In 1908, there were very few automobiles in the US, roads were rutted and driving them was much like driving over a washboard. Consequently, road signs and maps were almost non-existent and there were no petrol pumps - drivers purchased petrol in canisters from a general store.

In order to convince the public about usefulness of automobiles, Robert Guggenheim announced in 1909 that he would sponsor..., from New York to Seattle. It took the competing vehicles 23 days to cross the country from New York to Seattle on roads that were rudimentary at best. It was won by a Ford Model T. However, the vehicle was disqualified later because the car had made an engine change along the route.

Still, Henry Ford immediately launched a marketing campaign touting the fact that his lightweight, affordable Model T was the superior car!

Ocean-to-Ocean Being Reimagined for Ford EV

Just as the prevailing road-anxiety of 1909, these days electric vehicles EVs are facing range anxiety. So, Ford is taking a pair of its electric-powered new Mustang Mach-E models on a coast-to-coast drive that it is calling “Ocean-to-Ocean Reimagined”, a tribute to the 1909 Ocean-to- Ocean Automobile Endurance Contest.

The cross-country trip by the electric-powered Mach-E begins in New York City, works down the East Coast to Amelia Island, Florida, and then goes to Las Vegas before ending in Seattle. This route will cover 6,500 miles and will involve crossing 20 states, Ford said.

On February 25, 2021, another Mustang enthusiast, Sergio Rodriguez began a road trip from Murrieta, in California, towards the Atlantic Ocean, a distance of nearly 2,500 miles in a 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E EV. The Mach-E consumed 790 kWh in the road trip, which gives it an energy consumption of 3.1 miles per kWh.

Rodriguez also kept track of how much time he spent charging and the amount of money the trip cost him in electricity. Charging at the “Electrify America” network took 586 minutes, or a little less than 10 hours, and it cost the Mach-E owner USD 160 value in INR needs to be mentioned? He also noted that he never spent more than 35 minutes at a charging station, thanks to the network of Electrify America fast-chargers along his route.

According to Rodriguez, range anxiety should not be a concern for people that are considering an EV as their next vehicle. Although he used the Electrify America chargers for more than 90 percent of the charging, the Mach-E owner said there were plenty more to choose from, such as “EVGo”, “ChargePoint”, “Greenlots”, “Volta” and many more!

At present, there are more than 26,000 electric vehicle charging stations open to the public in the US with more than 90,000 outlets. But the country, and the world, will need thousands more if drivers are going to adopt vehicles powered by batteries alone. “The automakers, more and more of them, are committing to manufacture electric vehicles,” said Mike Moran, spokesman for Electrify America, builder of charging station network. “Last year, automakers announced a combined $225 billion in investments in electrification.” With more than 40 fully electric vehicles on the market in the US or coming within the next three years, the demand growth for charging infrastructure is assured. (MT)

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Lusso Designs India, a vehicle customisation company and part of Arpanna Group of Companies, has opened its first flagship experience centre in Mumbai.

The facility will function as a showroom and design atelier, displaying vehicles and components such as alloy wheels and upholstery. Lusso Designs is collaborating with designer Dhanesh Chheda of Just Men for this venture.

The company operates production hubs in Pune and Dubai and caters to brands such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Porsche, Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Kia India and Hyundai Motor India.

Pratik Malkan, Chairman, Arpanna Group of Companies, said, "For over five decades, our Group has been built on the belief that enduring businesses are created by combining craftsmanship, innovation and an uncompromising commitment to quality. Lusso Designs represents the natural evolution of that philosophy into the luxury mobility space. India today is witnessing a new generation of discerning consumers who seek experiences that are deeply personal and globally benchmarked. With Lusso, we are not simply introducing another automotive customisation brand—we are creating an ecosystem where design, engineering and craftsmanship come together to redefine luxury ownership for the Indian market and beyond."

Vihaan Malkan, Director, Lusso Designs, said, "The inauguration of our flagship experience centre in Mumbai marks the beginning of a new chapter for the luxury automotive ecosystem in India. Over the past five decades, our group's legacy has been anchored on absolute discretion, precision engineering, and uncompromising quality. Through this experience centre, we are seamlessly fusing international luxury benchmarks with local design sensibilities. We are empowering discerning Indian vehicle owners to realise their ultimate vision of ultra-luxury, personalised comfort, and sustainable design, transforming their vehicles into a true extension of their individual identity."

The new facility is designed for vehicle customisation, offering services ranging from interior overhauls to the integration of materials.

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Tropicool Autotronics has unveiled its 360deg Around View Monitoring (AVM) System for commercial vehicles at the Prawaas 5.0 exhibition in India. The system is designed to improve driver visibility and eliminate blind spots.

It provides a bird's-eye view using four HD cameras, offering dynamic guidelines for parking and reversing. The system features automatic camera switching based on vehicle movement and multi-channel recording. The architecture is built to support future safety applications and is designed for buses, trucks and commercial vehicles.

Khushboo Shinagare, CEO, Tropicool Autotronics, said, "Commercial vehicle safety is evolving rapidly, and visibility is one of the biggest challenges drivers face every day. Our 360deg AVM System empowers drivers with complete situational awareness, reducing blind spots and improving passenger and pedestrian safety. We are delighted to introduce this solution at Prawaas 5.0 and support India's vision for safer, smarter mobility."

This launch expands the company’s portfolio, which includes vehicle electronics, parking assistance and passenger systems.

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Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has attained a new milestone of having a total of 6,000 service touchpoints across India with the opening of a new facility in Kozhikode, Kerala. The company’s service network now operates in over 3,000 cities and towns.

The new workshop in Kozhikode covers 1,820 square metres and includes service bays, body repair bays and electric vehicle charging and service capabilities.

Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO of Maruti Suzuki India, said, “In automobile business, along with the product, the convenience of quality service support is essential to enhancing a customer’s vehicle ownership experience. As our customer base continues to grow, we are equally focused on expanding our service network to provide greater convenience and peace of mind to customers. The inauguration of our 6,000th service touchpoint reflects this commitment. I would like to thank our dealer partners and service team, as together we have accelerated workshop activation and added our most recent 1,000 touchpoints in just around two years. Going forward, we will continue to strengthen our service footprint, and in FY 2026-27, we plan to add about 500* service touchpoints across the country.”

The company’s service network includes workshops, sales and service points, rural workshops and mobile service units. Maruti Suzuki also provides digital tools for customers, such as the Maruti Suzuki App, an AI-powered virtual assistant called S-Assist and vehicle health assessment documents.

In the 2025-26 financial year, Maruti Suzuki opened 502 service touchpoints and recorded 28.4 million vehicle services.

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Tesla has inaugurated a destination charging station at Nexus Select Citywalk in New Delhi. The site features six 11 kW AC destination chargers located in the P1 parking area. This addition brings Tesla's total in India to 6 charging stations, comprising 20 superchargers and 20 destination chargers.

Alongside the charging site, Tesla has opened a pop-up store at the mall, which operates from 6 July to 10 July between 11 AM and 9 PM. Visitors can view the Model Y L and the 2026 Model Y Premium Rear-Wheel Drive.

The Model Y L is a six-seat SUV with a cargo capacity of 2,539 litres and a range of 681 km. Pricing for the Model Y L begins at INR 6.19 million, with monthly EMIs from INR 49,990 and a down payment of INR 650,000.

The 2026 Model Y Premium Rear-Wheel Drive seats five passengers, offers 2,138 litres of cargo space, and provides a range of 500 km. It is priced at INR 5.08 million, with EMIs starting at INR 39,990 and a down payment of INR 650,000.

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