Electric vehicles news this month

Here are some of the most important electric vehicles news from this month, i.e September 2020. Let us see Electric vehicles news this month. 

Electric vehicles news this month

Govt sanctioned 670 electric buses, 241 charging stations under FAME 2 scheme

The government of India has sanctioned 670 electric buses for Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat and Chandigarh and 241 charging stations in Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat and Port Blair under Phase-II of the FAME India Scheme.

The Union Heavy Industries minister Prakash Javadekar said this decision reflects the government’s commitment to reducing dependence on fossil fuel and promoting eco-friendly public transportation.

Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in India scheme was launched in 2015 to promote adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles in India. The second phase of this scheme has been implemented from last year with total budgetary support of 10 thousand crore rupees.

“This is a good start, these e-buses, e-rickshaws and e-scooters, as well as e-cars for city use, are the best way forward for environment-friendly transport,” Javadekar said.

In the first phase of the scheme up to March 31, 2019, about 2,80,987 hybrid and electric vehicles were supported by way of demand incentive, amounting to about Rs 359 crore. DHI sanctioned 425 electric and hybrid buses to various cities in the country with a total cost of about Rs 280 crores.

The Department of Heavy Industry had also sanctioned 520 charging stations for Rs 43 crore approximately in cities like Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Jaipur and Delhi under Phase-I of the FAME India scheme.

This phase focuses on supporting the electrification of public and shared transportation and aims to support through subsidies, approximately 7000 e-Buses, five lakh e-3 wheelers, 55,000 e-4 wheeler passenger cars and 10 lakh e-2 wheelers.

kinetic Green plans to set up electric vehicle manufacturing unit in AP

Kinetic Green is planning to set up a manufacturing unit of two and three-wheeler electric vehicles in Andhra Pradesh. The Kinetic Green Founder and CEO Sulajja Firodia Motwani had a discussion with the Industries and Commerce Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy regarding setting up the manufacturing plant for electric two-wheelers and electric three-wheelers. The company aims to set up electric vehicles to recharge stations across the State.

To curb the spread of the Coronavirus, the Kinetic Green Energy and Power Solutions Limited has launched a range of Green solutions that disinfect the indoor and outdoor areas.

The company has introduced three offerings which include Kinetic e-fogger and e-sprayer range for disinfecting places like public places, slums, large industrial campuses, hospitals, factories and residential townships. It has also introduced a portable UV Sanitizer which is used to disinfect indoor areas like hospital rooms, offices etc.

Hero Electric joined hands with GoWash for vehicle washing services

Hero Electric has announced that it has joined hands with Nagpur based GoWash for vehicle washing services. It is a doorstep vehicle washing service provider that provides eco-friendly and sustainable vehicle washing facilities.

To avail these services, the customers can book a service through the smartphone application of GoWash. They can also avail coating services in ceramic and PU. The company aims to provide services to 6,000 customers by November 2020 in Nagpur and not only this it also aims to deploy 50 washing vehicles.

By this partnership, there is also a huge employment opportunity for the people below 28 years and offers minimum pay of Rs 12,000 per month for its washing partners.

Skoda unveils Enyaq iV electric SUV ranges 510 km range

Skoda has finally unveiled its first electric SUV Enyaq iV that provides a range of 510 km. This electric SUV is inspired by the Vision iV concept. It comes with three different battery sizes which have a quick charging option. It will be available in five versions and the deliveries will commence from next year.

Talking about its technical terms it can accelerate 0-100 kmph in just 6.2 seconds and gives a range of 510 km. Skoda Enyaq iV will come with a set of three battery packs. The 55kWh battery provides 340km of driving range, the 62kWh battery offers 390km of driving range and the 82kWh battery provides 510km of driving range. The price of the Enyaq iV electric SUV can be expected around 34 000 Euros, approximately Rs 28.29 lakh.

