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      in Electric Cars

      Toyota C+Pod Small Electric Car Debuts – Price 1.65m Yen (Rs 11.7 L)

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      Toyota C+Pod Electric Car
      Toyota has launched an all new micro electric vehicle, named C+Pod in Japan

      It happens to be an ‘Ultra Compact’ electric vehicle with a seating capacity for 2 adults. To begin with, sales will be restricted to local government bodies, corporate users and other organizations which are planning to include electric vehicles in their fleets. A full-scale launch for the masses is scheduled to take place in 2022.
      Specifications
      The Toyota C+Pod measures just 2,490 mm in length, 1,550 mm in height and 1,290 mm in width. Thanks to its compact dimensions, it has a turning radius of just 3.9 meters making it a perfect choice for heavily packed cities like Tokyo.
      It derives power from a 9.06 kWh lithium ion battery which has been mounted under the floor. The battery powers an electric motor which has been installed on the rear axle and delivers a total output of 12 hp and 56 Nm of peak torque.
      As per Toyota’s claims, the C+Pod has a range of 150 km (as per WLTC Class 1 mode testing conditions) and can be charged to its full capacity in 5 hours on a 200V/16A power supply. On the standard 100V/6A power supply, the charging time goes up to 16 hours.
      Toyota C+Pod Electric Car
      Pricing and Trims 
      The C+Pod has been launched in 2 variants, X and G. The X trim is priced at 1.65 million Yen (approx INR 11.75 lakhs) while the G trim is priced at 1.71 million Yen (approx INR 12.15 lakhs). The X trim weighs 670 kg while the G trim lands up weighing 690 kgs. The light weight of the vehicle can be attributed to the exterior panels which have been made out of plastic.

      Toyota has designed the structure of C+Pod in such a way that it absorbs impact and offers pedestrian protection too. The pre-collision system which has been installed on the C+Pod ensures that the chances of a collision with other cyclists, pedestrians, vehicles are lowered to the maximum extent possible.

      C+Pod and Indian Market
      Currently in India, Toyota has been selling more rebadged Maruti cars than cars from its very own product portfolio. In the last 1-1.5 years, we have seen the Indian EV market slowly maturing with good practical models like Nexon EV, ZS EV and Kona Electric getting launched in the last 18 months or so.

      Brining in the C+Pod or an iteration of it could work well for Toyota as currently there is no such model available in the Indian EV market. A model like the C+Pod could work well for last-mile mobility and even for environmentally conscious regular commuters looking for their second or third car/vehicle which can be used for short trips around the town.

      Its size and compactness could help the vehicle to become popular, however, we don’t think Toyota currently has any such plans to bring in an ultra compact EV to India. But, such a product, if priced aptly could help Toyota with some healthy sales numbers in the future. MG Motor India had showcased a similar small sized 2 seater electric car at the 2020 Auto Expo – called the MG e200. More

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      in Bike

      Top 10 Motorcycles 200cc To 500cc Nov 2020 – Classic 350, Meteor, Pulsar 220

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      Image – Reshma
      Five of the top selling motorcycles for November 2020 in the mid-displacement category were Royal Enfields – with 75.6% market share

      The mid-premium motorcycle segment in India has been witnessing a lot of product launch activities in the recent years. This segment is populated with eclectic mix of feature-rich products which offer fine balance of cost and performance.
      While the volume-oriented commuter motorcycle space which is dominated by a few brands is more of less saturated, OEMs are betting big on the medium displacement segment, particularly the 200 to 500 cc sub-space.
      Top selling motorcycles – November 2020
      Royal Enfield, despite going through a bit of a rough patch, still dominates this niche by a huge margin. The immensely popular RE Classic 350 which is slated to be replaced by a next generation model sometime next year tops the sales chart in November 2020 with 35,951 units at a YoY decline of 8.73%.
      The long running Bajaj Pulsar 220 comes in at a distant second with a tally of 7,114 units. Interestingly, the old horse posted a YoY sales growth of 26%. Royal Enfield’s first of the new generation models, the Meteor 350 started off with 7,031 units, sealing the third spot. We expect the Thunderbird replacement to witness even better numbers as the company streamlines production in the coming months.
      Motorcycle sales 200cc-500cc segment Nov 2020 vs Nov 2019 (YoY)
      The obsolete Bullet 350 witnessed a slide of almost 50% but it still managed to capture 4th spot in the highly lucrative segment with 6,513 units on the board. Honda’s answer to Royal Enfield’s utter dominance, the H’ness CB 350, shows potential as evident from its sales performance of 4,067 units which is impressive considering that it is being retailed only through BigWing premium outlets. As Honda ramps up production and sets up more and more BigWing stores across the country, sales are only set to increase.
      Middle-order and tail-enders
      The Bullet Electra 350 is the 4th RE in the top 10 list 3,490 units to its credit and it is followed by the KTM 250 series (1,590 units) which receive a boost in the form of Adventure variant. Coming in at 8th is the 5th RE product, the Himalayan, at 1,550 units. Bajaj’s Avenger 220 and Dominar 400 finished 9th and 10th with 1,030 and 856 units respectively.
      Motorcycle sales 200cc-500cc segment Nov 2020 vs Oct 2020 (MoM)
      The Dominar 250 almost matched its bigger-engined sibling with sales of 835 units last month. KTM 390, Husqvarna 250, Suzuki Gixxer 250, Yamaha FZ25, TVS Apache 310 and Mahindra Mojo find themselves becoming a part of the also-ran brigade.
      Month-on-Month performance on decline
      While the total sales of the segment of 72,134 units represented a YoY growth of 11.44%, all products witnessed a MoM decline save for the CB350 and KTM 250, resulting in the segment’s degrowth of 8.93% compared to October 2020, the first festive month. More

