Customers can expect to face delivery delays at least until the first half of 2022.

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting chip shortage has wreaked havoc with production schedules, leading to massive delays. It is estimated that more than 7 lakh Indian car buyers are waiting to take delivery of their vehicles.

Mahindra is among the worst hit. The company has a backlog of 1 lakh cars, with waiting periods for the XUV700 extending up to 19 months depending on the variant. Hyundai and Tata Motors also have a delivery backlog of 1 lakh cars each.

Maruti Suzuki - India's largest carmaker, is also facing delays. It has a backlog of over 2.5 lakh cars, the majority of which are said to be CNG variants.

Industry data suggests that Kia, Volkswagen, Skoda, Toyota, Nissan and Renault have a backlog of 75,000 vehicles each, while MG has a delivery backlog of 46,000 cars.

Carmakers believe the situation isn't expected to normalize anytime soon. Customers can expect to face delivery delays at least until the first half of 2022.

Source: TOI

The new dates are yet to be finalized and will be announced only after taking into consideration the Covid-19 situation.

Last month, we had reported that the organizers of the Auto Expo were mulling to postpone or even cancel the event due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Fortunately, the show hasn't been cancelled, but instead, the organizers have decided to postpone it.

The 2022 Auto Expo was initially scheduled to take place from February 2-9, 2022. The new dates are yet to be finalized and will be announced only after taking into consideration the Covid-19 situation in the country.

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has stated that the decision to postpone the event was taken to ensure the safety of the exhibitors, visitors and other stakeholders.

The Auto Expo is a biennial event and attracts visitors from all over the country.

Source: Economic Times

This offer is valid from July 2021 to May 2022 for all doctors who are existing Audi customers.

Doctors who own an Audi can now get complimentary service and sanitization during their next scheduled service.

Audi India is offering complimentary scheduled service which covers engine oil, oil filter, dust and pollen filter, air filter and related labour costs, along with free sanitization of the vehicle to doctors as a token of gratitude for their service during the pandemic. This offer is valid from July 2021 to May 2022 for all doctors who are existing Audi customers.

Audi had launched a similar initiative last year. The carmaker offered complimentary disinfection / cleaning of the interiors, exteriors and general check-up of cars to all frontline workers who were Audi customers. Customers were also offered pick-up and drop in a courtesy car.

Export oriented industries which include carmakers like Renault-Nissan, Hyundai and Ford can now operate at 100% capacity.

The government of Tamil Nadu has allowed export-oriented industries to operate at full capacity after a drop in Covid-19 cases. These include carmakers like Renault-Nissan, Hyundai and Ford.

Earlier, Renault-Nissan workers had approached the Madras High Court seeking a complete plant shutdown. They had alleged that social distancing norms were being flouted at the factory and the risk to their lives outweighed the health benefits provided by the company.

While the Renault-Nissan plant was shut down for a short period of time, Hyundai and Ford too decided to halt operations following worker protests.

New Covid-19 cases in the state have fallen to about 8,000 a day from a peak of more than 30,000 in May.

Source: ET Auto

The factory will operate with 50% workforce and will conform to all Covid-19 norms laid down by the government.

Toyota has announced that it has resumed partial operations at its plant at Bidadi, Karnataka from June 15, 2021. The factory will operate with 50% workforce and will conform to all norms laid down by the government.

Official statement:

TKM confirms partial resumption of operations at its plant at Bidadi in Karnataka beginning 15th June, 2021. Operating at the prescribed workforce strength of 50%, TKM will resume its operations as well as enhance training of all employees for the “new normal”, both in terms of facilities and processes. Furthermore, all such operations will be carried out in strict concurrence with all State and Central Government’s directives. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, we are very clear that we will respond to the needs of those in the midst of this outbreak, making prompt decisions and taking immediate action to help ensure safety and security of all our employees and other stakeholders.

On the manufacturing side, we are trying to ensure that all possible measures & preparations are made to resume production soon, so as to be able to cater to the immediate mobility needs of our customers, at the earliest. Our focus will be to cater to pending orders that could not be met due to the non-production days of planned annual maintenance shutdown, followed by the lockdown announcement by the state Government. Moreover, we are also focusing on vaccinating both our employees as well as their families and extending our support to have dealer and supplier staff vaccinated too, so as to ensure lower risk & severity of infections.

