Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Maruti to create new segment with 7-seat family car
Maruti Suzuki will create a new segment with the launch of its new family car and hopes to maintain sales growth in calendar 2010, managing director and chief executive officer Shinzo Nakanishi said on Tuesday.The company showcased its new seven-seater family car at the auto show in Delhi earlier in the day.
Nakanishi said despite the pressure of raw material costs, inflation and the rise of the yen against the rupee, the company hopes to maintain its growth in calendar 2010.
Toyota unveils the Etios
Toyota has finally unveiled their highly anticipated compact car, the Etios. Targeted at both the sedan and hatchback market, the Etios is the finished product of the work of 2000 engineers over a period of 4 years. While production plans are on schedule, Toyota is ready to set a new plant and supplier base along with having 150 dealers for the car by the year end. The styling concept for the Etios is bold simplicity while it aims to provide high quality, comfort and more importantly a good mileage while still being affordable. The high-rigidity light weight suspension is based around a new platform and so is the engine while the car is set to grace 10 cities in India including Mumbai, Cochin, Lucknow, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad.
Monday, December 28, 2009
The All New Beetle
A classic Volkswagens are famed for their traditional quality and the New Beetle is naturally no exception – all materials used are carefully tested and have outstanding workmanship. The body is galvanised giving reliable protection against rust. The high-strength panels on the New Beetle are given additional stability at specific points which achieves a very high level of torsional rigidity. The precision fit of body parts results in picture-perfect dimensions.
Legendary curves Every part of the New Beetle is curvy. Take for example the beautifully moulded backlights that make a statement and turn on the desire everywhere you go.
Elegantly crafted
The sleek headlights on the New Beetle are crafted to perfection. And help put a face to that legendary smile, each time you see the New Beetle.
To compliment the beautiful design of the New Beetle is a third brake light that seamlessly fits in at the back.
The attractive design of the door handles are inspired by the rounded contours of the New Beetle.
Maximum Safety on Board
Self assuredYes, we know it’s a small car. But when it comes to safety, the New Beetle gives you a feeling of security the moment you are seated inside. With ESP, ABS and other safety features in tow, the New Beetle comprises of a comprehensive active safety package, making it one of the safest vehicles in its class. We have also equipped the New Beetle with a passive safety package that gives you the greatest possible protection. The carefully matched restraint system, consisting of four airbags and a 3-point inertia reel seat belt system at front and rear, is also part of the standard equipment. Go ahead and enjoy the drive.
Steady steering
You have a good grip on everything with the height and rake adjustment for the steering wheel – and a good view of the instrument cluster with blue illumination.
Stability on the road
The Electronic Stabilisation Programme (ESP) keeps the New Beetle safely on course.
Always in control
Reassurance: The Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) ensures that the New Beetle remains steerable and controllable even when the braking is hard.
Reliably secure
An additional safety feature is the reflectors, which ensure that you can be clearly seen in the dark when the doors are opened.
Safe and secure
The front passenger’s airbag can easily be deactivated with the key of the vehicle.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Indian techie builds air-car! Refuses commercialization
Bangalore: Kanak Gogoi, a 12th passed entrepreneur from Guwahati, has over a dozen innovations, from gravity-operated bicycle to a car which can run on air. But he regrets the government's negligence towards scientific innovations, and refuses to commercialize any of his creations.
Gogoi said, "Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offered to build a fully furnished lab for me in Guwahati. The Chief Minister had granted me about 1.6 acres of land in 2007, but the file is still lying untouched at the local administrative office."
Talking about slow moving files, another of Gogoi's invention is the speed breaker that can generate electricity simply when vehicles pass over it. Gogoi explains that a ramp under the speed breaker would absorb the static energy produced by the sheer mass of the vehicle and convert it into kinetic energy. This is, in turn, transferred into electricity and stored in a battery cell. A vehicles weighing one tonne can create electricity equivalent to one kilowatt.
When Gogoi started the journey, he had two options; pay up his children's school fees or spend the money for his scientific innovations. He opted for the latter. In the past 13 years, he has spent Rs.1.5 crore (Rs.15 million) of his own money to satisfy his scientific and engineering curiosities, but steadfastly refuses to commercialize any of them and blames the government for not promoting scientific innovations, although only a few years ago he was making a hand-to-mouth existence.
