In what could be seen as another setback/blow for Toyota Motor Corporation, a letter issued by former and current Olympians to the International Olympic Committee, has urged them not to “renew sponsorship deal” with the Japanese automaker given its push for fossil-fuelled vehicles over driving sales of cleaner vehicles.

The letter accessed by Motoring Trends is addressed to Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee; its Executive Board members;  Andrew Parsons, President, International Paralympic Committee and Tony Estanguet, President of Paris Olympics 2024.

Dotsie Bausch - American cycling Olympian; Jenny Casson - Canadian rowing Olympian; Francesca ‘Frankie’ Clapcich - Italian sailing Olympian; Rhydian Cowley - Australian race walking Olympian; Melissa Humana-Paredes - Canadian beach volleyball Olympian; Philippe Marquis - Canadian freestyle skiing Olympian; Etienne Stott - British slalom canoe Olympian; Laura Baldwin - British sailing Olympian and Eliza McCartney - New Zealander pole vault Olympian have signed the letter.

While the Olympians have applauded for the measures put in place to make the Paris Olympics the most sustainable games ever, has stated that the “the world is still well behind when it comes to reaching the emissions reduction targets established by the 2015 Paris Agreement. Emissions continue to rise as do global temperatures, and to record levels.”

Furthermore, the results in terms of extreme weather are often devastating. The sports world, as you well know, is not immune. As athletes and sportspeople, we are directly affected by the detrimental impacts of climate change it states. 

Sharing examples of the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, marathon and race-walking events were moved1 800 kilometres north of the intended venues, due to high temperatures. Then there was the rescheduling of the women’s Olympics soccer finals, which also led to the stadium being changed due to extremely high temperatures - a first in the history of the Olympics. In addition, an archer fainted and three tennis players retired during their matches due to heat-related illnesses. 

At this year’s Paris Olympics, increasing heat levels and poor air quality will adversely affect athletes’ performances and careers.

“As current and retired Olympians who care deeply about facing up to the climate emergency, and support the IOC’s impressive work on this urgent issue, we are writing to urge you to not renew your sponsorship deal with the world’s largest producer of conventional fossil-fuelled cars, Toyota. Instead of phasing out combustion engine vehicles in line with settled climate science, Toyota is ramping up production - it plans to add more than 11 million to the roads this year.” 

“This means Toyota’s emissions are massive: at a self-reported 575 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, the company already has far higher emissions than France, and they’re rising. Toyota continues to lobby governments to delay, weaken, and roll back essential climate regulations” states the letter.

The Olympians attributing a report by InfluenceMap released in May this year, quote that Toyota is the worst company in the auto sector in this regard, holding back progress everywhere from the US to Australia. 

Less than 1% of Toyota’s car sales last year were electric7, while other major car makers like BMW already reached 15%.8 But instead of trying to catch up on electric vehicles (EVs), Toyota is using misleading marketing tactics to confuse the public into thinking 100 percent fossil-fuelled hybrid cars are EVs. Various regulatory agencies around the world have called foul: the company is facing formal advertising complaints in more than 11 countries.

The letter further states that “Sadly, it appears Toyota is even abusing its position as an Olympic partner by spreading misleading information that will have the effect of slowing down the energy transition. The company claims that its vehicle fleet provided to the games is “100% Electrified” - but actually less than half are fully battery electric; and most of the rest run on petrol. 

The damage they says here is two-fold – firstly these petrol cars will increase the emissions of the Games, violating its commitment to cut emissions as much as possible. Secondly - by promoting petrol vehicles as ‘sustainable’ to a huge global audience, this sponsorship deal risks undermining the clear message of climate scientists that we need to phase out fossil fuel-burning vehicles completely.

The Olympians hope that for all of the above reasons, they welcome the reports coming out of Japan that Toyota is considering ending its partnership with the Olympics. This they believe is a golden opportunity for the IOC to announce that this partnership will end this year, and to make clear that going forward, a company like Toyota will not meet its sustainability standards.

