of states have laws requiring drivers to clear snow and ice off their entire vehicles before getting on the road.
      Even in states without such a law, police can issue citations for offenses such as driving with an unsecured load.
      For those of us in northern states, the start of winter often means carving out some extra time in the mornings to scrape off the car windows. And while being able to see out of your car is an important part of that morning routine, unless you’re already doing it, it’s time that you start brushing the snow and ice off your roof and rest of your vehicle, too.

      How to Drive in Snow Safely

      Winter Test: Snow Tires on a Corvette and a 911

      Earlier this December, in New Hampshire, ice flew off the roof of a moving box truck and smashed the window of a following car, seriously injuring the driver. The driver of the box truck has been charged with vehicular assault, reckless conduct, and negligent driving, the Londonderry Police Department wrote on Facebook. In New Hampshire, it’s mandated by law to clear ice and snow from the roof of a vehicle, and a fine can result whether or not a driver causes harm to another driver.
      This is the case in at least five other states, including Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island, but even in states where the law doesn’t explicitly say that snow and ice need to be cleared off your entire vehicle, police officers have enforced such a rule. In Massachusetts, a state that doesn’t have a law about clearing off your vehicle, officers can cite drivers with driving with an unsecured load if they don’t scrape the snow and ice off their vehicle’s roof, according to MassLive. In other states such as Ohio, even when there isn’t such a law, if snow or ice comes off a vehicle and causes an injury or accident the driver can be liable.
      Barring a negative outcome, drivers who fail to clear the snow and ice off their vehicles can be given a small fine, regardless of the laws in place. But as is the case with the driver in New Hampshire, if other drivers are injured, the outcomes for a driver can be much worse.
      Ice and snow going through windshields is a fairly common occurrence in snowy states. Last winter in Michigan, ice came off a truck and smashed through the windshield of a school bus, injuring the bus driver and one student, according to WXYZ Detroit. In early 2019 in Wisconsin, a chunk of ice came off the roof of a truck and went through the windshield of a Buick sedan, causing minor injuries to the driver—and left a couple inches of snow under the rear windshield, according to Fox6. In both cases, it’s unclear whether the driver of the vehicle where the ice chunks came from was charged.
      Regardless, it’s unlikely that any of drivers who had ice come off their vehicles anticipated that happening—so next time snow blankets your car, carve out a little extra time to make sure your roof, hood, and any other area is clear.
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