Uber promises 100 per cent electric vehicles by 2040

Uber Technologies Inc on Tuesday said every vehicle on its global ride-hailing platform will be electric by 2040, and it vowed to contribute $800 million through 2025 to help drivers switch to battery-powered vehicles, including discounts for vehicles bought or leased from partner automakers.

Uber, which as of early February said it had 5 million drivers worldwide, said it formed partnerships with General Motors and the Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi alliance.

EV charging network ChargePoint to go public at $2.4 bln valuation

One of the world’s oldest and largest electric vehicle charging networks, ChargePoint Inc is merging with Switchback Energy Acquisition Corp in a deal that values the company at $2.4 billion.

The company will be named as ChargePoint Holdings Inc.”The EV charging industry is accelerating and it is expected that charging infrastructure investment will be $190 billion by 2030,” Switchback Chief Executive Scott McNeill said. “We believe (ChargePoint) will continue to grow its strong market position as the EV industry evolves.”

Made in India fastest electric motorcycle to be available from October

India’s fastest electric motorcycle which is made in India will be available from October 2020. The One Electric Motorcycles have announced its KRIDN electric motorcycle deliveries first production batch will commence in October 2020 which includes Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad cities.

The dealerships applications and pre-booking registrations are free and no need for deposits. The company is working on strategic partnerships with established players for their KRIDN-R Model for bike taxi and last-mile deliveries.

The company is planning an entry-level model in 2021 with 75 Kmph top speed from a 2 kW motor and the cost is Rs 1.29 lakhs (ex-showroom price) with a 2+1 year warranty. The bike provides a top speed of 95 km/h and on a full charge, it can provide 120 km range. 

Govt included EV components in ‘aatmanirbhar’ plan

India now wants to become self-reliant in drones, robotics and electric vehicle equipment. The Department for Promotion for Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has identified certain ‘focus sectors’ to reduce imports and ramp up domestic production.

California to ban the sale of ICE vehicles in 2035

Here is the major decision coming from California government that it plans to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered passenger cars and trucks starting in 2035. The U.S. major auto market shifts to electric vehicles to reduce the emission levels in the country said, Governor Gavin Newsom.

The government aims to end the use of fossil fuel-burning internal combustion engines. California accounts for about 11% of all U.S. vehicle sales, and many states choose to adopt its green vehicle mandates.

Over 27,000 EVs supported till September 10 under FAME II scheme

The government under the FAME-II India Scheme has supported over 27,000 electric vehicles till September 10, 2020, by way of demand incentive amounting to about Rs 95 crore.

The Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Minister Prakash Javadekar said further 5,595 electrical buses have been sanctioned to various state/ city transport undertakings under Phase-II of the scheme. This involves government incentive of around Rs 2,800 crore, he said.

“The minister said that the department of heavy industry has also sanctioned 2,636 electric vehicles (EVs) charging stations amounting to Rs 500 crore in 62 cities across 24 states/UTs under FAME India (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in India) scheme phase II.

Jeep unveils plug-in hybrid Wrangler 4xe

Jeep has introduced a Jeep Wrangler 4xe a plug-in hybrid technology with regenerative braking. The all-new 4xe comes with a four-wheel-drive configuration. It gets a ‘Trail-Rated’ badge which makes it an offroader. It comes with the water wading capacity which is similar to the regular Jeep Wrangler.

It is equipped with 400V set up with the 17kWh Lithium-ion battery and a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4 cylinder petrol engine. The petrol engine produces 270BHP of power and 400Nm of torque and its 17kWh battery produces 44BHP of power with a peak torque of 53Nm. The traction motor produces 134BHP of power and 245Nm of torque. It gives 40 kilometres of range in purely electric mode with 280kW/637Nm and can do 97km/h in seven seconds. The battery uses nickel manganese cobalt technology.

The company is offering three variants such as 4xe, Sahara 4xe and Rubicon 4xe for its Jeep Wrangler 4xe. It has some extra features on offer will be the 2.0-inch lift kit, offroad bumpers, rock rails along with the 240 Volt EV wall charger. Wrangler 4xe will be available to customers before the end of the year in America, Europe and China. In India, it is expected to launch in 2021. 

