Metal costs, largely responsible for vehicle price hikes, will soon cease to pinch the automobile manufacturers' margins as they become increasingly aware of the benefits of using engineering plastic instead of metals in vehicles. Home-grown automotive players like Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Bajaj Auto, Hero Honda, TVS Motors and Maruti Suzuki are augmenting the use of plastics in engine components in an ambitious effort to reduce dependence on key metals like steel and aluminium, all of which have witnessed stupendous rise of 35-50 per cent in the past 5 months.

The domestic auto market is showing signs of revival thanks to the 4 percentage point cut (400 bps) in excise duty on cars and two-wheelers announced in February. April witnessed a jump of more than 17 per cent in the car segment, while sales in the utility vehicle segment rose by 31 per cent, as compared with the corresponding month last year. According to the figures released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the passenger-vehicle segment, which also includes multi-purpose vehicles, grew by 21 per cent. The motorcycle sales grew by 8 per cent during the month.

Deals reflect intensifying competition in the US car market. As the credit crunch intensifies, carmakers are turning to an unusual way of moving vehicles off dealership lots: offering to throw in the petrol. In the UK, Fiat offers a payment-free period of nine months plus

Working for a larger car market share and stepping up sourcing of auto parts from India, Italian automobile manufacturer Fiat unfolded its plans to source auto parts worth at least 250 million euro (about Rs. 1,595 crore) from the country by 2010 besides launching the CNG variant of its bread and butter model Palio and rolling out some more cars in the coming 12 months. At present, it is sourcing parts worth 30 million euro from India.

: Japanese automaker Nissan is all set to kick off fresh competition in India as it plans six new launches by 2012, including a hatchback car in the volume segment and commercial vehicles. The small car will be produced at its upcoming Chennai factory, slated to start production by 2010, a senior company official said. While Nissan will source Maruti-Suzuki's yet-to-belaunched compact

As the credit crunch intensifies, carmakers are turning to an unusual way of moving vehicles off dealership lots: offering to throw in the petrol. In the UK, Fiat offers a payment-free period of nine months plus

Fuel-efficient and low on emissions, hybrid cars are the vehicles of the future

DETROIT: Soaring gasoline prices have turned the steady migration by Americans to smaller cars into a stampede. In what industry analysts are calling a first, about one in five vehicles sold in the United States was a compact or subcompact car during April, based on monthly sales data released Thursday. Almost a decade ago, when sport utility vehicles were at their peak of popularity, only one in every eight vehicles sold was a small car.

As separation pangs hit the electric vehicle joint venture between Hero Group and Ultra Motors, the Delhi High Court has restrained the UK-based firm from selling competing electric two-wheelers for a period of 180 days starting April 23. Responding to a petition filed by Hero Cycles, which sought to restrain Ultra Motors India Ltd (UMIL) from selling electric vehicles and kits in India, a high court Bench restrained UMIL "from offering for sale or attempting to market any products defined in the agreement' for the period.

India's electric car, the Reva, is all charged up to drive into the big league of the auto industry I turn the key in the ignition and