- Maruti Suzuki has managed to sell 2 lakh units of the Ritz within 36 months of its launch. 64000 units were sold in 2011-12 alone.
- Skoda Auto has committed Rs 300 crore to its Indian operations as it percives India as an important market in achieving its global sales target of 1.5 million by 2018.
- US and German car manufacturers have agreed on a standardised quick-charging system for electric cars that will enable electric vehicles to charge to 100 per cent capacity in as little as 15 minutes. This is a real shot in the arm for electric cars and their manufacturers.
- After the reported collaboration with Toyota over engine development, German auto manufacturer BMW is now in talks with Korean giant Hyundai to engineer a new generation of engines. This will work out well for both companies, as BMW will benefit from economies of scale and the knowledge that Hyundai can provide for front-engined, front-wheel drivetrains and BMW can offer diesel technology to Hyundai, whose current generation of diesels were developed by VM Motori of Italy.
- Audi may be working on a Q2 mini-crossover that will compete with the Nissan Juke in Europe - it will look like a sportier Q3 or A1 on stilts. Personalisation options will be large, in the vein of the Mini Cooper, Fiat 500 and VW's own Beetle.
- Bentley may return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but there is currently no time frame within which the company will return to the endurance sport. There is also a question over which class they will participate in, since sister brand Audi is already top dog in the pinnacle class of the sport.
- Audi's new R18 e-tron racer will debut at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend. The R18 e-tron uses an energy recovery system on the front wheels under braking, and can subsequently power them during acceleration. A flywheel energy storage system has been used for storage of the energy.
The CarWale Daily Fuel is your quick daily dose of automotive news from India and around the world. If you want to know whatever's in the news but want it short and sweet, here's your solution.
