by WAF Think Tank 

India’s proposed CAFE III (Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency) norms—expected to apply from FY 2027 onward—have triggered a rare and public divergence within the auto industry. Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest carmaker, has written to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) seeking a review of the draft framework, while several other manufacturers appear broadly aligned with the regulator’s direction.

What are CAFE III norms?

CAFE norms mandate that a manufacturer’s fleet-wide average CO₂ emissions remain below a specified threshold. Each new phase tightens limits, pushing companies toward lighter vehicles, cleaner powertrains, hybrids, and EVs. CAFE III is expected to be significantly more stringent than CAFE II.

Continue reading “CAFE III Norms: Maruti Suzuki vs Other Carmakers — Why They Wrote to the PMO”

by WAF Think Tank 

•Last Sat, the fire at the PG&E Substation knocked out power to around one third of the residents in parts of San Francisco

•Waymo, the popular Robotaxi service from Alphabet ( Google’s parent) operates a fleet of around 2,500 Robotaxis in the bay area. 

•Traffic Signals went dark and these driverless cars in the affected areas had navigation problems

•Many of these cars were stalled and stranded at intersections further exacerbating the traffic snarls and jams 

The promise of driverless robotaxis has long been tied to a vision of safer roads, reduced congestion, lower emissions, and round-the-clock urban mobility. Cities like San Francisco have been at the forefront of this transformation, serving as real-world laboratories for autonomous vehicle (AV) deployment. However, the recent power outage in San Francisco — which disrupted traffic signals, communication networks, and parts of digital infrastructure — has once again raised a critical question: Should the expansion of driverless robotaxis continue at the current pace, or is a strategic pause needed to reassess risks and readiness?

Power Outages: A Reality Check for Autonomous Mobility

Autonomous vehicles depend heavily on a complex ecosystem — high-definition maps, sensors, cloud connectivity, GPS signals, traffic infrastructure, and uninterrupted power supply. While robotaxis are designed with redundancies, large-scale power outages expose systemic vulnerabilities beyond the vehicle itself.

Continue reading “Should Driverless Robotaxis Be Continued to Expand without Proper Testing? Lessons from the Recent San Francisco Power Outage”

Hunter Engineering Company – The global wizard of tyre & vehicle maintenance gear.

300+ patents. 120+ engineers & developers. 98.7% of customers who’d shout “Hunter rocks!” from the rooftops.

Madhus Garage Equipment – The undisputed favourite of OEMs and the aftermarket alike! Continue reading “When Two Powerhouses – or let’s say, families join forces – Hunter & Madhus”

Source : PTI |  New Delhi: Japan’s Nippon Paint Holdings arm, NIPSEA Group, on Monday announced the appointment of Sharad Malhotra as Managing Director of Nippon Paint India, effective December 1, 2025, making him the first Indian to occupy the position in the company.

Malhotra will succeed Jon Tan as Managing Director, reporting to the Group’s CEO, Wee Siew Kim, the company said in a statement. Continue reading “Sharad Malhotra appointed as MD of Nippon Paint India”

by WAF Auto News

•  Charging Ahead in India’s Green Revolution

JSW MG Motor India just hit a massive milestone — 1 lakh electric vehicles on Indian roads!
That’s not just a number — it’s a statement. A signal that India’s EV revolution is well and truly rolling.

The five car-lineup of EVs from MG viz the Business class ride Windsor EV to the stylish ZS EV to the city-smart Comet EV to the zippy Cyberster and to the Luxury Limousine M9 EV, the brand has built a lineup that’s turning heads — and turning India greener, one car at a time. Continue reading “JSW MG Motor India Crosses the 1 Lakh EV Milestone!”

by WAF Auto News

New Delhi, October 30, 2025 – MG Motor India today announced that all its vehicle models will now come equipped with PM 2.5 cabin air filters as standard, reinforcing the company’s commitment to customer health and environmental sustainability.

The announcement comes amid rising air pollution levels across major Indian cities. The inclusion of PM 2.5 filters aims to significantly improve in-cabin air quality by removing fine particulate matter, dust, smoke, and pollutants smaller than 2.5 micrometers — known to be hazardous to human health.

An MG Motor India spokesperson said, “Our customers’ well-being is at the core of every innovation we introduce. With PM 2.5 filters now standard across our lineup, we aim to ensure a cleaner and safer driving experience for all MG owners, regardless of model or segment.”