Mindspace Business Parks Aims 100% E-mobility Transition

Real estate entity Mindspace Business Parks REIT has committed to a 100 per cent electric mobility by 2030 by expanding the EV charging infrastructure for its clients across all Business Parks to bring a shift to cleaner transportation and reduce the pollution levels in the urban micro-markets of presence in the Mumbai region, Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai.

“Our endeavour under the Climate Group’s EV100 initiative is to fortify our commitment to sustainability, with the best blend of innovation and technology,” said Mindspace Business Parks REIT chief executive officer Vinod Rohira said.

Okaya Power Partners BluSmart for EV Charging Stations

Okaya Power Group has announced that it has partnered with India’s leading four-wheeler vehicles fleet operators BluSmart Electric Mobility. It aims to provide electric vehicle charging infrastructure for fleet operations.

Anshul Gupta, Director, Okaya Power Private said that “Our partnership with BluSmart Electric Mobility is the true testament of our ability to provide world-class EV charging infrastructure solutions and we are committed to taking this association to greater heights. This partnership undeniably represents a major milestone and a strong step towards providing a pollution-free green mode of transportation with an unwavering commitment to safety, reliability, and efficiency. We are committed to taking this collaboration to even greater heights.”

GM offers $4K Colorado rebate on electric vehicles

General Motors offers Coloradans a fat discount. The governor’s office said that the automaker had agreed to work with Colorado’s tax credit for a $4,000 giveback at the point of sale for a GM electric vehicle, Chevrolet Bolt EV. The company is planning additional models for the market.

Colorado is the only state to adopt zero-emission vehicle regulations with agreement from the automakers. “Colorado’s priority has been to make cleaner vehicle options more available and accessible for our consumers, which makes today’s news another great step in that direction,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement.

“GM has EVs available at local dealerships and more models will be on the way. Now Coloradans will more easily be able to use the state’s tax incentives to make these options more affordable.”

Tamil Nadu govt to set up EV charging stations in 6 cities

Tamil Nadu government has informed the National Green Tribunal that it will set up electric vehicle charging stations in Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchi, Madurai, Salem and Tirunelveli, and provide charging points in government office parking slots. Let us know more about the Tamil Nadu towards achieving big goals for the promotion and development of electric vehicles in India.

The charging stations will also be set up on NHAI and State Highways and EV related and charging infrastructure manufacturing industries in the State will provide a 100% exemption on electricity tax till December 31, 2025. To set up this kind of industries there will also stamp duty exemption given on the purchase of the electric vehicles. The government said while submitting its reply in a case at the NGT.

It also submitted the private operators and educational institutions are encouraged for the transition. The government aims to attract ₹50,000 crore investment in EV manufacturing, offering charging infrastructure, shared mobility, recycle and reuse batteries and disposal of the used batteries in an eco-friendly manner.

Hero e-US Ultra Sport Electric motorcycle

India’s leading two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp is developing a new premium electric motorcycle concept. This powerful electric motorcycle concept is developed by a Munich based HTCG is named as e-US which is electric Ultra Sport.

The pure electric products that are being developed by Hero Motocorp are independent of its subsidiary Ather Energy’s products. The Hero Motocorp’s Technology Center in Germany (HTCG) is currently collaborating with the two-wheeler giant’s Jaipur R&D facility to develop this premium electric motorcycle concept.

This electric motorcycle will feature performance-oriented characteristics, it will have different drivetrains and range to match with the various need to make it more affordable electric motorcycle for the Indian market. The e.US will be manufactured in India and will have components from Hero’s European suppliers. As of now, they haven’t revealed its technical specifications.

