Business Motor

Pioneers in the engineering discipline:

DIMO shines at the Annual Report Awards Competition 2007

The 2007 Annual report of Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC (DIMO) triumphed at the Chartered Accountants Annual Report Awards Competition 2007 claiming three major awards including the Gold for diversified holdings (groups up to five subsidiaries) recently.

DIMO was recognised for their dedication to the highest ethical standards, company policies and practices by being awarded the Silver award for Overall Corporate Government Disclosure. Their commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and integration of CSR into organization’s objectives was acknowledged by being awarded the Bronze award.

“It is with great pleasure that we accept these awards of recognition for our continual efforts towards being truly responsible and transparent.” Chairman/CEO of DIMO, Ranjith Pandithage said “Responsibility comes with discipline and we pride ourselves on our ethical stance in the private sector.”

DIMO has won the award for Diversified Holdings (Groups up to five subsidiaries) an impressive seven times since 1990. “We have set ourselves clear goals in reporting procedures and our initiatives are aimed at elevating our reporting standards to the best global benchmarks”, he said.

DIMO is one of the pioneers in the engineering discipline in Sri Lanka. With a wealthy portfolio of world’s first-in-class brands, DIMO is proud to bring these global giants to the doorstep of every Sri Lankan.

Accent and Elantra earn “Greenest Vehicles of 2007”

The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) recognised the 2007 Accent and Elantra as two of the top 12 “Greenest Vehicles of 2007”.

In addition, the 2007 Sonata was named in the “Greener Choices for 2007” list that features widely available gasoline-powered cars and light trucks with automatic transmissions.

The vehicles will be listed in the ACEEE’s Green Book Online, an annual consumers’ guide to environmentally-friendly cars and trucks.

“These awards for our clean, fuel-efficient Accent and Elantra demonstrate our commitment to the environment, just as our leadership in lifesaving safety technologies like Electronic Stability Control demonstrates our commitment to the safety of our owners,” said vice president of Strategic Planning and Product Development, Hyundai Motor America John Krafcik.

“More and more people are seeing Hyundai as smart choice, and these awards certainly make that more clear.”

The “Greenest Vehicles of 2007” were based on automakers’ test results for fuel economy and emissions as reported to the US Environmental Protection Agency, California Air Resources Board, and other specifications reported by automakers.

The 2007 Accent placed 10th with a “superior” green score of 45 out of 100. The Accent is certified as an Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV), delivering up to 37 mpg (automatic transmission/highway).

The 1.6 litre dual overhead cam (DOHC) in-line four-cylinder engine that features four valves per cylinder with Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) give the engine a very broad powerband, coupled with high fuel efficiency and low emission.

The Elantra placed 11th and like the Accent, received a “superior” green score of 45 out of 100. The Elantra is certified as a Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) and is as clean as many hybrid electric vehicles.

Elantra achieves this certification, with its advanced 2.0-litre in-line four-cylinder engine that features DOHC and CVVT, to ensure improved fuel economy.

Tata motor’s one lakh car, the hottest vehicle in demand

The much-talked, Rs 1 lakh car from Tata Motors is ready for production and the project is on schedule.

The car will be exhibited for the first time to the general public in Auto Expo 2008 in New Delhi.

Expected to be the world’s cheapest, the car will be a four-door, four to five seater car featuring a 600cc petrol engine.

Recently, BusinessWeek has named Rs 1 lakh car as one of the trendsetters of 2007, while Ratan Tata has been listed among the world’s “Most Important People” of the year.

The BPO cab vendors, taxi operators and tour operators are eagerly awaiting the car.

However, the government’s permission will be mandatory to allow commercial use of the Tata Motors Rs 1-lakh car.

Harish Sabarwal, Convener, Federation of Delhi Transport Associations said, “We are expecting the government to allow its commercial use.

It could be a big hit in the tourist segment and also for intra-city usage.

As the price is lucrative enough, it may create huge employment opportunities.”