In April, Toyota had halted production at the Bidadi factory for 3 weeks. Since then, Hyundai, Renault-Nissan and Ford have also had to suspend production due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases.

Customers providing essential services in the commercial vehicle segment can also benefit from this offer.

In view of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, Mahindra has announced new finance schemes to boost buyer confidence.

The carmaker is offering the "Own Now and Pay after 90 days" scheme on its entire range of products. It will enable customers to opt for EMI payments after 3 months. Customers providing essential services in the commercial vehicle segment can also benefit from this offer as it would allow them to earn, save and pay after 3 months.

Other finance schemes offered by the company include:

• Lowest rate of interest starting from 7.25%
• Up to 100% on-road funding
• Accessories and extended warranty funding in addition to vehicle loan
• Nil foreclosure charges
• Highest tenure up to 8 years for personal UVs
• EMI starting as low as Rs 799 per lakh for personal UVs
• Instant EMI for accessories and extended warranty based on Debit / Credit card payments
• Lowest ROI for Bolero Pickup and BMT starting from 9.4%
• Highest tenure up to 6 years on Bolero Pickup

Besides this, Mahindra is offering accessories worth Rs. 3,000 on online bookings and a benefit of Rs. 2,000 for an online loan sanction, with a special processing fee and rate of interest.

Customers also have the option to convert their accessories, extended warranty or workshop payments in monthly instalments and avail a cashback of up to Rs. 3,000.

Hyundai resumed plant operations in two shifts from May 31.

Hyundai has suspended its third shift from May 31 till June 19, 2021. The decision was taken in view of the current Covid-19 situation. Third shift operations will resume from June 21.

According to Hyundai, the suspended third shift operations will be treated as 50% paid holidays and 50% compensatory holidays. The employees would therefore have to compensate for 9 shifts.

The company resumed plant operations in two shifts from May 31 following a week-long shut down due to rising Covid-19 cases.

The state of Tamil Nadu has seen a spike in Covid-19 cases over the last few weeks. In the wake of this, other manufactures like Ford, Renault-Nissan and Yamaha had also suspended operations at their factories.

Source: ET Auto

Hyundai and Renault-Nissan have also shut down their manufacturing units temporarily.

Ford India has suspended production operations at its Tamil Nadu plant on May 28 and 29. The announcement was made following a demand from workers to halt production due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the area.

This is the second plant shutdown this month. Earlier, Ford had halted production for 8 days before production resumed on May 24.

In the wake of the rising number of cases in the state, Hyundai and Renault-Nissan have also shut down their manufacturing units. Hyundai plans to temporarily suspend plant operations for a period of 5 days, between May 25 to May 29, while Renault-Nissan has decided to shut down its manufacturing plant from May 26 to May 30, 2021.

Doctors will be offered complimentary engine oil service from June 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021.

BMW has launched a special offer for doctors who own a BMW, Mini or a BMW Motorrad bike. BMW dealers will offer complimentary engine oil service from June 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021.

Doctors registered with the Indian Medical Association, hospitals and clinics owning a BMW or Mini can register themselves to avail the service. Doctors who own a BMW Motorrad bike should contact their nearest BMW Motorrad dealer.

Vehicles with engine oil service due will be eligible to avail the complimentary service. Existing BMW or MINI Service Inclusive package holders can choose between two options - free sanitisation of the vehicle or a complimentary Car Care Package.

Hyundai has also decided to suspend operations for a week.

According to media reports, Renault-Nissan has decided to shut down its manufacturing plant near Chennai from May 26 to May 30, 2021, due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases.

The news comes a day after factory workers warned of a strike if their Covid-related safety demands were not met. Earlier, the workers had also filed a petition in the court to halt operations alleging that Covid-19 protocols were being flouted and that the health policies offered by the company were insufficient.

The Renault-Nissan plant employs over 8,000 workers. According to the union, 4 workers have lost their lives and more than 400 have been infected by the virus this year.

Amidst rising Covid-19 cases in the state of Tamil Nadu, Hyundai has also decided to suspend operations for a week.

Source: MSN