Tokyo Motor Show will feature electric vehicles

Tokyo Motor Show will feature electric vehicles :For car buffs who didn’t get their fill of hot new rides, another show is available before the year draws to a close. The 42nd Tokyo Motor Show 2011 will be open to the public on December 3; it comes after a year of hardships, with production impacted by the earthquake and tsunami as well as recent flooding in Thailand. Currently, however, the major concern for Japanese automobile manufacturers is the strong yen, which has eroded the profitability of domestically produced export cars while shrinking overseas profits when repatriated. Japan’s top three automakers all view the promotion of domestic demand as the key to stimulating domestic production as output for export dwindles. The car makers envision electric vehicles as playing a significant role in attracting demand after the summer of post-quake power-saving made consumers more aware of the emergency power capabilities of electric vehicles in addition to their eco-friendly credentials.

Toyota, Nissan, and Honda hope to entice the public with electric vehicle concept cars at the show. Honda will unveil its Micro Commuter concept car. The small EV carries a mini electric motorcycle called a Motor Compo inside one of its doors. A removable battery installed in the vehicle can be used for the bike and also as an additional power source for vehicle. Nissan, the global leading EV maker, will introduce its PIVO3 EV commuter vehicle. The three-seat compact is equipped with an auto valet parking system. The operator will not have to carefully maneuver into tight parking spaces because the car can automatically park itself into lots fitted with appropriate sensors. The PIVO3, which is powered by four in-wheel motors, can also recharge itself, with excess power available for home use or even for sale to the grid. Toyota plans to unveil its FT-EV III, a basic EV model that the company plans to debut in the U.S. and Japan in 2012. The car maker’s Fun-Vii will also be among the horde of electric concept cars to be showcased at the show.

Honda Brio upcoming in India October 2011

Honda Brio upcoming in India October 2011 : Honda Brio: This is the all new small car that Honda displayed at the Thailand Motor Show and it would be coming to India at around October 2011. It has got a 1.2 liter engine which would be good enough for 70 Bhp. Most likely, it would be the Honda Jazz’s unit in a detuned state. There would be enough space in this small car compared to the others in its class. It would be ducked within the 4 meters mark and the 1.2 liter petrol would be the only engine option available. There would be an automatic variant as well.

Hero Honda sales up 14.7 pc in May

Hero Honda sales up 14.7 pc in May : The country''s largest two-wheeler maker Hero Honda today reported 14.7 per cent increase in sales during May at 5,00,234 units. The company had sold 4,35,933 units during the same month last year, Hero Honda Motors Ltd (HHML) said in a statement.This is the third consecutive month that the company''s monthly sales have crossed the five lakh mark.

"We have crossed one million sales mark in the very first two months of this fiscal. Setting new industry benchmarks with consecutive months of over five lakh sales, we have put ourselves well on course towards our guidance of over six million unit sales in this fiscal year (FY''12)," HHML Senior Vice-President Anil Dua said.

He said the company has scaled up capacity at its existing three plants to 6.15 million units."And now with the forecast of a good monsoon, we expect the market demand also to sustain itself," Dua said.

Following Honda''s exit, the company is currently in the process of building a new brand identity and developing new brand communication.It is also focusing on enhancing its own R&D capability and exploring overseas markets for exports.

In December last year, the Indian promoter of the two- wheeler maker, the B M Munjal family, had agreed to buyout the entire 26 per cent stake of the Japanese promoter Honda in Hero Honda for Rs 3,841.83 crore.