Recording a 353 percent increase in the revenue for the first quarter of FY2021-22 at INR 29,510 million in comparison to the revenue generation of INR 6,510 million in the corresponding quarter of FY2020-21, Ashok Leyland is confident of a strong demand emerging post the second Covid-19 wave. Clocking export volumes of 1,437 units in the first quarter of FY2021-22, up 254 percent when compared to the export of 405 units in the first quarter of FY2020-21, the commercial vehicle manufacturer is concentrating on vaccination and the adherence of safety protocols to try and ensure that all its stakeholders stay protected from a potential third wave. Experiencing a 1,041 percent growth in domestic M&HCV volume in the first quarter of FY2021-22, which is almost twice than that of the industry growth volume at 562 percent during the same period, the company has reported a net loss of INR 28,20 million in the first quarter of FY2021-22 as against a net loss of INR 38.90 million in the corresponding quarter of FY2020-21. Selling 8,690 LCVs in the domestic market in the first quarter of FY2021-22, up 224 percent as compared to the sale of 2,686 LCVs in the corresponding quarter last fiscal, Ashok Leyland is closely observing the way the freight rates are shaping up. It is confident that freight rates will improve with higher availability of commercial vehicles once the Covid-19 subsidies and uncertainty fades. “We are hoping for the volumes to grow higher as the market gets better,” mentioned Mahadevan. “July (2021) has been a growth month,” he added. Stressing that they have had eight months of degrowth, Mahadevan said, “Economic growth will induce growth in CVs.”

CV trends
Working on a strategy for a robust domestic and exports growth, the commercial vehicle major is appointing dealers in Africa. Looking at gaining good traction in South East Asia, Ashok Leyland will launch new products in the LCV segment even though not in the immediate quarter. Buoyed by the international markets opening up and experiencing export thrust, the company is said to be testing an electric version of its LCV platform on which the Bada Dost is based in the UK. This vehicle is expected to be launched at the end of this fiscal or in the first half of the next fiscal. Of the opinion that electric vehicles are catching up, especially at the local point of use, on the encouragement of the governments, Mahadevan averred, “It is more to do with buses, but trucks will catch up.” Seeing a trend of petrol commercial vehicles in the low-tonnage segment of sub-1 tonne to 1.5 tonne, Mahadevan drew attention to the push on CNG. “We are ready in the LCV and ICV (segment),” he added. Of the firm belief that diesel vehicles will continue and the IC engine will coexist and not die overnight, Mahadevan said, “We are ready to cater to higher demand.” 
 

Watching closely how freight operators are able to pass on the fuel price hike to their end customers, Ashok Leyland is hoping that bus commute will pick up. A 40,000 units per annum market, according to Mahadevan, buses have been severely affected due to the Covid-19-led disruption. Delivering 40 electric buses to the city of Chandigarh recently (from where it has bagged an order to build and maintain e-buses with quick charging technology), Ashok Leyland is expecting pent-up demand to show up once normalcy returns. Also expecting demand to show up because of the need to ferry people without sacrificing social distancing norms, Mahadevan drew attention to their work towards further strengthening their position in the bus and LCV market segments. With the talk of schools reopening in regions where the Covid-19 infections are down, and the relaxation in Covid-19 norms in some region allowing more employees to return to their offices, bus demand is expected to improve post witnessing a sudden downfall mid-last year. Through the establishment of Switch Mobility, Ashok Leyland is keen to experience a speedier ride in the ‘cleaner and greener’ bus space. 
 

Managing costs and productivity 
Eyeing international markets like the US, Europe and Japan, the company, through the Switch Mobility subsidiary, has worked with a few consultants to make sure that its data points and numbers are on par with the current situation. Under Switch Mobility, it is developing new products to present an advantage of unique position in terms of value and premium positioning. For its Switch Mobility subsidiary that includes the erstwhile Optare of UK, Ashok Leyland has managed to get USD 18 million worth of investment from Dana Incorporated (Dana), a US-based manufacturer of drivetrain and e-propulsion systems. To do de-bottlenecking once enough demand is evident, Ashok Leyland, investing sufficiently in terms of capex, is confident of seeing early growth sprouts in LCVs. Therefore, if it were to do immediate capex investment, it would be in LCVs. Discussing with scrappage centres post the announcement of the scrappage policy, Ashok Leyland, the second-largest CV maker in the country, is witnessing good traction from its other business verticals like defence, power solutions and aftermarket. They are contributing to its top line. 
 