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      in Bike

      TVS Sales, Exports Break Up Nov 2020 – XL Super, Jupiter, Apache, Ntorq

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      Image – The Bengal Rider
      TVS Motor reported growth in domestic wholesales and exports for November 2020

      TVS domestic wholesales for November 2020 was reported at 2,47,789 units. Up 29.58 percent from 1,91,222 units a year earlier. Volume gain stood at 56,567 units. The manufacturer’s moped proved to be a big winner. And, sat atop the table. 70,750 XL units were sold at 22.94 percent gain. Wholesales grew by 13,200 units. Up from 57,550 units.
      The brand’s bestselling scooter, Jupiter was in the green. YoY growth was 52.72 percent at volume gain of over 21k units. Wholesales grew to 62,626 units. Up from 41,007 units. Both top performers collectively claimed over 50 percent of company dispatches. XL moped at 28.55 percent. And Jupiter at 25.27 percent.
      Apache series, the manufacturer’s wide ranging product triumphed at third spot. Wholesales were up 40.07 percent at 16.77 percent share. Volume gain stood at 11,889 units. Unit dispatches grew from 29,668 to 41,557.
      RR310, the largest cc offering is listed on its own, and accounted for 281 units. Though a small number, it’s a huge improvement on the 112 units reported a year earlier. Ntorq’s performance remained more or less flat. Dispatches gained 1,597 units. Up at 28,987 from 27,390.
      TVS Motor Domestic Sales Nov 2020
      TVS small volume two-wheelers
      Reported gain on Sport was the highest for Nov 20 owing to its low base number. YoY growth is 79.38 percent. Dispatch grew by 5,654 units, up at 12,777 from 7,123. Radeon gain is healthy on a low base number at 28.27 percent growth. Numbers are higher at 11,602 from 9,045. Volume gain was just over 2.5k units. Star City wholesales is up at 7,793 units from 5,105 units at a gain of 2,688 units.
      Of models on sale, Pep+ was the only product to report sales decline. Numbers fell to 6,870 from 8,439 units. Volume contraction stood at 1,569 units, following 18.59 percent decline. Zest posted single digit growth. At 8.17 percent, wholesales grew to 4,447 units from 4,111 units. Wego and Victor are not on sale now. iQube, TVS’ electric offering, iQube dispatches stood at 99.
      TVS Motor Exports Nov 2020
      TVS exports in November 2020
      While Star City is a lower volume product for TVS in the domestic market, its exports are most promising for the manufacturer. Star City and Star City 125 exports covered more than 70 percent ground in overseas markets. Star City numbers were reported at 62.12 percent gain.
      Exports grew to 24,660 units from 15,211 taking it to the top of the leaderboard at volume gain of 9,449 units. Star City 125 lost ground at 10.54 percent decline. Exports fell to 19,854 units from 22,192 units. Apache series exports grew 45.96 percent. Numbers grew to 9,115 units from 6,245 units.
      Sport exports fell 18.32 percent at volume decline of 985 units. Exports declined to 4,392 units. Down from 5,377 units. Ntorq growth was 54.24 percent. Numbers were just over 3k, up from 1,956 units at volume gain of 1,061 units. XL’s global performance is meagre at just over a thousand units. Exports declined by 37.53 percent. Down from 1,668 units.
      Victor and Wego are still being manufactured for overseas markets. Victor exports stood at 800. And Wego at 138 units. Radeon exports fell noticeably. Down to 120 units from 2,120 units. That’s volume loss of 2k units. 68 RR310 units were exported, and 12 of Jupiter. Total exports grew at 10.88 percent. Up at 63,218 units from 57,014 units. More

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      in Electric Cars

      Pravaig Extinction Electric Car First Look Walkaround – Exteriors, Interiors, Features

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      Pravaig Electric Car
      Pravaig claims that this is their first gen concept, which is now 2 years old

