Renault Nissan Automotive India (RNAIPL), the unique dedicated manufacturing facility for the Renault Nissan Alliance, has manufactured over 4.5 million powertrain units at its facility in Oragadam, Chennai (India). This includes 2.83 million engines and 1.67 million gearboxes since the start of production in 2010.

The facility produces Renault and Nissan cars for India and export markets with over 2.75 million cars produced since start of operations in 2010. The state-of-the-art manufacturing facility also includes end-to-end capabilities for production of engines from melting of aluminium ingots, casting the molten metal into various engine parts such as the cylinder head and cylinder block at the casting shop, machining them to the perfect size and dimensions at the machining shop and assembling them together at the assembly shop. The plant has the capacity to produce engines with ranges from 800cc to 1500cc.

RNAIPL also houses all facilities required for manufacturing gearboxes including gear machining, shaft machining, clutch house machining and gear heat treatment.

Since start of production in May 2010, Renault Nissan Automotive India has produced seven different types of engines and three varieties of gearboxes. RNAIPL’s Powertrain reached the production milestone of one million engines in 2016, within six years of start of production and has also produced more than 160,000 units of EV reducer components for exports.

Keerthi Prakash, MD, Renault Nissan Automotive India, said, “The production of 4.5 million powertrain units is a very important milestone for RNAIPL. In addition to powering the cars produced at our Chennai plant, we have also exported powertrain units and components to other countries around the world. Looking to the future, as part of the USD 600 million investment announced by the Renault Nissan alliance, we are readying our infrastructure to produce the engines and gearboxes for our new models.” 

One of the top variant engines that is currently produced by RNAIPL is the HR10 TURBO engine that features the unique mirror bore cylinder coating technology used in sports cars such as the Nissan GT-R. The technology reduces resistance inside the engine, cutting weight, improving heat management and combustion to deliver smooth acceleration and efficient fuel use.

RNAIPL’s plant uses robotic vision camera technology to ensure complete quality confirmation during the production of powertrain units and the sequential process flow ensures that each unit does not proceed to the next stage in manufacturing until it has been confirmed and certified for its quality.

German technology company Continental has produced ATE SecuBrake, the first sustainable brake fluid free of any hazardous substances subject to labelling. It not only exceeds the requirements for DOT 4 brake fluids but is also suitable for electric vehicles.

ATE SecuBrake is the first available product in the new ATE New Original line. 

Tim Lunkenheimer, head of aftermarket product management for hydraulic brake systems at Continental, said, "ATE SecuBrake underscores our commitment as a premium manufacturer to break new ground in product development for the aftermarket. Workshops can make an important contribution to sustainability by increasingly using more eco-friendly products."

The company says the ATE SecuBrake is certified according to the mass-balance standard. The starting point, ethylene, is derived mainly from renewable raw materials. With over 80 percent of raw materials obtained from renewable sources, it has got much lower CO2 footprint than with conventional brake fluids.

The ATE SecuBrake also contains no borate esters, eliminating the need for hazardous substance labelling according to the EU Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures (CLP) and the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) developed by the United Nations.

British design and engineering studio Callum has selected Aqua Mist as its Colour of the Year 2025. The colour a fresh pastel blend of green and blue, it says is not only vibrant and optimistic but also promotes relaxation and tranquillity.

The company says Aqua Mist represents renewal and innovation in a fast-changing world. The refreshing, soothing hue combines the calm of blue with the rejuvenation of green, perfect for creating peaceful, balanced spaces.

It is for the first time Callum has introduced the Colour of the Year 2025, which it says will become an annual forecast of colour trends from its growing team of colour, material and finishes experts.

Charlotte Jones, colour, material and finishes designer at Callum, said, “Aqua Mist offers a fresh, calming energy. Its soft and cool undertones are associated with tranquillity and openness, providing a balanced base that doesn’t overwhelm the senses. Its versatility means it is suited to a number of applications, materials and surface textures, while layering with Callum’s specially-selected balancing colours creates a fun, energetic vibe.

Recent projects and collaborations have given us valuable insights into the needs, preferences and experiences of a variety of customers, particularly those who rely on well-considered inclusive design to enhance accessibility and comfort. We want the Callum Colour of the Year to spark conversations about how colour resonates with the emotional needs of customers and can help shape spaces and products that elicit deeper emotional responses.”

Ian Callum, Design Director, Callum, said, “Every design team in the world looks at future aesthetics to stay relevant and appeal to ever-evolving consumer tastes. Plus, it’s creative and a lot of fun. The Callum Colour of the Year 2025 is the first time we’ve made any of our forecasting work public.”

The company has identified a concise complementary palette, which sees Aqua Mist being balanced with Neon Riot and Midnight Tide, to create a playful, dynamic trio that offers an energetic yet approachable look, ideal for designs that need both vibrancy and sophistication - perfect for playful brands.

Callum stated that Neon Riot is an attention-grabbing hot pink, which brings energy, fun and vibrancy to the palette by adding a pop of brightness. Midnight Tide on the other hand is a rich, deep blue, that grounds the other two colours with its darker, more intense shade, making the overall palette feel balanced and mature.

The combination of Aqua Mist, Neon Riot and Midnight Tide in automotive projects it believes can create a bold, futuristic and attention-grabbing aesthetic, especially for brands or models aimed at trend-conscious audiences

Ola Electric, one of India’s largest pure-play EV companies, has bagged five Gold Awards at the 49^th International Convention on Quality Control Circles (ICQCC) held in Sri Lanka in November 2024.

This landmark recognition was achieved by the company’s all-women workforce from Ola Futurefactory in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, who competed against industry peers from 14 countries.

The EV maker’s five teams won for the following projects –

Paint Shop: Innovation in optimisation strategies that slashes operational costs.

Motor Division: Enhancing product competitiveness by reducing Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ).

General Assembly: Accelerating time-to-market by increasing capacity in the front fork sub-assembly process.

Battery Shop: Improve battery pack productivity in order to meet the growing customer demands.

Weld Shop: Improving robotics throughput to enhance operational efficiency and streamline workflows.

Ola Electric acknowledged the role of its women-led teams from rural backgrounds, who showcased their work at the factory’s paint shop, motor shop, general assembly line, battery shop, and welding shop.

“This recognition at ICQCC is a testament to our relentless pursuit of excellence with our incredibly talented women at the helm of the EV revolution at our Futurefactory. It reflects our ethos of blending innovation with empowerment and setting new benchmarks on the operational-heavy automotive shop floors, which are traditionally dominated by men. We are extremely happy to have started this shift in the Indian automotive manufacturing landscape and are committed to bringing more women on the shop floors,” commented an Ola spokesperson.

Coimbatore-based Propel Industries Private Limited has announced the appointment of Siddharth Kirtane as the President of its EV Division that makes heavy-duty e-trucks for construction and mining applications. Propel Industries – specialising in the manufacture of crushing equipment – homologated its electric heavy-duty Tipper (470 HEV) is September 2024 and has since been offering it in two battery variants—385 kWh and 256 kWh.  
With a long-standing experience in the commercial vehicle industry in India as Head – Brand and Marketing, Volvo Trucks India; as Business Head – Construction and Infrastructure, Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles Ltd, and as Vice President, Marketing, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, Kirtane will leverage his knowledge and expertise to scale up the EV business in his new role.