Continue reading “All MG Cars in India to Come Equipped with PM 2.5 Filters”

By WAF Auto News Desk

“A Landmark Move in India’s Auto Retail Space”

In a decisive development that could shape the future of tax transitions in India, the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) has moved the Supreme Court over the issue of blocked compensation cess credits, amounting to nearly ₹2,500 crore.

The move follows the rollout of GST 2.0 on September 22, 2025, a major tax reform that abolished the compensation cess previously levied on certain vehicle categories.

While the reform aims to simplify taxation and enhance ease of doing business, the unintended consequence has been the blocking of legitimate input credits held by dealers across the country.

Continue reading “FADA Moves the Supreme Court Over the GST Cess Issue — Seeks Relief on ₹2,500 Crore Blocked Credits”

By WAF Think Tank 

New Delhi, September 3, 2025: In a landmark move aimed at boosting demand across the automotive and agriculture sectors, the Government of India has announced a significant reduction in Goods and Services Tax (GST) on vehicles, farm equipment, and auto components. The decision, cleared by the GST Council in its latest meeting, is expected to provide relief to consumers, farmers, and manufacturers while stimulating growth in two of the country’s most critical industries.

Key Highlights of the GST Cut

Continue reading “In a Landmark Move, Govt of India slashes GST on Vehicles, Farm Equipment and Auto Parts”

BERLIN, (Reuters) – BMW chief executive Oliver Zipse expects a reordering of the car industry in the coming years, warning in an interview on Thursday that the sector cannot afford mistakes, as the company bets heavily on its revamped electric vehicle offering.

“There will be a selection process in our industry,” Zipse told the Spiegel news magazine. Continue reading “BMW CEO says ‘can’t afford mistakes’ ahead of fully electric launch”

Summary

• Tesla under pressure to deliver on robotaxi promises
• Waymo prioritizes safety, mapping, and community relations before expansion
• Tesla says its AI system bypasses extensive road testing and mapping

(Reuters) – A month after Tesla launched a trial robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, in June for select fans, CEO Elon Musk told investors that the company’s driverless taxis would likely be available to “half the population of the U.S.” by the end of this year.

Alphabet’s Waymo – the U.S. leader in autonomous ride-hailing – launched a similar test service in Phoenix more than eight years ago. Today, it operates in areas with about 3% of the U.S. population. Continue reading “How Tesla and Waymo’s radically different robotaxi approaches will shape the industry”

Source : PTI | There is a need to introduce small cars entailing a lower tax slab to offer an alternative to consumers at the lower end of the pyramid to shift from “risky” two-wheelers to passenger vehicles, Maruti Suzuki India Chairman RC Bhargava said on Thursday.

Speaking at Maruti Suzuki’s 44th Annual General Meeting here, he noted that with changes in emission and safety regulations over time, the cost of entry-level cars has increased, making them unaffordable for many prospective buyers. Continue reading “Need to have small cars to offer alternative to two-wheeler owners: Maruti Chairman”

Summary

• Import levies drive up costs for U.S. truck makers
• Tariffs add 2–4% to per-unit truck costs, ACT Research reports

Aug 26 (Reuters) – The Trump administration’s tariffs have raised manufacturing costs for the $50 billion U.S. heavy-duty truck industry, prompting companies to consider sourcing more components from Mexico to benefit from concessions under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

U.S. truck manufacturers currently face 50% tariffs on imported steel, aluminum and copper derivatives under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. In addition, manufacturers like Bellevue, Washington-based Paccar are hit with tariffs on every non-USMCA-compliant part they import. Continue reading “US truck makers look for cover as Trump’s tariffs raise costs”

(Reuters) – Billionaire Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company Tesla rejected a $60 million settlement proposal in a lawsuit over the 2019 fatal crash of an Autopilot-equipped Model S before a jury this month awarded a $243 million verdict in the case.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs disclosed the settlement proposal in a filing on Monday in the federal court in Miami, Florida, as part of a request for legal fees from Tesla. Continue reading “Tesla rejected $60 million settlement before losing $243 million Autopilot verdict”