Mahindra has launched MESMA 48 platform for light EVs

Mahindra Electric has announced the global launch of its MESMA 48 platform for light electric vehicles on the world electric vehicle day. Mahindra Electric’s MESMA 48 platform provides globally competitive quality and is cost-effective. It is the company’s most utilised EV technology solution architecture. This platform has powered more than 11,000 electric vehicles on road.

The platform offers both performance and range which offers voltage systems ranges from 44 V to 96 V. The drivetrain power ranging from 6 kW to 40 kW and gives a torque from 40 Nm to 120 Nm.

Yukon aims for more than 200 times EVs on road by 2030 

Yukon territory in northwest Canada government aims to see more than 4,800 electric vehicles on the road by 2030 to curb the pollution levels in the territory.

Currently, the 22 electric vehicles are registered in the territory according to the Yukon Bureau of Statistics, among more than 40,000 cars and trucks registered in total. The government is providing $18.4 million in rebates including $5,000 for the purchase of an electric vehicle, along with incentives for installing charging stations over the next 10 years.

India’s Most affordable electric bike launched at ₹50,000 

A Hyderabad-based electric vehicles start-up, Atumobile Pvt Ltd has launched India’s most affordable electric bike Atum 1.0 which is said to be a new generation electric bike. It claims to build electric mobility in India with a well built retro, vintage design electric vehicle.

The cost-effective racer styled electric bike which is built in-house from scratch is priced at Rs 50,000 and is available across India via its online portal. The most affordable stylish electric bike is equipped with a lithium-ion battery pack that can be charged in 4 hours easily using a normal 3-pin socket. It comes with a lightweight portable battery pack of 6 kgs.

It offers a range of 100 km in a single charge. It comes with two years of warranty and is best suitable for kids, adults and elders for city rides. It is available in various colours with great comfort and high performance. The Atum 1.0 is designed and tested successfully in various extreme conditions.

C-MET looks for co-funding partner for manufacturing Li-ion & Na-ion battery

The Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is looking for co-funding industrial partners to design and develop machinery for lithium-ion (Li-ion) and sodium-ion (Na-ion) battery cell manufacturing and transfer indigenous technology for cell manufacturing in India.

The project aims to become self-reliance in 5 years through revenue generation from technical and consultancy services to the industry. It is seeking Rs 4 crore funding support partner from the selected industry that includes design and development of machinery for batteries manufacturing to be placed at C-MET.

Tesla in talks with Karnataka govt to set up R&D centre in Bengaluru

Electric car maker Elon Musk-led American electric vehicle (EV) and clean energy company Tesla is in discussions with the industries department of Karnataka government to set up its research and innovation centre in Bengaluru. Another meeting is expected to be held later this month in which the government officials are likely to present a proposal to Tesla. If everything goes well then India will be the second country apart from the US to have a Tesla research centre.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk earlier in July said that luxury electric vehicles could soon reach India and he also mentioned about the Gigafactory a car and battery factory in Asia, outside of China.

Croatian Post added 20 new electric vehicles in its fleet

Croatian Post has expanded its green fleet with 20 new electric vehicles. Adding up new vehicles is the continuation of the many years of procurement of electric vehicles and renewal of the vehicle fleet to reduce the dangerous impact on the environment.

Croatia, a country in Southeast Europe’s Croatian Post has now a total of 220 electric vehicles in the fleet, of which 40 are four-wheelers. On a single charge, quadricycle provides a range of 60 km and its maximum speed is 45 km/h. The volume of the luggage tank is 300 l, and the load capacity is about 150 kg.

Govt considers setting up EV chargers at 69,000 petrol bunks

To promote and encourage the adoption of the electric vehicles in India, the Government is considering the installation of charging points for electric vehicles at 69,000 fuel stations across the country under the new guidelines of the oil ministry.

The government may also make it compulsory for the Company-Owned, Company-Operated (COCO) petrol pumps of state refiners to install EV charging kiosks at their fuel stations. The franchisee petrol pump operators will install at least one charging kiosk at their fuel stations.