Felicitated by the President of India last week for his achievements, 47-year old Gogoi is a celebrity in Guwahati's scientific and engineering circles. He has developed his penchant for creating extraordinary things from ordinary materials used for day-to-day activities during his younger days.
"However, I have never received a single rupee in profit for any of my work and I will never venture to commercialize them on my own. But if anybody is willing, he is free to make use of my innovations for the greater good of the society," said Gogoi.
Among his innovations are a solar hybrid car, whose 320 watt battery is charged by solar panels and is powered by a 100cc engine. Another car that Gogoi made from integration of motorcycle and Maruti 800 engines, runs on air energy powered by a hand glider and can reach a maximum speed of 120 km per hour.
Gogoi, however, has not bothered to apply for intellectual property rights (IPR) for any of his innovations, although they have cost in Rs.1.5 crore of his own money. "When anybody talks about things like IPR or patents, it is generally assumed that the person must be a Ph.D or DLitt. Who will think of an undergraduate as a genuine and worthy innovator? Besides, paperwork of the kind that is required for patent filing has always been an anathema for me," said Gogoi.
In fact it is the National Innovation Foundation, headed by noted scientist Raghunath A Mashelkar that applied for a patent on Gogoi's behalf for his gravity operated cycle, which converts gravitational force released by pedaling of the cycle into kinetic energy.
"I have a successful real estate business, which affords me the luxury of having enough spare money and spare time to concentrate on my engineering activities. I don't expect and nor do I wish for any monetary returns," said Gogoi, who had refused an invitation from a North Carolina-based organization to shift to their campus with a daily stipend of $1,000.
Gogoi said, "Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offered to build a fully furnished lab for me in Guwahati. The Chief Minister had granted me about 1.6 acres of land in 2007, but the file is still lying untouched at the local administrative office."
Talking about slow moving files, another of Gogoi's invention is the speed breaker that can generate electricity simply when vehicles pass over it. Gogoi explains that a ramp under the speed breaker would absorb the static energy produced by the sheer mass of the vehicle and convert it into kinetic energy. This is, in turn, transferred into electricity and stored in a battery cell. A vehicles weighing one tonne can create electricity equivalent to one kilowatt.
When Gogoi started the journey, he had two options; pay up his children's school fees or spend the money for his scientific innovations. He opted for the latter. In the past 13 years, he has spent Rs.1.5 crore (Rs.15 million) of his own money to satisfy his scientific and engineering curiosities, but steadfastly refuses to commercialize any of them and blames the government for not promoting scientific innovations, although only a few years ago he was making a hand-to-mouth existence.
Felicitated by the President of India last week for his achievements, 47-year old Gogoi is a celebrity in Guwahati's scientific and engineering circles. He has developed his penchant for creating extraordinary things from ordinary materials used for day-to-day activities during his younger days.
"However, I have never received a single rupee in profit for any of my work and I will never venture to commercialize them on my own. But if anybody is willing, he is free to make use of my innovations for the greater good of the society," said Gogoi.
Among his innovations are a solar hybrid car, whose 320 watt battery is charged by solar panels and is powered by a 100cc engine. Another car that Gogoi made from integration of motorcycle and Maruti 800 engines, runs on air energy powered by a hand glider and can reach a maximum speed of 120 km per hour.
Gogoi, however, has not bothered to apply for intellectual property rights (IPR) for any of his innovations, although they have cost in Rs.1.5 crore of his own money. "When anybody talks about things like IPR or patents, it is generally assumed that the person must be a Ph.D or DLitt. Who will think of an undergraduate as a genuine and worthy innovator? Besides, paperwork of the kind that is required for patent filing has always been an anathema for me," said Gogoi.
In fact it is the National Innovation Foundation, headed by noted scientist Raghunath A Mashelkar that applied for a patent on Gogoi's behalf for his gravity operated cycle, which converts gravitational force released by pedaling of the cycle into kinetic energy.
