The Hosur based Indian 2 wheeler manufacturer, TVS Motor Company announced at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo that the company is going to launch 4 new models in the current year. The 4 new models will include 2 motorcycles and 2 scooters. One of the motorcycles will be powered by a 125cc engine capacity mated to a 4 speed gearbox. This motorcycle will be launched by the company by June, 2012. According to the company, this bike will be targeted as a product for everyday commuting with its smooth engine and comfortable seats and has been specifically tailor made for the Indian everyday rider.

The other motorcycle to be launched will be the re-launch of the Victor brand. The bike will be equipped with an advanced programmed ignition system ensuring class leading fuel efficiency and acceleration. This will be introduced in the market by December 2012. Apart from the bikes, TVS is very strong player in the Indian scooter segment. Currently they have the Scooty and the Wego models in India. They are planning to introduce another model in the Indian market by December 2012 which will be powered by a 125cc engine. TVS wants to increase its present market share and thus has some really aggressive plans in the year ahead.

Apart from this, it will also launch on a trial basis its hybrid scooter, the Qube in June 2012 with a commercial launch following in 2013. The TVS Qube has 2 sources of power; a 110cc, 4 stroke engine and an electric hub motor. The user will have the option to choose from the different modes, depending on his driving requirement. This hybrid system charges the battery (lithium ion) when the brakes are applied and utilizes this power whenever required, therefore making the most efficient use of the energy available. TVS claims that this green technology delivers significant emission reduction and improved fuel economy in city traffic driving with 35 % reduction in CO2 emission, 30% HC + NOx reduction and an increase of 35% in fuel economy.

The TVS Motor hall at the 2012 Auto Expo was disappointing. People have been waiting for an all new Apache but got nothing new to see at the stand, except the Apache RTR 250 RX. The 250 RX is a off-roader which uses a 250cc engine (so TVS has the engine but not the will to put it in the normal Apache). Clearly a motorcycle which could give the Hero Impulse some competition, the Apache 250 RX is a transroader which is not slated for launch anytime soon. The other bike which caught the eyes of many was the Qube electric scooter. This was showcased at the previous Auto Expo too but the latest avatar of the Qube looks more production friendly than the earlier version. TVS, when will you launch the Apache 250, please! The company has also showcased its complete line-up of 2-wheelers at the Expo.

The Hosur based Indian 2 wheeler company, TVS Motors today announced that the company has developed a new technology that can enhance fuel efficiency by as much as 20% when compared to the conventional technologies utilized by the manufacturers. TVS calls this new technology ‘TVS Automatic Transmission’. In this technology, the company employs an automatic transmission in place of the conventional Continuously Variable Transmission Technology (CVT) technology used in all the gearless scooters. The automatic transmission selects the gear ratios automatically depending on the riding condition through an electronic control.

“The objective of this technology development is to deliver a compact engine layout, that will deliver enhanced fuel efficiency and which is usable across product forms like scooter, motorcycles and step-thru’ s. This technology also delivers the lowest CO2 in scooters while providing for low floor board and space for luggage,” Harne Vinay Chandrakant, President, New Product Development, TVS Motor, said.

The gear ratios are selected in such a way that the engine operates at its most efficient RPM band thus maximising the fuel efficiency and improving the vehicle performance. And thus overrides the requirement of a clutch. Mr. Chandrakant went on to add that this technology has been developed on a highly innovative vehicle layout with compact packaging and use of lightweight materials. Presently this technology has been developed in conjunction with a 110 cc, 4 stroke engine with 2 Independent, high precision actuators for the clutch and gear shift operations that are mounted directly on the engine. The actuators are engineered in a particular way for optimum power consumption and better mileage during peak traffic conditions. An advanced cooling arrangement also eliminates the use of any engine driven fan for cooling purposes and engine efficiency has been improved by reducing the engine friction and using multi-map electronic ignition control. TVS will be launching this technology in a slew of its future products.

TVS Motor has crossed the 3 million sales mark of Star motorcycles. The TVS Star was launched in 2004 and is the first motorcycle in India to come with a five year warranty. It also featured electric start as standard, which was again a segment first.

“TVS StaR was introduced as part of the company’s customer centric approach. We have always made concerted efforts to incorporate maximum customer expectations while introducing technology superiority. The brand philosophy of being a complete value for money product has been well accepted by our customers. Constant upgrades with new features, styling and refreshing graphics at regular intervals has helped us achieve this milestone,” H S Goindi, President Marketing, TVS Motor said.

TVS Motors is planning to introduce a bike at the lower end of the motorcycle market. The company whose cheapest bike costs Rs. 36,000/- is planning to introduce a entry level motorcycle, which would cost less than Rs. 30,000/-. Earlier Hero Honda had declared to be in process of introducing the Nano of bikes but there has been no progress in that direction yet. The bike is still in the initial stages and won’t be launched untill 2012. TVS plans to offer good features in the bike as it looks to offer value for money to its customers.

TVS Motor plans to re-enter the Indian electric scooter market by the end of 2011. The company is busy testing 50 electric scooters, comprising some of its existing and new models across the country. The company will produce these new products at its Mysore facility. The company has decided to re-enter the electric scooter segment after the recent subsidies offered by the Government to green vehicles. TVS had launched Scooty Teenz Electric, two year back only to phase it out later due to poor market response.

“We are working on introducing electric scooters and these are being experimented for the launch. By some time next fiscal, it will come (to the market),” TVS Motor Company President (Marketing) H S Goindi said. “We will launch only scooters in electric mode. The products will initially run on lead acid batteries and later we may develop some other technology also,” Goindi added.

TVS Motor has launched a semi-synthetic 4-stroke engine oil in India. The TRU4 Premium will offer better fuel economy, longer engine life and lower emission levels. TRU4 comes with higher standard of certification from Japanese Automotive Standards Organisation (JASO MA2) and American Petroleum Institute (API SL). TVS TRU4 Premium is blended with highly purified water-white, high viscosity index base oils. It uses an advanced formulation technology for extreme thermal conditions to establish superior thermal stability both at high and low temperatures. The TRU4 Premium engine oil is available in 1 liter and 900ml packs and is priced Rs 235 per litre.

TVS Motor it will invest Rs 200 crore by April 2011 to increase its production capacity to 28 lakh units. The company will also set up a design center in Indonesia where it has a manufacturing facility. There is an increasing demand for the company to meet from the existing 21 lakh units per annum. The company is looking to increase export to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and ASEAN countries.

TVS Motors is planning to enter Argentina and Mexico with the Star and Apache motorcycles. The company expects to have 18-20% market share in all export markets from the current 10% share. TVS already exports to the SAARC region and Africa. It will set up assembly lines in Bangladesh and Columbia over the next two years. It is also looking at Asia, Africa for three-wheeler exports. Currently, exports contribute 14-15% of total sales for the TVS and the company estimates 25% of total sales to come from exports in the next 5 years.

TVS had started the Max 4R project almost 18 months ago and the purpose was not to produce just another bike, but a bike which can meet the requirement of rural India. The Max 4R is targeted at farmers, milkmen etc who have to ferry huge loads across large distances. TVS had given out a few test bikes to some of the locals and have received an extremely positive response.

The TVS Max 4R is certified to carry a payload of 200 kgs and is mainly targeted at markets in north and central India. Scheduled to be launched in the coming days the Max 4R will come with four shock absorbers to take heavy loads, a detachable rear seat to accommodate goods, big brakes, wheel and indicator guards to protect the bike and goods, an easy center stand, long wheelbase and wider tyres.

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