[R.I.P]

My 2 cents....
Bio-fuels are still in a very nascent stage of development. The fuels produced today are considered level 1 in bio-fuel development. The eventual result(stage 3) of this research will lead to fuel being developed from algae(and not corn,sugarcane,etc) which will not put pressure on foodgrains, but for this we would have to wait for another 15-20 years depending on how "expensive" traditional sources of fuel would be and how economical this activity will be in generating ROI for the company.

Also, people don't realize that we have to use traditional fuels in producing/transporting these bio-fuels from source to end consumer which leaves the carbon footprint at almost the same place.

Originally Posted by tj123

India has lot of mouth to feed we cannot divert corn, sugarcane, beet & biomass to produce fuel.No doubt bio fuel has a great potential however at present it is not a very prudent idea, even in the US local politicians fear long term prices rise owing to corn being diverted to make ethanol. food scarcity is a real threat these days.
India can produce bio fuels if we have better technology to convert biomass to fuel instead of converting food to fuel.

[baluundertaker]

Well the emerging trends in global industry seems to be mainly focussed on alternative fuel and more efficient engine, i hope the following things(which already exist in developed countries) come to india:

1. Affordable convertibles ( I dont mean nano pricing but currently only BMWs and Mercs are available)

2. More proliferation of rental cars at cheaper price. Currently it is available only at airports and very few places in major cities. I would surely prefer to use rental cars than autos/taxis as these guys charge a bomb once they realize you are not a localite.

3. (Dreaming) - Indian made sports cars !!

[kadanaJ]

I'm hoping for more localization, without loss in quality, so as to make cars more affordable.
And this would have the added benefits of creating employment opportunity.
Also for a reduction in Automotive taxes.
Imagine being able to get a Honda Civic at 9-10 lacs.

[acidkill]

Other trends

1. Successive generations of the same model are becoming bigger but lighter (accord, polo, swift)
2. More acceptance of blended fuel as a substitute to pure gasoline
3. Usage of aluminium, plastics and carbon fibre over steel in building body panels
4. Smaller cars gaining more patronage
5. Rolling resistance and aerodynamic resistance becoming important design features
6. Greater acceptance of technology (in India) over bare bones products - GPS, Bluetooth systems, ABS, ESP, Advance driver aides, Safety realted features

[Gooney]

Originally Posted by acidkill

6. Greater acceptance of technology (in India) over bare bones products - GPS, Bluetooth systems, ABS, ESP, Advance driver aides, Safety realted features

I personally find this very interesting. Many luxury cars (from Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, et al) have many of these features available at present; but given the traffic and infrastructure conditions in India, more than half of these (mostly) active safety features become redundant. For example, lane departure sensors and proximity sensors are totally useless in India. I have a weird premonition that only Indians can be a panacea to this very Indian predicament - our tech whizes have to develop an Indian algoritm for these ECUs.

Originally Posted by baluundertaker

1. Affordable convertibles ( I dont mean nano pricing but currently only BMWs and Mercs are available)

Very tempting, but given our climate, I do not think there will be many takers even if it were affordable.

[cijo]

Originally Posted by kadanaJ

I'm hoping for more localization, without loss in quality, so as to make cars more affordable.
And this would have the added benefits of creating employment opportunity.
Also for a reduction in Automotive taxes.
Imagine being able to get a Honda Civic at 9-10 lacs.

I am also expecting tax reduction . Expect indian can import cars from any part of the world with out tax burden. Just imagine we can import a LC
for 30-40 lac

[Gooney]

Well this thread has kind of dried up. Any updates guys. Anything that you find will affect / redefine the automotive scene? I feel suddenly (say, in the next two years) India would become a driver (or alternate propulsion will come centerstage) for alternate fuel technologies, given the deregulation of petrol and the way its price is escalating.

[volkman10]

Most Americans not keen on Indian, Chinese cars.

Americans rate American, German , Japanese cars as their choices.


"Market research firm GfK Automotive's Barometer of Automotive Awareness and Imagery Study found that Chinese and Indian automakers could face a purchase consideration curve similar to Korean vehicles when they launched in the US. In that case, it took more than 15 years for consumers to significantly increase their consideration to purchase Korean vehicles. The majority of American consumers are not open to buying a car from a Chinese or Indian manufacturer. Such automakers looking to break into the US market face challenges in brand awareness and acceptance, said the study. The study found that only 38% of the respondents would consider buying a Chinese car and 30% an Indian vehicle.

In contrast, 95% are open to buying from an US company, 76% from a German manufacturer, 75% a Japanese vehicle and 49% a Korean model. GenY consumers were the most open to buying Chinese or Indian vehicles, with 52% saying they'd consider a car from China and 41% open to a car from India."

Cheers!

Most Americans not keen on Indian, Chinese cars - The Economic Times

[volkman10]

Are Diesels Poised for a Comeback in US ?

"Makers of diesel cars and parts are optimistic that market share could triple by 2015, as more drivers go for cars boasting technology that can cut fuel consumption by as much as 30% and deliver the power they expect—without the pollution and clunkiness of the past

Of course, it's unlikely diesels will rise anywhere close to the more-than-50% of the market they have in Europe, where diesel fuel is cheaper than regular gasoline because of a tax system pushing consumers toward efficient cars. Still, recently introduced European diesels from brands such as BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Audi appear to have rekindled interest in the U.S. About 30% of consumers shopping for a car say they'd consider a diesel model, up from 17% in 2008, according to surveys by CNW Research cited in a forecast by Robert Bosch LLC, a German supplier of diesel technology."


Are Diesels Poised for a Comeback? - WSJ.com

[Gooney]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Are Diesels Poised for a Comeback in US ?


Are Diesels Poised for a Comeback? - WSJ.com

Quite an eye-opener of an article! Not because it states something radical, but because I had the feeling that the US market had already started adopting diesels after 2008. I double-checked the date of the WSJ article to confirm that it is not an old article

Anyhow, the status-quo in diesel acceptance in the US remains (due to the slightly higher price than petrol). However, the good part is that the US customer is warming up to the idea of diesel powertrain, due to the advanced and clean technology demonstrated mainly by the German OEMs.