"I have a successful real estate business, which affords me the luxury of having enough spare money and spare time to concentrate on my engineering activities. I don't expect and nor do I wish for any monetary returns," said Gogoi, who had refused an invitation from a North Carolina-based organization to shift to their campus with a daily stipend of $1,000.
BMW Cleverly Simplifies urban transport
BMW recently revealed a couple of additions to its special 'Concept Vehicles exhibition' at the BMW Museum in Munich.
The Simple (Sustainable and Innovative Mobility Product for Low Energy consumption) and the Clever (Compact Low Emissions Vehicle for Urban transport), these two unique three wheelers concepts from the recent past are designed to showcase various innovations in personal mobility through novel vehicle and drive concepts.Both the Simple and the Clever offer a passenger cell like a car that provides protection from wind and weather as well as shielding the driver from exterior noise and offering occupants a high degree of safety in the event of an accident. But the narrow profile and tandem seating position, as well as the Simple's and Clever's ability to lean into corners resembles that of a bike. With a kerb weight of only 450kg, a 49PS petrol motor and an excellent drag coefficient of 0.18 allows the Simple to achieve a zero to 100 time of under 10 seconds.
Combined with a 6kWh electric motor, this fancy three-wheeler can dish out a fuel economy of about 50kmpl. The Clever offers a smaller footprint than the Simple, with its overall length at 3 meters, a full meter shorter and also 50kg lighter. The Clever aims at extremely low emissions in the region of 60gm of CO2 for every 100km, and for this, comes with a 230cc single cylinder engine that runs on CNG. No current production plans for either exist, but a future cityscape with leaning three-wheelers running amok on the streets is just up our alley.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
2010 Toyota Prius launched in Japan, is likely to come to India by end-2009
The new Toyota Prius has been launched in Japan - the Honda Insight had better watch out!Toyota Motor Corp. has announced the launch of the 2010 Prius, in Japan. With this latest version of its trendsetting hybrid, Toyota aims to take back the ‘world’s best selling hybrid’ crown, which the Honda Insight has usurped of late. Indeed, according to Toyota, it already has more than 80,000 orders in hand for the new Prius!
According to a press release from the company, the new Prius’ Toyota Hybrid System II (THS II) has been almost completely redesigned and now delivers as much as 32.6km/l (as tested under the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism JC08 test cycle) in the fuel efficiency stakes. The Prius’ 1.8-litre petrol engine also provides, according to Toyota, engine performance that’s comparable to conventional petrol engines of up to 2.4-litres.
Between 1997 and 31st March 2009, Toyota has sold more than 1.25 million units of the Prius, worldwide. The car is currently sold in more than 40 countries and the new-generation Prius will be sold in more than 80 countries, including India. As Toyota makes a global push to popularise hybrid vehicles, it’s expected to bring the latest Prius to India by the end of this year.
In an interesting aside, noted automotive journalist Jeremy Clarkson, who recently tested the Honda Insight, called it ‘Biblically terrible,’ and added that the hybrid Honda is ‘possibly the worst new car money can buy.’ Somehow, we’re sure he’ll find the new Prius more effective when he gets to drive it later this year…!
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According to a press release from the company, the new Prius’ Toyota Hybrid System II (THS II) has been almost completely redesigned and now delivers as much as 32.6km/l (as tested under the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism JC08 test cycle) in the fuel efficiency stakes. The Prius’ 1.8-litre petrol engine also provides, according to Toyota, engine performance that’s comparable to conventional petrol engines of up to 2.4-litres.
Between 1997 and 31st March 2009, Toyota has sold more than 1.25 million units of the Prius, worldwide. The car is currently sold in more than 40 countries and the new-generation Prius will be sold in more than 80 countries, including India. As Toyota makes a global push to popularise hybrid vehicles, it’s expected to bring the latest Prius to India by the end of this year.
In an interesting aside, noted automotive journalist Jeremy Clarkson, who recently tested the Honda Insight, called it ‘Biblically terrible,’ and added that the hybrid Honda is ‘possibly the worst new car money can buy.’ Somehow, we’re sure he’ll find the new Prius more effective when he gets to drive it later this year…!
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