German tier 1 supplier ZF will introduce the next generation of its range extender technology for electric vehicles (EVs), with volume production beginning in 2026.

A range extender combines a combustion-powered generator with an electric motor, producing energy for the vehicle battery once its charge drops.

Dr Otmar Scharrer, Senior Vice President R&D, Electrified Powertrain Technology at ZF, said, "Although the all-electric range of passenger cars is around 500 km on average, range anxiety still influences a wide range of buyers when choosing their next vehicle. These (range extenders) represent a real alternative to larger – and thus more expensive – batteries or plug-in hybrids."

The German supplier has gained experience with range extenders, including supplying systems for the iconic London taxi. Now, it is advancing the technology with two new systems: the electric Range Extender (eRE) and electric Range Extender plus (eRE+).

Both designs are highly integrated and flexible across performance levels, 400V or 800V architectures and semiconductor types. The eRE combines an electric motor, integrated inverter, dedicated software and a planetary gearset. The eRE+ adds an intelligent clutch and differential, enabling it to serve as a generator or a secondary drive. Output is scalable: 70–110 kW for the eRE and 70–150 kW for the eRE+.

Dr Scharrer, added, "The new interest and the increased demand for range extenders shows that the potential of this technology is far from exhausted – in particular for model platforms that are already designed for battery-electric drivelines. Behind our solutions is a system and platform concept. This means that we are optimally equipped to respond to all customer and market requirements with shorter development cycles."

Compared to plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), range extenders offer lower additional costs, faster development, simpler platform integration and easier supply chain management — especially attractive for newer automakers with little combustion engine expertise.

China is currently leading with ‘Range Extended Electric Vehicles’ (REEVs) covering over 700 kilometres, thanks to such technology.

"This is where we find it convenient that there is a wide range of BEV platforms that can be supplemented by range extenders," said Scharrer.

The company is also seeing growing interest in the U.S. and European market.

"The market for all-electric vehicles has not developed as much as predicted a few years ago," Scharrer observed. "For this intermediate phase, range extenders can be the ideal solution."

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Tenneco Clean Air India has announced its financial results for Q3 and 9-month period FY2026. The company reported a 14.7 percent increase in value-added revenue (VAR) and a 24.8 percent rise in EBITDA compared to the same period last year.

Revenue from operations for the quarter stood at INR 12.85 billion, up 14.2 percent YoY, while profit after tax saw a decline of 5.3 percent YoY to INR 1.18 billion on the back of cost associated with new labour code implementation.

The company stated that it uses value-added revenue as its primary metric, which reached INR 11.94 billion.

Tenneco also announced that it has secured a contract to supply its DaVinci DCx suspension system to an Indian OEM (Mahindra) for an SUV platform. The program is estimated to generate INR 2.2 billion in annual revenue. The DaVinci technology utilises a mechanical design with discs to control hydraulic flow, avoiding the use of sensors or motors to manage ride quality.

Additionally, the company won a contract with a global commercial vehicle manufacturer for a modular BSVI aftertreatment system. This project has an annual revenue potential of approximately INR 1.15 billion.

Furthermore, the Board has approved the establishment of a greenfield Clean Air plant in Kharkhoda, Haryana. The project will see an estimated investment of INR 710 million, with production scheduled to begin in Q3 of FY2027. The facility is intended to support the light vehicle, off-highway and tractor segments.

Arvind Chandra, Whole-Time Director and CEO, Tenneco India, said, "The quarter demonstrated sustained execution across our business. We delivered strong business growth, resilient margins, and meaningful progress across Clean Air, Powertrain, and Advanced Ride Technologies. The selection of DaVinci DCx Suspension for a flagship SUV platform validates our product development approach and positions us to capture additional opportunities as OEMs seek to differentiate through ride quality. Unlike conventional systems, the DaVinci technology uses specially designed discs (or shim stacks) to control hydraulic flow, delivering consistent comfort across varying speeds and road conditions, achieved affordably and with a fast time to market."

Chandra also noted that the company's export order book covers 100 percent of projected FY2028 revenue, supported by tariff reductions in the US and EU.

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Posting a 21 percent revenue growth at INR 16,698 million as compared to INR 13,755 million during the same period last fiscal, Carraro India – a Tier-I solutions provider for axles, transmission systems, gears and other related components – has highlighted that it is transforming, innovating and leading across markets and technologies.

Announcing a 38 PAT increase at INR 889 million (which includes the impact of new labour code of INR 95 million) on the back of robust demand across domestic and export markets, the company has recorded an EBITDA (including other income) at INR 1,765 million, a growth of 28 percent on a year-on-year basis for the nine months’ of FY26 period with margins at 10.6 percent.

Witnessing a ramp-up of the new range of Tele Boom Handlers (TBH) axles for a major international OEM during the period under review (9Ms FY26), underlining healthy traction and strong visibility of sustained growth for the quarters to come, Carraro India also saw new projects with a domestic customer (global and Inda) contribute. This was about Tele Boom Handlers (TBH) family of axles during the respective period. This business too is expected to pan out well over the next quarters.

The company also experienced good traction in the area of backhoe loader transmission and axles. The sales of drivelines to construction equipment customers increased by approximately four percent during the nine months of FY26. It is during this period that construction equipment market declined by around five percent.

