After the launch of the long wheelbase Indigo XL with a 1.4-litre common rail diesel (DICOR) engine, Tata Motors has extended the engine to the Indigo sedan and estate as well. The company also announced the launch of another two new models on its best- selling Indigo sedan and the Indigo Marina estate range with its new 1.4 litre DICOR diesel engine. 

The DICOR option will henceforth be available in the top end versions of the Indigo sedan and the Indigo Marina estate. The silent, 32-bit microprocessor based 1.4 litre, 70 PS engine with a high torque of 140 Nm offers the most contemporary diesel engine technology, featuring high pressure multiple injections, use of hydraulic and low friction mechanisms ensuring better combustion and more fuel efficiency. Tata Motors launched its first common rail diesel engine on the Tata Safari in 2005 as a 3-litre configuration and between the naturally aspirated, turbo-charged, turbo-charged intercooled and common rail options, offers the most diverse diesel engine range on any car and utility vehicle range in the country.

Bajaj Auto, India’s leading 2 & 3 wheeler manufacturer, has been honoured with “Award for Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) excellence - First category” by the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance (JIPM) for its manufacturing plants. This award was adjudged in recognition and appreciation of efforts put in by its state of the art manufacturing facilities at Waluj and Chakan for last more than 3 years to meet the stringent award criterion set by JIPM. 

With this, Bajaj Auto, has become first integrated automobile company in India, to receive this award for all its manufacturing facilities. It’s Akurdi plant at Pune was certified for the same award in year 2005. 

Commenting on this achievement, Mr. DK Sharma GM (TPM) Bajaj Auto said “We are proud to have successfully challenged the TPM excellence award from JIPM for our manufacturing plants, as it is a testimony of our manufacturing capability, flexibility & most importantly, our customer focused approach.” Bajaj Auto had also recently won the Frost & Sullivan – Super Platinum Award for the manufacturing excellence for its Chakan plant.

To address the feelings of the auto industry, major industry players under the umbrella of SIAM got together to spread the message of “Diesel is Clean”. Utilisation of diesel has seen a period of turbulence during the last decade but the sale of diesel vehicle in India during the recent period is a strong indication of the acceptance of diesel vehicles as a fuel efficient and non-polluting vehicle. Adding to its other utilities, the cost of diesel, which is low, compared to that of petrol in most of the countries is a benefit that is difficult to ignore. The seminar addressing to the popular issues highlighted certain key issues like, “Contribution of Vehicles to Overall Air Pollution”, “Evolution of Diesel Technology” etc brought the awareness of “Changing Diesel Image in Developed Economies”. 

Delivering the inaugural address, Ravi Kant, Vice President, SIAM, remarked, “Today, it is essential to provide clean and cost-efficient source of fuel and diesel fits that bill perfectly. Contrary to belief that diesel may not be clean; the seminar will showcase the cleanliness and cost efficiency of diesel.” 

In his address, Falk Heinen, Environment & Transport, German EPA, said, “Diesel is fast emerging as clean source of fuel and Europe has embraced the diesel technology for its vehicle. Carrying this message forward we will see a rapid growth of diesel vehicles in the coming time in India as they provide more cost efficient and pollution free option ”.

Murli Deora, Union Petroleum Minister, filling Bio-diesel into the 100% Bio-diesel Scorpio CRDe, indigenously developed by M&M

Mahindra & Mahindra, in what is considered a breakthrough in Indian alternate fuel technology, unveiled the bio-diesel Scorpio and Bolero DI vehicles for 100% real world usage trials. The Scorpio with indigenously developed CRDE technology is, according to the company, the first Asian vehicle in its class to run on 100% bio-diesel. M&M also unveiled a 5% bio-diesel tractor along with the utility vehicles, another first in the country. 

The company spearheaded two projects for it Bio-Diesel Programme, one in conjunction with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and the other with Indian Oil Corporation’s R&D Centre and Lubrizol. The vehicles will be run in real world environment that will involve severe and demanding terrain including hot and cold weather operations at high altitudes. M&M set up its bio-diesel pilot plant in 2001, and has carried out extensive studies on traditional engines and vehicles and realised the need to develop vehicles for contemporary and fuel-efficient diesel engines like CRDe, meeting the world’s latest emission norms.

Tata Motors has signed an agreement with MDI of France for application in India of the letter’s path-breaking technology for engines powered by air. The MDI Group is headed by Mr. Guy Negre, who founded the company in the 1990s in pursuit of his dream to pioneer an engine using just compressed air as fuel – which may be the ultimate environment-friendly engine yet. 

Commenting on the agreement, Negre said, "MDI has for many years been engaged in developing environment-friendly engines. MDI is happy to conclude this agreement with Tata Motors and work together with this important and experienced industrial group to develop a new and cost-saving technology for various applications for the Indian market that meets with severe regulations for environmental protection. We are continuing the development with our own business concept of licensing car manufacturers in other parts of the world where the production is located close to the markets. We have also developed this new technology for other applications where cost competitiveness combined with respect for environmental questions has our priority".