Engine performance: 150 brake horsepower, maximum speed: 210 kph, acceleration: 0 to 100 kph in 4.8 sec. It all sounds like fun driving, but is there perhaps a slight feeling of guilt about the environmental impact? No need for that, not here. That driving enjoyment can go hand in hand with ecology is demonstrated in no uncertain manner by the Rinspeed eXasis, which was developed jointly by the Swiss car design company and Bayer MaterialScience AG. 

Thanks to its transparent lightweight plastic construction in Makrolon polycarbonate, it weighs only 750 kg. The car is propelled by a 750 ccm Weber engine with only two cylinders. Its average consumption is 6.3 liters of bioethanol E85 (= 4.5 liters of gasoline) per 100 km, and because ethanol is virtually CO2-neutral in the ecological balance, its CO2 emissions amount to a mere 20 g (!) per kilometre. E85 is a renewable biofuel from pure biomass that had previously stored the CO2 that is released during combustion in the engine. For comparison, a typical mid-class car emits around 200 g CO2 per km. 

"Cars must become even lighter to save CO2, and there's no way of doing without modern plastics for this. Nor must environmentally compatible cars be seen as 'an exercise in self-denial'. On the contrary, they must be fun, otherwise nobody would buy them." Rinspeed boss Frank M. Rinderknecht and Bayer MaterialScience Board member, Ian Paterson, are fully agreed on this. With their third concept vehicle, the completely transparent eXasis, both companies have turned their common ideas and inspirations into reality, and come up with a yellow eco-roadster packed full of dynamism.

Reacting to the Union Budget, Madhur Bajaj, President, SIAM said the Finance Minister presented a budget that sought to continue the growth momentum in the economy, but added that the auto industry had hoped for some more concrete steps in respect of the sector which have not been announced this year. 

The positive features of the budget in respect to the auto sector according to Mr. Bajaj were the reduction of CST from 4% to 3%, the continuation of the weighted deduction of R&D expenditure under Income Tax Act for the automobile sector for the next 5 years, and the retention of current customs duty structure on cars and two wheelers was a welcome step and would encourage local value addition in the domestic economy and generate employment. 

The other positives in the budget were the increase in spending on roads both national highways and rural roads. The increase in outlay for the Urban Renewal Mission and its focus on transport would help increase public transportation in the country according to Mr. Bajaj. The increase in funds for ITIs and the introduction of a PPP model would also help in the long term, Mr. Bajaj added. 

“However, reduction of customs duty on commercial vehicles from 12.5% to 10% is going to affect the industry negatively, specially as this applies to used commercial vehicles also” Mr. Bajaj said. “This would open up imports from low cost economies”. The additional education cess of 1% and the service tax on design services would have a negative impact on prices, he added. Also, some companies are likely to be adversely affected by Dividend Distribution Tax.

Ficosa International, a multi-national company engaged in the research, development, production and commercialisation of systems and components for automobiles, has signed an agreement with the Russian company Zavod Avtocomponent, through which it will initiate its operations in Russia. Zavod Avtocomponent, situated in Niznhy Novgorod - 500 km East of Moscow, manufactures rear-view mirrors, air-conditioning systems and injected plastic pieces for automobiles. 

The agreement includes the management of technical licences to Avtocomponent to be able to develop and produce the systems and components of the Spanish multinational for the Russian market, as well as the signature, in a future, of a joint-venture to develop and produce components, in which Ficosa would be its majority partner. 

The joint operations Avtocomponent - Ficosa will start with the assignment of the technical license and the production in Russia of the rear-view mirrors for the Logan model of Dacia - Renault, of which Ficosa is world wide supplier and already supplies this French Group in Rumania, India, Brazil and Iran. 

Russia is one of the markets expected to emerge with strength during the next years. At this moment, 1,1 million cars are being produced in the Russian market and the forecast appoints to a growth of 30% for 2011, passing to produce 1,6 million. 

Aligning this forecast of the future, Ficosa has been carrying out researches in Russia from July 2006 with the goal to introduce itself in this country and to offer its services to the autochthonous as well as global automobile manufacturers that operate there (Avtovaz, Avtogaz, UAZ, Renault, Ford, GM, BMW, Hyundai), as also those who have announced their implantation in the near future (Toyota, VW). At the moment, Russia concentrates its main production centres of automobiles in cities like Togliatti, Nizhnii Novgorod, Ulyanovsk, Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

Rockwell Automation Inc. has announced it has acquired ProsCon Holdings Ltd., a privately held engineering firm offering design solutions to the process industry. Areas of expertise include process technology, control systems and information technology. ProsCon also provides modular solutions as an innovative and cost-effective approach delivering faster implementation of new facilities, as well as retrofits for existing plants. This modular approach helps customers speed up their time to market for new products. 

Headquartered in Cork, Ireland, with an office in Dublin, ProsCon primarily serves major customers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology markets. It has a strong reputation for helping companies comply with regulatory standards and manage their business risk. ProsCon's management team and its employees will join the Rockwell Automation global solutions team and continue to serve their customers locally and around the world.

Maruti Udyog Limited posted domestic sales of 59,095 vehicles in February 2007, a growth of 61.6 per cent over the corresponding month last year. During the month, the company exported 3,904 units taking the total sales in February 2007 to 62,999 units. The company's total sales in February 2006 were 41,095 vehicles, including export of 4,487 units. 

During the month, Maruti's volume in the domestic A2 segment grew by 79.6 per cent and in the C Segment by 97.8 per cent compared to sales in February 2006. The sale figures for February 2007 are:

The automotive consortium comprising Mahindra & Mahindra, Renault, and Nissan, has finalised Chennai as the location for what could be the largest automotive production sites in India. Officials of Mahindra and Renault signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Tamil Nadu government finalisng the deal. The plant would have an installed capacity of 400,000 units per year, seven years after its initial production. 

Renault, Nissan and Mahindra are committed to investing a minimum of Rs 4,000 crores in the plant during the next seven years, with an equity holding of 50 % by Mahindra and 50 % by Renault and Nissan. The project, a unique industrial complex, will provide vehicle production for each carmaker, plus a powertrain facility for Renault and Nissan. The MoU will facilitate M&M and its partners Renault and Nissan to manufacture passenger cars and SUVs in the 925-acre facility. Production is expected to begin in the second half of 2009. 

Chennai, according to a M&M statement, was chosen for reasons including its well developed automotive and components industry, high education levels in its workforce, and its overall infrastructure including its port facilities.