Mini is set to launch the all new variant of the iconic brand and has announced that there will be some form of plug-in electric or at least hybrid version available. Whilst no real details of the electric version were forthcoming from Peter Schwarzenbauer, BMW’s Board Member in charge of Mini, it is obvious that BMW is thinking for the next generation which will utilise an ecofriendly 3 cylinder engine in some of the models.
The bus service industry in India alone is worth USD3.5 billion and growing. Since 2010, the number of bus seats sold has double, as Indians with varying pocket depths are opting to travel by bus rather than planes, trains or cars.
The eco-car programme in Thailand drastically changed the car market in the Kingdom. Following that, the Low Cost Green Car (LCGC) project was recently approved in Indonesia.
So, what defines a low cost green car? The vehicle’s engine has to be less than 1200cc and with a very minimal achievement of 20 to 22 kilometres per litre of fuel consumption. Toyota Agya and Daihatsu Agya are the first two models under the LCGC project. In Thailand, Nissan was the first to respond with the Nissan March in 2010.
Forbes reported that for a second consecutive year, the most popular car colour is white. The report is based on the 2012 DuPont Automotive Colour Popularity Report. The other colours that made Top 5 are black, silver, gray and red.
David Schoch, President of Ford Asia Pacific, was speaking to the media last week when he stated that Ford expects to see 2 billion car buyers in the region by 2020. He attributed this number to those who are just coming of age and beginning to earn enough disposable income to purchase their first car.
Taiwan wants to play a larger role in the automotive supply chain, by becoming an indispensable component supplier to global automakers. Great efforts in development and production are already underway.