With the pace of vaccination picking up and positively setting in, Ashok Leyland is expecting a demand spike in commercial vehicles after the fear of a third Covid-19 wave is over. This, according to Mahadevan, could happen in the second half of this fiscal. Focusing on costs, productivity and middle level management, the commercial vehicle major is also concentrating on reducing its carbon footprint. Apart from announcing strategic steps to move towards net zero carbon mobility through Switch Mobility, Ashok Leyland, said Mahadevan, has formed an ESG committee of the Board. The committee will guide and propel the commercial vehicle manufacturer to achieve its sustainability agenda.
 

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IndiaTech.org has released India’s first Ease of Vehicle Ownership Index (EVOI), in partnership with Consumer VOICE, with Andhra Pradesh topping the rankings at 5.91 out of 10. Kerala ranked second at 5.74, while Uttar Pradesh finished last at 2.47, behind Bihar (2.51) and West Bengal (2.56). No state crossed 6.0, and 8 of the 15 assessed states clustered between 3.8 and 4.3, pointing to system-wide friction rather than isolated laggards. Together these states represent over 85 percent of India's organised used-car market.

The index scores states on six pillars – policy and regulation, digital infrastructure, process efficiency, transparency and accountability, institutional ecosystem and dealer support and cost and affordability – using a weighted geometric mean so strength in one area cannot mask weakness in another. It draws on a survey of over 1,000 buyers and sellers, interviews with dealers and RTO agents and a review of motor vehicle rules. Andhra Pradesh excelled in policy and regulation (7.90) but scored lowest on dealer ecosystem (2.22); Kerala's strength was digital infrastructure (7.02), its weakness transparency (4.86).

Cost was the weakest pillar nationally, with 12 of 15 states below 3.5. Manual verification and informal payments push transfer costs to nearly 10 times the statutory fee – INR 13,000 to INR 14,000 above the VAHAN fee in Bihar, and INR 7,000 to INR 8,000 against an official INR 800 at Tamil Nadu's border RTOs. Transfers take 7 to 10 days in Andhra Pradesh but over 30 days in Uttar Pradesh, and 13 states still demand physical copies despite online filing. Road tax on an INR 600,000 petrol car ranges from 3 percent in Uttar Pradesh to 14 percent in Karnataka and Telangana. Only Andhra Pradesh and Telangana run working interstate refunds; a CAG audit in Karnataka found a mean processing time of 436 days.

The 2022 Deemed Ownership framework has yielded 2,032 registered dealers, 875 in Kerala, while Delhi, Karnataka and Telangana have none. The survey found 39 percent of transfers still pending after sale, only 9.6 percent completed within two weeks, 61.5 percent unaware of mandatory in-person RTO visits, 62.7 percent unable to state total costs, 28.1 percent of sellers receiving challans afterwards and 52.5 percent willing to handle transfers themselves if fully online.

Recommendations include statutory timelines under Section 50 of the Motor Vehicles Act and Rule 55 of the CMVR, acceptance of DigiLocker and mParivahan documents as primary evidence, real-time bank-VAHAN integration, nationwide Deemed Ownership enforcement, a ‘One Bharat, One Road Tax’ framework, dealer authority to clear challans without owner OTP and automatic own-damage insurance carryover. IndiaTech.org will share scorecards with states and convene a national workshop, as the pre-owned market is projected to grow from USD 36.4 billion in 2025 to USD 73.5 billion by 2030.

Harsh Malhotra, Minister of State, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, who launched the report, said, “The used car market in India is very big, and many people buy their first car as a second­hand or used car. I remember my first car, which was also a pre-owned car. While there are hassles and challenges in the transfer of ownership, the integration of policies and their implementation across states is very important, as differences in state-level governance often lead to problems. The Central Government is working on policies in this regard, and we are also taking steps such as setting up automated testing stations, which provide considerable relief, promote ease of doing business and help eliminate corruption. There is always scope for improvement, and we will discuss the recommendations basis this report findings to further enable ease of mobility.”