Source : PTI | Private vehicles continue to dominate the roads of Mumbai, with two-wheelers and cars accounting for nearly 88 per cent of the city’s 50 lakh-plus vehicle population, while public transport buses make up less than a per cent, as per a report.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s “Environment Status Report 2024-25”, Mumbai’s vehicle population crossed the 50-lakh mark in 2024-25, a gradual rise from 45,37,211 in 2023 and 47,59,976 in 2024 to 50,54,907 as of March 2025. Continue reading “Private vehicles choke Mumbai’s roads, BEST buses account for less than 1%”

Summary

• Factory shields its U.S. customers from 50% copper wire tariffs
• Production to start later this year, reach 3,000 T by 2028
• Chinese investments to U.S. have stalled since Trump’s trade war
• Policymakers ambivalent whether to welcome Chinese companies

GANZHOU, China, (Reuters) – Chinese copper flat wire manufacturer Wellascent’s decision early last year to build a factory in Texas was a hedge against geopolitical risks. Now the investment is paying off as U.S. import tariffs boost demand for its locally produced goods. Continue reading “Texas factory gives Chinese copper firm an edge in tariff war”

Summary

• US to levy 15% tariff on most EU goods, 50% on steel, aluminum
• US to cut car tariffs once EU introduces legislation to reduce levies on US goods
• EU will seek to secure retroactive car tariff reduction
• Tariff relief could come in weeks, US official says

WASHINGTON/BRUSSELS, (Reuters) – The European Union will work to ensure lower U.S. tariffs on its car exports are applied retroactively to August 1, the bloc’s trade chief said on Thursday, as the transatlantic partners set out details of a framework trade deal struck in July. Continue reading “EU pushes for reduced US autos tariff from August 1 as joint text limits exemptions”

By Mobility Outlook

JSW MG Motor India has announced that the MG Windsor, India’s best-selling electric vehicle, achieved a new sales record in July with 4,308 units sold in a single month. Since its launch, the company has sold nearly 36,000 units of the Windsor, cementing its leadership in the Indian 4W-EV segment.

The strong performance helped the brand expand its EV market share by 4 percentage points, climbing from 28% in Q1 CY’25 to 32% in Q2 CY’25. During the same period, average monthly sales of the Windsor grew by 17%, while overall EV wholesales rose 28%. Continue reading “MG Windsor Sets Monthly Sales Record, Boosts EV Market Share”

By WAF Think Tank

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the iconic British luxury carmaker owned by Tata Motors, has named P B Balaji its new Chief Executive Officer — a historic moment, as he becomes the first Indian to lead the company. His appointment, effective mid-November 2025, marks a significant milestone for both JLR and its parent company.

A New Era Begins

Balaji takes over from Adrian Mardell, who retires after a 35-year tenure—three of those as JLR’s CEO—and will support the transitional phase through the end of his contract. The JLR board approved Balaji’s appointment on August 4, 2025, with formal assumption of the role set for approximately November 17, 2025. Continue reading “P B Balaji, CFO of Tata Motors, Becomes the First Indian CEO of Jaguar Land Rover”

Bengaluru, : Marking a proud milestone in its journey in India, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) today celebrated 20 remarkable years of the Toyota Innova, a name that has grown to become a trusted companion for millions of Indian families and businesses. With over 12 lakh plus units sold across its three offerings, Innova, Innova Crysta, and Innova HyCross, the brand stands as a symbol of unwavering customer trust and lasting value. Over the past two decades, the Innova has continuously evolved to reflect the changing aspirations of the customers in India, while staying rooted in Toyota’s core philosophy of Quality, Durability, and Reliability (QDR). This is not just a milestone of numbers, but a celebration of innumerable journeys, memories, and moments made possible by Innova that has truly stood the test of time. Continue reading “Toyota Innova Completes 20 Glorious Years in India, Trusted by 12 Lakh Plus Customers”

By WAF Think Tank

THOOTHUKUDI, India | Vietnamese automaker VinFast has officially commenced production at its first manufacturing plant in India, marking the rollout of the very first car from the facility located in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. The project represents the initial phase of a larger US $2 billion investment strategy, with US $500 million committed over the first five years.

Spread across 400 acres within the SIPCOT industrial park, the plant is VinFast’s third globally and its first outside Vietnam. The facility is currently assembling two premium electric SUV models, the VF 7 and VF 6, tailored for the Indian market in right-hand drive configuration. Production began with a capacity of 50,000 units per year, expandable to 150,000 units based on demand. Continue reading “VinFast Rolls Out First Car from its Production Plant in India”