Since its entry into the Indian market in 1985, Yamaha Motor Company has had mixed success. The company in India has undergone a few changes in its holding structure, and has had a renewed focus since Mitsui & Co, Ltd entered into an agreement with YMC to become a joint-investor in India Yamaha Motor Private Limited (IYM) in 2008. Critical to that strategy is the establishment of the Yamaha Motor Research & Development India Pvt Ltd (YMRI). We caught up with Yasuo Ishihara, Managing Director, YMRI for a chat regarding the company’s second R&D facility, which has recently been set-up in Chennai, its R&D initiatives and product development plans for the Indian market.
Yasuo Ishihara is the Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Research & Development India Pvt Ltd (YMRI), which he joined in March 2015. YMRI has been established as a 100 % subsidiary of Yamaha Motor Company (YMC) and is mandated by YMC to provide R&D and Product development services to India Yamaha Motor (IYM) for its domestic as well as export markets. Ishihara is a mechanical engineer from Nagoya University and has over 29 years of work experience in Yamaha. He joined YMC, Japan in 1987 and began his career as a body and chassis designer. He has a lot of experience in scooter development, promotion of value engineering, project management of procurement centre and management of component development.
ATR _ What is the primary objective behind setting up the second R&D centre in Chennai? How will it help Yamaha’s initiatives in terms of design, engine and chassis development and suspension testing?
YASUO ISHIHARA _ Yamaha plans to optimise its product specifications according to the requirements of Indian customers. For this, a lot of designing, deliberation and research are required, which is the reason for setting up the Chennai R&D centre. Initially, we will design small projects in this centre and would gradually expand this domain for engine development in the near future. This R&D centre would also cater to requirements of international markets over the years, once we are confident of the end results. We will design models for exports as well in this centre.
The Chennai facility is fully equipped with a test track and a chassis development unit. One must note that chassis development for two-wheelers varies greatly from that of four-wheelers. The Indian two-wheeler market is quite vast and our global headquarters would also like to utilise our expertise for the global markets.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Sound Generation For Enhanced Road Safety
With an ever-increasing number of fully electric and hybrid vehicles entering the market, we are witnessing a change in the acoustic experience in and around the car. The silent nature of the electric powertrain means that other road users miss the familiar acoustic cues that warn them of an approaching vehicle. To remedy this situation, Harman is working on various noise management solutions.
OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE SAFETY CONTRIBUTION OF TODAY'S AUTOMOTIVE HEADLAMPS
Good lighting makes a major contribution to road safety. In 2011, the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) presented an evaluation system for headlamps that can objectively assess the quality of illumination and glare limitation. New light sources like LEDs and lighting functions (glare-free high beam, partial high beam) have been available for several years, so that an extension of the proven CIE method is necessary, which takes into account, among other things, changed switch-on and service lives of new lighting functions and represents a generally understandable evaluation system. An evaluation system presented in the following by the Technische Uni versität Darmstadt, which was developed by an encompassing expert commission, is intended to provide representative data and enable an objective evaluation of headlamp performance.
RAPIDO RE-INNOVATES TO CATER TO POST COVID-19 LAST MILE CONNECTIVITY
The rapid pace of urbanisation in the country has witnessed cities expanding and subsuming surrounding villages and smaller towns, evolving into Tier II and III cities.
FUNCTIONAL SAFETY STANDARDS TOP PRIORITY FOR FUTURE AUTOMOTIVE DEPLOYMENT
Increasing levels of electronic content in vehicles result in a large amount of software that is required to run the scenes behind the mechanical aspects of a vehicle. Electronic systems in automobiles are part of every section, from the powertrain to comfort and convenience systems as well as all types of safety equipment. This makes electronics and the software running these systems a critical part of the equation for future mobility solutions. In addition, putting standards in place to measure methods of developing, testing and functioning of such electronic systems also becomes highly relevant.
“BYD'S EV STRATEGY TO ENCOMPASS MOST FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION NEEDS IN INDIA”
The country’s electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem is grappling with a plethora of challenges even as it is striving to wriggle itself out of the ‘nascent stage’ tag. In an exclusive chat with Auto Tech Review, Zhang Jie Ketsu, Executive Director, BYD India shares his perspective on the current EV scenario and how the company intends to progress faster in the Indian automotive industry
SAFETY IN ELECTRIC AND AUTONOMOUS CARS – SIMULATION OF COMPLEX CRASH SCENARIOS
Electric and autonomous vehicles allow for novel seating arrangements and packaging strategies, presenting new safety challenges. Physical crash testing must be supplemented with virtual simulation to ensure vehicle safety on shorter development cycles. With its Simcenter Madymo MBS software, Siemens provides improved runtimes and the Active Human model, enabling accurate and rapid occupant safety analysis in complex crash scenarios.
KIA SONET – A MIGHTY OFFERING IN THE COMPACT SUV SEGMENT
It wouldn't be wrong to say that Kia Motors India has taken the Indian market by storm in less than 12 months of its presence in the market.
NISSAN'S NEW DIRECTION: ARIYA ALL-ELECTRIC
Marking a key milestone in Nissan’s transformation strategy, Ariya ticks a lot of boxes highlighting the strengths of the global automotive giant.
BETTER SAFETY WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE ASSIST FOR MOTORCYCLES
Rear-end collisions with a slower vehicle suddenly cutting into the lane and intersection accidents with cross-traffic are among the most frequent motorcycle accident types. Continental is now developing an emergency brake assist, which detects an imminent collision with a vehicle ahead or with an obstacle, warns the rider and supports him during braking
ADAS WILL SERVE AS CATALYST FOR IMPROVED VEHICLE SAFETY
The automotive industry across the globe is increasingly focussing on safety.