Dhiraj Gyani, CEO, IndiaTech.org, said, “A vehicle may travel seamlessly across state boundaries, but the administrative processes governing its ownership often do not. As India's pre-owned vehicle market becomes an increasingly important part of our mobility and consumer economy, the systems governing ownership transfers must evolve in step with the market. The EVOI 2026 findings highlight significant variations in state-level processes, as well as considerable scope for improvement across the country. Our objective is to encourage greater harmonisation, digital integration and administrative efficiency, enabling citizens and businesses to experience seamless and predictable vehicle ownership transfers, irrespective of where they are located. We believe that a more integrated national framework, including progress towards the vision of ‘One Bharat, One Road Tax’, can play an important role in unlocking the sector's full potential.”

Mohit Gupta, COO & Co-Founder, Spinny, said, “Every Indian deserves the opportunity to own a quality car. A car is an aspiration, the promise of new beginnings, freedom and possibilities for individuals and families. Buying one should be an exciting milestone, not weighed down by paperwork and complex processes. As an industry, we have a responsibility to help consumers understand existing processes and work closely with policymakers to drive meaningful reforms – support state-wise implementation of ADRV, simplify hypothecation addition and removal and advance end-to-end digitisation of processes. The Ease of Vehicle Ownership Index (EVOI) is an important step towards bringing Central and State Governments and industry players together to address these challenges and make car ownership simpler and easier for people across India.”

Vikram Chopra, Builder Cars24, said, “A car may change hands, but ownership and liability do not always follow. At Cars24, we see this firsthand: sellers remain exposed to liabilities long after handing over their vehicles, while buyers wait to be recognised as legal owners despite completing the purchase. This is not just a procedural delay but a gap in consumer protection and accountability. The Ease of Vehicle Ownership Index brings these challenges to light, identifies systemic gaps and gives states a framework to drive reforms through competitive federalism. Ownership transfer must be an integral part of every car transaction, ensuring that ownership, responsibility and liability move together, giving both buyers and sellers complete peace of mind.”

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German tier 1 supplier Schaeffler has announced a performance improvement programme aimed at eliminating overcapacity, reducing organisational complexity and lowering personnel costs in response to challenging conditions in the European automotive sector.

The measures follow the completion of restructuring initiatives announced in November 2024 and the execution of 1,800 partial retirement agreements in October.

The plan involves a net reduction of 3,460 positions across Europe, with approximately 2,660 cuts located in Germany, representing 9 percent of its domestic core workforce by 2028.

Furthermore, 50 percent of the affected positions are in production, 30 percent in research and development and 20 percent in functional areas. The programme includes the closure of five European facilities, encompassing four German sites in Dortmund, Morbach, Berlin and Schwalbach, alongside a site in Herstal, Belgium.

Operations at additional locations in Germany, France and Slovakia will undergo structural adjustments. The restructuring is projected to generate annual earnings improvements of approximately EUR 300 million by 2030, against one-time expenses of around EUR 480 million, the majority of which will be recognised as restructuring provisions in 2026. The job cuts will be accompanied by a solidarity contribution involving a temporary compensation reduction across management levels.

Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO, Schaeffler, said, "With the performance improvement program announced today, we want to demonstrate that, despite the challenging operating environment, it is both possible and sensible to develop and manufacture in Germany and Europe in a way that is competitive and cost-efficient over the long term. This requires that we consolidate locations, bundle technological expertise in selected regional clusters, and optimize costs per employee. At the same time, we intend to further streamline the organization and reduce hierarchical levels. The most important element of the program – also in comparison to previous programs – is the solidarity contribution, which is intended to include, among other measures, a temporary compensation reduction across all hierarchical levels. Based on our strategic goal of becoming the leading Motion Technology Company, we view the Schaeffler Group’s broad cross-sector diversification as an important opportunity. We will do everything in our power to tap into new growth areas and, as far as possible, replace declining activities with new business "

Dr. Jochen Schröder, COO, Schaeffler, said, "In addition to our focus on further developing our core business, the Schaeffler Group has promising growth opportunities in future-oriented fields, particularly in the areas of humanoid robotics and defense. Here, we can draw on the technological expertise we have developed in our core business."