They further have also requested the Paralympic Organising Committee to cut all ties with Toyota as well, as some news reports that Toyota hopes to retain its sponsorship of the Paralympic Games.

“In 2024, giant polluters lobbying against the public good, and against the fundamental interests of athletes in a safe climate, should not be granted the privilege of partnering with the Olympics and Paralympics. This year must be the last time the world’s biggest polluters are allowed anywhere near the games.”

“There are many more technologically advanced, more transparent, and much lower emissions mobility partners with which the IOC can work going forward that are aligned with its ambitious climate goals. As the 8-year contract between Toyota and the IOC comes to an end after the Paris Games, it will be time for Toyota to pass the baton to a clean Olympics mobility sponsor,” concluded the letter.

The European Union voted in favour of imposing extra tariffs on China-made EVs by up to 45 percent on 4 October 2024. Threatening a broader trade conflict with a country that has already vowed to protect its companies and is considered as the factory of the world, the move has been criticised by the auto industry and various EU member states.

With growing demand for EU and China resolving their differences through dialogue, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade is known to express that it is opposed to be the move.

With the technical teams from China and the EU set to resume talks on 7 October 2024, the situation in EU as far as the auto OEMs like Volkswagen Group, Stellantis and BMW Group are concerned, there have been instances of profit warnings.  

Weak demand, rising costs, global competition, trade wars, geopolitical situations, subsidies and company-specific factors are among the reasons being underlined for the profit warnings by European automakers.

Receiving necessary support with 10 members backing the tariffs, 12 abstaining and five members – including Germany – voting against, the European Union, claim sources aware of the development, has been urged by the auto industry to negotiate with China for better terms and conditions rather than to reach the level were a trader war looks eminent.

Present in the China market for a decade or more, many European automakers seem to fear if the tariffs imposed on Chinese EVs will lead to negative consequences in that market for them.

Volkswagen is known to have said that the tariffs are ‘the wrong approach’. There is a need for the two sides to negotiate and find the middle way, mentioned an industry source in Germany in response to the tariffs by EU.

Image courtesy: EmDee (Wikipedia)

The Association of Indian Forging Industry (AIFI), the apex body representing the forging industry in the country has announced its new officer bearers for 2024-26. 

The committee has elected Yash Munot as the new President of AIFI, while S.  Ravishankar was elected as the Vice-President.

Munot, who succeeds Vikas Bajaj, had previously served as Vice-President of AIFI from 2020 to 2024, is now also the youngest to be appointed as the President in the organisation's history. 

He currently serves as the CEO at Varsha Forgings and the Managing Director at KCTR Varsha Automotive. Munot begun his journey in the forging industry in 2005 joining his family business - Varsha Forgings. He was also instrumental in organising major industry events like IFC 2011, Forgetech  India 2016, Asia Forge 2019 and ForgeTech India 2023. He has served as the Western Region Chairman from 2018 to 2020. 

“The forging sector in India is at a pivotal juncture, with tremendous opportunities for innovation and growth. Our focus will be on fostering collaboration within the industry, driving technological advancements and promoting sustainable practices. I am committed to working closely with all stakeholders to ensure that our industry not only thrives domestically but also strengthens and enhances its global footprint. Together, we will build on the strong foundation laid by my predecessors and strive for excellence in every aspect of our work," said Munot.

S Ravishankar added, “I will strive for advancing our industry’s progress and tackling the challenges presented by a rapidly changing global landscape. Our priorities will include boosting competitiveness, driving innovation and equipping our members for future opportunities. I look forward to embracing the exciting prospects ahead and contributing to AIFI’s continued success during this transformative era”

He (Ravishankar) currently serves as the MD at Super Auto Forge and has over 25 years of experience in the auto component manufacturing industry. He is a Manufacturing Engineer with Bachelors degree from Annamalai University and Masters degree from The Ohio State University.