The power ministry is planning to focus on setting up an EV charging infrastructure in the cities and on the highways around Delhi National Capital Region, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Vadodara and Bhopal. The Government is also planning fully electrification of public transport in Delhi followed by other cities.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises has declared that about 2,85,000 buyers of electric and hybrid vehicles have benefited from the subsidies provided under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME-India) program. A substantial amount of ₹3.6 billion has been spent under this program last year.

Tamil Nadu CM flagged off women powered 13 types of solar electric autos

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami flagged off 13 types of solar and electric powered autos which will be operated by women as part of the women empowerment and environmental protection.

This project is the result of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s efforts on fetching investments to Tamil Nadu and to create job opportunities for youth. CM Palaniswami signed a memorandum of understanding with M Auto at Dubai and offered his governments support by providing charging stations, manufacturing units and other things.

The project holds the investment of about ₹100 crores which creates employment opportunities to 5,000 employees. The autos are manufactured by M Auto Electric Mobility which is equipped with GPS, CCTV cameras, panic button and tabs and can be used for various purposes. Its drivers will be mostly women.

VW ID.3 700 electric cars land in Norway for deliveries

Volkswagen has announced that it’s first 700 VW ID.3 electric cars have landed in Norway as deliveries of this cars are about to start. The VW ID.3 is in production since last year and the company manufactured thousands of them while they completed the software.

The executive said that the vehicles are headed to VW’s Norwegian dealership for deliveries expected in early September. The ID.3 Pro Performance is equipped with a 58kWh battery, a 150kW (200-hp) rear-wheel-drive system, and 125kW DC charging.

Rajasthan’s first electric bus contract goes to GreenCell Mobility

The first electric bus contract from Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) has been bagged by GreenCell Mobility Private Limited. This contract comes under the Government of India’s Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME-II) scheme for the procurement of inter-city electric buses.

This is the first contract bagged by the company which aims to establish green travel tourist circuit between different cities in Rajasthan including Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur and Delhi and Agra also connects.

Ford building most advanced factory for electric truck

Ford Motor Co has unveiled the high-tech factory that will produce the electric truck which uses self-driving transport sleds and robots collaborating with human workers. The new electric vehicle manufacturing operation is 500,000-square-foot at the historic Ford Rouge Center. It will provide 300 new jobs to support battery assembly and production of hybrid and battery-electric versions of its profit-rich F-150 pick-up truck.

According to Blue Oval, the launch of the first battery-electric version of the truck will be in mid-2022. Till now its launching production of the next-generation F-150. The Ford is investing $700 million in its Rouge complex to support the production of the new F-150 lineup.

EV Motors India & Hero Electric partners to boost electric vehicles

EV Motors India an electric vehicles solutions provider and Hero Electric has announced a partnership to support the adoption of EVs for last-mile delivery operations. As per this partnership, EV Motors will offer advanced battery solutions and charging infrastructure integrated with Hero Electric vehicles the company said in a statement. 

Hero Electric e-bikes will use hi-tech batteries from EV Motors India and can be charged in just less than 30 minutes with a PlugNgo rapid charging station.

Gayam Motor Works expanded its operations in UK & EU

Hyderabad-based startup Gayam Motor Works (GMW) has expanded its operation to the UK and Europe with its electric three-wheelers.

Recently, the startup has set up its office in London. GMW has also participated in Plexal’s mobility programme. “Our SmartAutoTaskman is India’s first electric 3W to receive European certification. We have already delivered our passenger and cargo vehicles to customers from France, Portugal, Italy and London,” said GMW’s COO, Sri Harsha Bavirisetty.

In UK 1/3 of the emission is caused due to transportation. The movements of goods and services are changing. People today are shopping online and deliveries are reaching at their doorsteps. Europe last-mile delivery market accounted for $677.0 million in 2018 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16.1% over the forecast period 2019-2027, to account for US$ 2,491.8 Mn in 2027.