Dr. Astrid Fontaine, CHRO, Schaeffler, said, "As a family-owned company, it is particularly important to us that we implement the necessary measures in a socially responsible manner and in close dialogue with employee representatives. We have repeatedly found good solutions together in the past, and we want to build on that. We invite our employees to contribute constructively and actively support the necessary transformation."

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European automotive group Stellantis has appointed Sandeep Bhambra as the head of design for the Citroen and DS Automobiles brands, effective 2 November 2026.

Bhambra succeeds Pierre Leclercq at Citroen and Thierry Metroz at DS Automobiles, reporting directly to Gilles Vidal, Head of Design for Stellantis European brands. He will also join the management teams of both brands under Xavier Chardon, CEO of Citroen and DS Automobiles.

Leclercq transitions to Head of Design for Opel and Vauxhall, succeeding Mark Adams, who is retiring. Thierry Metroz will transition to support Gilles Vidal on European design strategy.

"The arrival of Sandeep Bhambra marks a new step in our ambition to strengthen the identity and appeal of our brands. His experience, creativity and vision of Design will be valuable assets in supporting Citroën and DS Automobiles in expressing strong and distinctive identities, true to their heritage while firmly looking to the future. I would also like to thank Pierre Leclercq for his work and contribution to Citroën. His talent and vision have helped shape several key projects and reinforce the brand’s distinctive character. I wish him every success in his new role at Opel," said Xavier Chardon.

Gilles Vidal said, "I am particularly pleased to entrust Sandeep with the responsibility for the Design of Citroën and DS Automobiles. His background, combining creativity, strong product expertise and a strategic vision of Design, will be a major asset in supporting the ambitions and transformation of both brands. I would also like to warmly thank Pierre Leclercq for his commitment and contribution to the development of Citroën Design, and wish him every success in his new role leading Design at Opel. Finally, I would like to thank Thierry Metroz for his talent, passion and contribution to DS Automobiles Design. His experience and vision will be invaluable in his new role."

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BendPak has launched the OctaFlex Series, turning its eight-arm car lift concept into production reality. The two-post lift aims to improve bay productivity, technician ergonomics and operational precision, making cab-off repairs, EV battery replacement and other demanding tasks efficient enough to pay for itself. The OctaFlex 12DPS is now shipping and will appear at the SEMA Show from 3–6 November in Upper South Hall Booth #36129.

After introducing the concept in 2024, BendPak spent two years refining it through customer feedback and lab testing. The OctaFlex 12DPS pairs a traditional 12,000-pound-capacity two-post lift with an integrated 6,000-pound lift-assist system, described as an industry first. Four primary arms support the vehicle while four secondary arms raise, lower or hold cabs, drivetrains, EV batteries, suspension assemblies and other heavy components without extra equipment, helpers or bays. The auxiliary arms move out of the way when not needed, allowing standard two-post operation.

The patent-pending series also features a magnetic pendant controller with two-speed controls, letting technicians stand back from the columns for better visibility. Each set of arms operates independently at normal or slow speed, supporting the fine alignment needed for EV battery installation or single-handed cab and chassis removal.

Dave’s Auto Center in Centerville, Utah, services trucks nationwide and performs multiple cab-offs daily across 25 bays. Owner Dave Bell said the installed OctaFlex saves hours, easing cab removal and allowing chassis work while the cab is airborne. He called it significantly more efficient than completing the cab-off before remaining repairs.

BendPak says shops save an average of two hours per cab-off. A bay pulling 20 cabs monthly at a USD 150 hourly rate could add USD 6,000 monthly, or USD 72,000 annually. Customers can calculate returns by visiting the OctaFlex page on the company website. Savings also come from eliminating a second technician and completing work in one bay instead of two.

Because OctaFlex holds chassis and cab, technicians stand comfortably with everything at eye level, improving ergonomics and eliminating manual lifting of heavy components. The lift features BendPak’s Automatic Swing Arm Restraint System with a 360-degree grip and 10 times traditional holding power. It is third-party tested and ALI Certified as model EV12DPS.

Jeff Kritzer, President and CEO, BendPak, said, “As dealers and independent repair shops continue to struggle with an ageing and shrinking technician workforce, they also face surging demand for labour-intensive tasks like cab-off repairs and EV service. OctaFlex eases the pressure by helping technicians handle complex jobs independently with greater efficiency and less physical strain, maximising throughput and profit potential.”

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