General Secretary of Delhi Taximen Union, Kuldeep Singh said, “Tata cars (Indica and Sumo) are cheap to run and affordable to own.

They are easy to maintain and highly fuel-efficient, allowing low cost of operations for commercial fleet, unlike fuel-guzzlers, Ambassador and Maruti Esteem.

The new micro (Rs 1 lakh) car seems ideal for our operations provided it has enough engine power for our kind of fleet operations.”

Market analysts are expecting that upcoming car might become a huge challenger to auto-rickshaw manufacturers as it would become a cheaper alternative to taxi drivers.

On the other hand, R K Pachauri, who received the Nobel Peace prize as chief of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said, “In India roads are not well planned and not made in a proper way.

They do not support public transport that much and we are increasingly becoming dependant on cars.”

He further added, “With the coming in of Rs 1 lakh car, I am having nightmares, I don’t know what will happen then.” Tata is expected to launch both petrol and diesel edition of this car. The company is scheduled to launch them in the market sometime by the middle of 2008.

Topnews

EU fuels controversy with fine proposals for carmakers

The European Commission sparked controversy last Wednesday with plans to fine carmakers that miss proposed cuts in carbon emissions from new cars, slammed by both industry and environmentalists.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also blasted the proposal as an unfair burden on the German auto industry, whose luxury cars are among the most polluting in Europe.

In a drive to push down new car emissions to an average of 130 grammes per kilometre by 2012, the European Union’s executive arm also proposed that automakers’ targets be set according to the weight of their cars.

If they miss the targets, the Commission wants carmakers to be fined 20 euros (29 dollars) per gramme of CO2 over the limit from 2012, with the penalties rising gradually to 95 euros in 2015.

The proposals have been the subject of fierce lobbying by the automobile industry and the German government, concerned that its carmakers and their big luxury models would be hit particularly hard.

The plans still face tough negotiations as they must be approved by the 27 EU member states and the European Parliament before they can take effect.

Although Germany’s Merkel has championed other environmental causes, she spared no kind words for the car emissions package, which she vowed to fight.

“This is industrial policy at Germany’s expense,” Merkel said in Berlin. “It is senseless to impose a penalty that bears no relation to the actual cost of carbon dioxide emissions.”

According to figures from the Commission, German carmakers Porsche, DaimlerChrysler and BMW will have to make the biggest cuts to their emissions, along with Japanese groups Subaru, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Nissan.

Under the proposals, each automaker selling cars in Europe will have to develop technology enabling its fleet overall to meet the 130 gramme/kilometre average for new cars.

Car parts makers and fuel suppliers will be tasked with shaving a further 10 grammes off the average with improvements to gearboxes and air-conditioning systems, tyre-pressure monitoring and by the use of more biofuels.

The combined efforts are aimed at cutting average emissions by a quarter, to 120 grammes per kilometre on average from about 160 currently.

The burden of meeting the targets will be shared between carmakers based on the weight of their cars, allowing them some leeway to keep producing vehicles that emit more than 130 grammes as long as they compensate with lighter, more fuel-efficient models.

The issue has pitted countries such as Germany and Sweden which make big petrol-guzzling vehicles against countries such as France, Italy, Spain and Romania that build smaller more fuel-efficient cars.

“This proposal demonstrates that the European Union is committed to being a world leader in cutting CO2 emissions and the development of a low carbon economy,” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said.

“At the same time, we are committed to promote the competitiveness of our industry and its global technological leadership,” he added. But the Commission’s plans satisfied neither the automobile industry nor environmentalists.

“The penalties being proposed are of an unprecedented high level,” said Sergio Marchionne, president European Automobile Manufacturers Association and chief executive of Fiat.

“If at all, penalties should be reasonable and defined in relation to the market price of CO2 applied widely to other sectors,” he added. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Greenpeace transport policy expert Franziska Achterberg said: “Car manufacturers are in the driver’s seat at the European Commission.” AFP