5,704 new electric cars were registered in July in Norway

5,704 new electric cars were registered in July in Norway. They account 52.8 per cent of new passenger car registrations with 755 units. Audi-eTron is the most popular model across the country. When compared to August 2019, there was an increase of 21 per cent with 38,615 electric cars since the starting of the year, whereas last year the electric car market was 11% down on the same period. The registrations of cars came down in April and May due to the corona pandemic.

The Audi e-tron bagged the highest number of new registrations across all drive types in August of this year similar to July. Altogether 755 new electric cars ply on roads which include the e-tron quattro and e-tron Sportback. Another electric vehicle is the Mercedes EQC which comes next to e-tron, it has lost over 100 registrations compared to the previous month and still comes in at 595 units. The VW Golf and Hyundai Kona takes the third and fourth place.

The other electric cars such as MG ZS EV with 281 vehicles, the Nissan Leaf 270 registrations, the Tesla Model 3 with 264 vehicles and the Renault Zoe 221 units.

150 Electric Buses tender issued in Pune under FAME 2

Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) has issued a tender inviting bid for 150 electric buses. The last day for the online submission of technical and price bids is September 30, 2020. The tender falls under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid) and Electric Vehicles-II (FAME-II) program.

As per the tender criteria, the buses should be 12-meter-long, air-conditioned, and compliant with Bus Rapid Transit. The prospective bidders must pay an RfP fee of ₹59,179 and an earnest money deposit (EMD) of ₹26.25 million.

Guinness World Record broke by Tesla Model 3 as the fastest charging EV

Tesla has entered the Guinness Book of Records for its popular Model 3 sedan during a sponsored run by Zero Carbon World charity, a Tesla Model 3 recorded the fastest charging time for an electric vehicle.

The Formula E racing driver from Mahindra Racing team Alexander Sims Zero Carbon World’s Dean Fielding and EV specialist David Peilow took the Model 3 on run in the UK to show the improvements in EV charging infrastructure. They targeted to improve the previous record of 3 hours 44 minutes and 33 seconds taken by the previous record-holder in 2015. Zero Carbon World has funded more than 700 EV charging points across the UK.

Exide Industries developing solutions for hybrid, electric vehicles

A Lithium-ion has been manufactured which have the capacity of 1.5 GWh is well placed with an assembly line. The company MD & CEO Gautam Chatterjee “The company is developing advanced solutions in the lead-acid space for emerging applications, including hybrid vehicles and EVs. He also spoke about ‘ultra-batteries’ and other solutions in the energy storage space and the lithium chemistry domain.

Govt working on hydrogen energy development-MNRE

The government, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is in process of setting up targets for hydrogen energy development in the country. According to Indu Shekhar Chaturvedi, secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy a committee of officials has been formed to set those specific targets to develop this source of energy.

He said that the target will be set up under a hydrogen mission and outlines the quantifiable deliverables of the relatively new source of energy in the Indian sector. At present, the hydrogen is not included in India’s plan to develop 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022.

As per TERI the use of hydrogen in India can expand between three to ten times by 2050 if the target is set towards the carbon-neutral economy. We can see hydrogen usage mainly in fuel cells for electric vehicles. In August, FTI Consulting and TERI had announced a policy and economic research partnership which focuses on hydrogen economy, carbon capture and renewable energy in India.

Bounce gets homologation certification for self-assembled 2W EV

Bike-sharing platform Bounce has received homologation certification from International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT), making it one of the few bike-sharing startups in India to get the certification for a self-assembled two-wheeler electric vehicle (EV).

Bounce’s self-assembled EV will have a swappable battery charging option which will be set up by the company within the limits of the city. For now, the entire vehicle will be assembled by the company itself but later on, they will need a manufacturing unit or a partner to help scale-up the production process.

The Bounce will provide its new self-assembled EV on a subscription pricing model, as well as on a long-term rental basis, but will not yet offer it to the public on a direct retail basis. Bounce will also work with delivery and e-commerce firms to supply scooters for last-mile commutes.