It was in 1997, after working in Detroit for two years, Ravishankar returned to India and joined his family business at Super Auto Forge. He has been instrumental in developing the international business of SAF and led the initiative to establish marketing offices in Detroit in 2001, followed by Belgium in 2011. He has been the Chairman of Indo American Chamber of Commerce for the period 2008 – 2009 – Tamil Nadu Branch and currently serves on the Southern Regional Committee of ACMA since 2021.

Automechanika Frankfurt has cemented its position as the leading international trade fair for the automotive industry with the successful conclusion of Automechanika Frankfurt 2024. 

The slogan of this year’s Automechanika was ‘Driving Transformation’, with topics such as electrification, vehicle connectivity, driver assistance systems and digitalisation taking the centre stage. The fair was held from 10 to 14 September 2024 and saw 4,200 companies from 80 countries displaying their products and solutions for retail, workshops and industry. Spread over an area of 320,000 square metres and 26 hall levels, the event witnessed a total of 108,000 visitors from 172 countries.

Visitors had the chance to see cars with alternative drive systems up close, such as electric, hydrogen, and hybrid models, and even take a ride in the Future Mobility Park and the related expert forum Innovation4Mobility. For even more highlights, there were brand-new event types available, such as an exhilarating rally. Ninety-four percent of attendees, 70 percent of whom were foreign visitors, expressed satisfaction with the event, not just with the trade fair's offerings but also with their aims being met.

An emphasis on sustainable technologies, products and solutions was highlighted at Automechanika this year. Several talks on remanufacturing and circular economy tactics were held on the stage in the new Sustainability Court in Hall 5.0. This year also saw the opening of ‘Ambition’, a dedicated Gen Z section in Hall 3.1 with live acts, panel discussions and succinct, fascinating presentations to pique the interest of young people in the automotive professions. This action was taken as a result of the well-known lack of qualified workers in the automobile sector.

Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt, commented, “Even in the midst of the digital transformation, the industry once again demonstrated its wealth of innovation, providing countless highlights over the course of the five-day event. Together with our exhibitors, we were able to find the right players to present the most important topics – including alternative drive systems, sustainability and the use of AI and robotics in the automotive aftermarket – on the stages and in the exhibition halls. We are also delighted by growing demand from both German and international visitors.”

Michael Johannes, Vice President Mobility & Logistics, Messe Frankfurt, said “Never before has Automechanika in Frankfurt had a supporting programme and range of events like this. Our roster of presentations and practical workshops covered a wide range of topics, including bodywork and paintwork, electric vehicles, commercial vehicles, caravan repair, 3D printing, detailing and much else besides. These were very well received by the professionals, and students and pupils took advantage of the opportunities on offer to find out for themselves what some of the automotive trades and professions are like. One of this year’s new additions was a programme and area devoted especially to Generation Z. We wanted to draw their attention to the professional opportunities that are available in the fascinating world of the automotive industry – and we were very successful.”

Castrol India, a leading lubricant manufacturer, has announced that it has achieved a significant sustainability milestone by increasing recycled content in its high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic bottles to 50 percent. 

With this, the company aims to achieve 2,600 metric tonnes of annual recycled plastic usage in its packaging portfolio by 2024.

The step builds upon its previous actions to help make its packaging more sustainable, including the commercialisation of 100 percent recycled bottles for POWER1 range in 2022 and the incorporation of 30 percent recycled content across its entire bottle packaging in 2023.

This latest change aligns seamlessly with Castrol’s global PATH360 strategy, which aims to reduce its plastic footprint by half by 2030.

Sandeep Sangwan, MD, Castrol India said, “We are proud to announce this milestone in our journey towards more sustainable packaging. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, who have overcome challenges to develop packaging solutions that meet our high standards for quality and aesthetics.”

In addition to packaging, Castrol India aims to have more sustainable manufacturing practices. The company’s production facilities utilise energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy sources to seek to reduce its operational greenhouse gas emissions.