      Pravaig Extinction electric car, from Bengaluru based Pravaig Dynamics, has been officially unveiled in India. It has been in the news for making some really tall claims, from offering 5 star tank-like safety to fast charging like Tesla, and comfort like Mercedes Benz S Class.
      Now, a detailed walkaround review video has been posted by YouTube channel Namaste Car. Thanks to this, new details about the exteriors, interiors, features, etc have now been revealed.
      Exterior Design
      Pravaig Extinction MK1 gets a two door, coupe styling with a low slung profile, sloping roof, a sleek front end, projector LED head lamps connected by a thin LED strip and an LED bar of lights across its rear end. Prominent at the rear is distinct ‘Pravaig’ lettering while the electric car sits on blacked out multi spoke alloy wheels for a sportier appeal.
      Though it has made its debut just a few days back, the CEO says that this is a 2 year old concept. The production variant is due for Nov 2021. That will be offered as a 4 door sedan, production spec Pravaig electric car will measure 4,820mm length, 1,934mm width and 1,448mm height with a 3,038 mm long wheelbase.
      [embedded content]
      From this video above, it is clear that the car above is really far from production. There are too many things that need to be handled, even before the car can actually go into production. It remains to be seen if the company can reveal the actual production car next year or not. Below are some of the features, that the company claims will be on offer with the production spec-model.

      Lounge Like Interiors
      The upcoming Pravaig luxury electric car will boast of state of the art interiors for which Pravaig has roped in architects, fashion designers and interior design specialists. It will see a lounge like cabin with extended leg room, reclining seats and ambient lighting.

      The left rear passenger seat will recline to around 165 degrees while where its premium audio system is concerned, the company has tied up with France based Devialet audio technology company. Though nothing of this sort is seen in the interiors as of now.

      Specs
      Pravaig Extinction will be powered by a 96 kWh battery pack that would generate around 201 hp power. This engine will allow for acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds and a top speed of 196 km/h. The car will support fast charging with 0-80 percent charge in 30 minutes. This is a huge claim. The fastest charger available now is about 250 kW, and it can do 250 km at best in 30 mins. Most EV chargers in Europe are about 50 kW.

      Pravaig claims a driving range of approximately 504 kms on a single charge. It will also offer autonomous driving system. The company claims that the current battery pack can offer a life span of upto 10 lakh kilometers. The list of claims is endless. But the car is yet to be tested by independent bodies for the claims it has made.

      Sales
      If the features list above surprised you, sales targets are even more surprising. Pravaig Dynamics plans to produce around 2,500 units of the EV annually. Though, they will not offer you to own one. Pravaig Extinction electric sedan will be offered exclusively as a lease model with the company also set to introduce chauffeur services. Pravaig electric car services will first be offered in Bangalore and Delhi. More

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      in Bike

      Himalayan Owner Modifies His RE With Suzuki 400cc Parallel Twin Engine

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      Royal Enfield Himalayan Parallel Twin
      Royal Enfield Himalayan is powered by a 411cc single-cylinder engine – Here is an interesting modification job

      Royal Enfield Himalayan is one of the most popular adventure tourer motorcycles in India. Apart from a decent experience on roads, its well proportioned dynamics provides a good off-roading experience. Although, its low power and torque output could be a slight bummer on rough terrains.
      Fans of Royal Enfield are of the opinion that Himalayan should be offered with a larger engine, probably a twin-cylinder unit like the Interceptor and Continental GT which utilize a 650cc parallel-twin engine. As per reports, a more powerful Himalayan is in the making. But it will not come anytime soon, hopefully it arrives in 2022.
      But before that, a workshop in Punjab has modified single cylinder Himalayan into a twin-cylinder Himalayan. Vlogger Abhinav Bhatt has shared a detailed video about this modified Himalayan Parallel Twin.
      Updated Powertrain
      The workshop has used a 400cc DOHC parallel-twin engine from a 1990s Suzuki GS400e. This engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox and returns an output of 39 bhp and 28 Nm of torque. That is 15 horses more than the stock Himalayan. Moreover, this unit is a lot smoother and refined than the 411cc single-cylinder unit despite being a carbureted machine.
      [embedded content]
      Plus the six-speed gearbox ensures a wider spread of torque which results in a linear delivery of power. According to Bhatt, this bike revs more cleanly and due to a twin-cylinder setup vibrations are almost nil. This modified bike gets two 36 mm Mikuni carburettors which ensures a better mixture of air and fuel.
      Better Performance
      Moreover, this twin-cylinder engine has been fitted into the same chassis with only minor tweakings to its dynamics. This bike now returns around 25 kmpl as average fuel efficiency. There is no alteration to Himalayan’s design what-so-ever barring the additional exhaust of the extra cylinder. Also, the exhaust note is throaty yet very refined and would definitely make for an effortless cruiser.
      Abhinav claims, this modified Himalayan can do 140 kmph easily, without any exaggeration. The owner claims to have clocked a top speed of 150 kmph on the twin-cylinder Himalayan. This is certainly a lot higher than what a stock Himlayan could achieve.
      2021 Royal Enfield Himalayan
      Royal Enfield has started testing an updated Himalayan, which is said to come with a more refined engine, minor updates on design as well as new features (tripper navigation). Launch is expected to take place by March 2020. More