Receiving several enquiries for higher HP and technology configurations on the engineering services business side, the company signed an INR 175 million agreement with Montra for industrialisation and supply of e-transmissions.

The acceleration in shift from 2WD to 4WD tractors post GST reduction has resulting in a strong revenue growth during the nine months of FY26. Carraro India is ramping up capacity in anticipation of a sustained demand.

What was perhaps surprising was a subdued gears business performance during the respective period. In the nine months of FY26, a capex of INR 304 million was deployed to support new telescopic handler's axle production, high- performance new transmission range for agricultural applications and to grant incremental capacity for FY26 sales.

“Carraro India is not just performing – it is transforming, innovating and leading across markets and technologies,” said Dr. Balaji Gopalan, Managing Director, Carraro India Limited.

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Gulf Oil Lubricants India, a Hinduja Group company, has reported record financial results for Q3 FY2026 and 9-month period ending 31 December 2025. The company achieved record highs in quarterly volumes, revenue and EBITDA.

On a consolidated basis, quarterly revenue from operations reached INR 10.17 billion, a 10.56 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

For Q3 FY2026, EBITDA came at INR 1.32 billion, up 7.8 percent, as against INR 1.22 billion last year. Net profit came at INR 761.3 million, down 21.77 percent YoY, as against INR 973.2 million a year ago. The profitability was impacted to estimated obligations of INR 226.4 million for standalone and INR 227.8 million for consolidated financials due to new labour codes effective from 21 November 2025. Additionally, the previous year's Q3 results included a one-time gain of INR 119.7 million from the sale of land and buildings. Excluding these factors, PAT growth was 7.40 percent YoY.

The 9-month consolidated revenue crossed the INR 30 billion mark, which marked a 12.04 percent YoY increase. Net profit came at INR 2.55 billion, down 3.55 percent YoY, as against INR 2.64 billion. 

In terms of business performance, lubricant volume grew by 8 percent, outperforming the industry average. Growth was reported in the B2C segment, led by Passenger Car Motor Oil (PCMO) and Agri sales, and across B2B segments including industrial, infrastructure and mining. The OEM Franchise Workshops business also recorded double-digit growth.

Tirex, the company’s electric vehicle (EV) charging subsidiary, reported top-line growth of 83 percent for Q3 FY2026. The business partnered with Mahindra & Mahindra to establish EV charging stations for a highway initiative.

Ravi Chawla, Managing Director & CEO, Gulf Oil Lubricants India, said, “The quarter has been a strong one for us, with all-time high quarterly Volumes, Revenue, and EBITDA. Demand and sales picked up in the second half of the quarter post the prolonged monsoon and festivities. Overall lubricants volume grew by 8 percent, clearly outperforming industry growth by 2x, supported by double-digit growth in key segments of B2C led by Passenger Car Motor Oil (PCMO) & Agri and across B2B segments.”

Manish Gangwal, Whole-Time Director & CFO, Gulf Oil Lubricants India, said, “Q3 delivered encouraging performance across all key financial parameters, reflecting the strength of our execution capabilities. We recorded healthy double-digit topline growth for both the quarter and the nine-month period, supported by higher volumes and an improved product mix. Stable commodity prices contributed to gross margin expansion, enabling us to achieve our highest-ever quarterly EBITDA of INR 1.3 billion.”

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Tier 1 automotive supplier Tata AutoComp Systems has inaugurated two new manufacturing facilities in Sanand, Gujarat. The expansion includes one plant for TM Automotive Seating Systems and another for TACO Air International Thermal Systems.

The commencement of these operations brings Tata AutoComp’s total presence in the Sanand manufacturing hub to more than eight plants. The facilities are intended to support Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), including Tata Motors and the company's export operations.

The new units are part of a strategy to provide proximity to customers and leverage the local vendor ecosystem. This move aims to enable deeper localisation, reduce lead times and increase supply chain resilience for next-generation mobility platforms.

Arvind Goel, Vice-Chairman, Tata AutoComp Systems, said, "These new facilities mark a significant milestone in Tata AutoComp’s strategic growth, enhancing our ability to support OEM partners and respond effectively to evolving platform requirements. Sanand, as a long-term manufacturing hub, provides proximity to key customers and a strong vendor ecosystem, enabling deeper localization, faster lead times, and a more resilient supply chain. We are expanding our capabilities to deliver world-class quality and operational excellence to our customers. Building on this momentum, we plan to establish several additional plants across India this year, further strengthening our footprint and capacity to meet the future needs of the automotive industry."

Manoj Kolhatkar, MD & CEO, Tata AutoComp Systems, added, “These future-ready plants are designed to advance sustainability and deliver auto component solutions aligned with next-generation mobility platforms in India, enabling us to proactively address the evolving needs of our customers and the industry. People, quality, safety and environment will remain the cornerstones of our manufacturing excellence as we expand and set up new plants across the country to Make in India.”

Sudhir Chikhle, Chief Purchasing Officer, Tata Motors (PV & EV), said, "Tata AutoComp has been a valued partner to Tata Motors Limited, consistently demonstrating a strong customer-centric approach, responsiveness, and reliability. Their collaborative mindset and ability to support us across programs have contributed immensely to our operational and business objectives."

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