Tesla unveiled ‘tabless’ battery cells for range improvement

Tesla unveiled plans to develop a “tabless” battery that could improve an electric car’s range and power.
The company will produce its new batteries in-house which Tesla CEO Elon Musk predicts that helps to reduce costs and allows the company to sell the electric vehicles as the price of ICE vehicles.

The new Tesla tabless cells are called as 4860 cells. It will boost the company’s EV batteries to 5 times more energy capacity making it 6 times more powerful and enables a 16% range improvement in Tesla’s vehicles.

These new cells are bigger than Tesla’s current cells, measuring 46 millimetres by 80 millimetres (thus the name, 4680). It will reduce the cost per kWh to 14 per cent at the cell form factor level. Musk said Tesla’s new cell manufacturing system is “close to working” at the pilot plant level.

Pure EV enters the international market

Indian Institutes of Technology Hyderabad-incubated startup Pure EV said that it will launch its premium electric scooter model ePluto7G in Nepal by October 2020 as part of its international expansion plans. As per the company, the battery and the vehicle have been designed and developed factoring in the gradient requirements of Nepal which makes it more unique.

It partners with the White Lotus Motors (WLM) to distribute its EV two-wheelers in Nepal. WLM will build 2 outlets in Kathmandu city. The Pure EV plans to launch more models in the coming years.

PMI Electro Mobility bagged 1,000 tenders for electric buses

Delhi-based PMI Electro Mobility Solutions has received around 1,000 tenders for manufacturing and supplying electric buses to the central and state governments. The company already claims to have a market share of more than 60 per cent in the sector.

There are some other auto majors like Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, and JBM Auto Limited are already operating in this segment. The founder of the company Satish Jain says that technology progress is very important to continue to operate businesses with old technology, the business will die. He also says that electric businesses are the future of the country and it is the need of the hour with the rising levels of pollution.

Gujarat Govt announced EVs subsidy for school & college students & e-3W drivers

The State government has made an announcement about a new scheme for promotion of electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers on the occasion of completion of 11 years of the climate change department in Gujarat. There is a benefit for the school going such as class IX and above and college students who buy electric two-wheelers will get a government subsidy of Rs 12,000 whereas the rickshaw drivers and self-employed persons who purchase electric three-wheelers will get a subsidy of Rs 48,000 per vehicle.

CM Vijay Rupani told that the government has set a target of having 10,000 electric two-wheelers and 5,000 electric three-wheelers on the roads the current year. The government aims to promote e-mobility to curb the pollution levels in the country.

Uber to electrify 50% in 7 European cities by 2025

Uber indicated that it will provide at least 50% emission-free rides in 7 European capitals by 2025 and it targets to transform 100% electric. The capitals including Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Lisbon, London, Madrid, and Paris. Those cities represent more than 80% of Uber’s European business.

Uber has also made a partnership with Renault and Nissan to help with its electrification efforts in Europe. The partnership will offer Uber drivers Renault and Nissan electric vehicles which includes Renault ZOE and Nissan LEAF as well as future EVs.

It also launches joint marketing and education plans to promote the electric vehicle offers and benefits to Uber’s partner drivers,” including test drive offers. It is also planning to extend its pilot program in the United Kingdom to France by the end of 2020 and also in the Netherlands, Portugal, and other markets.

Uber has pledged to clean up its act in Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Lisbon, London, Madrid and Paris in response to the “TrueCostOfUber” campaign which urges to leave the ICE vehicles and replace them with electric cars.

Uber’s EV commitment in Europe will save approximately 500,000 tonnes of climate-wrecking carbon dioxide emissions which is equal to the removal of CO2 emissions of 275,000 privately owned cars from the roads.

Entuple E-mobility to raise 25 Cr for electric powertrain manufacturing plant

Entuple E-mobility is a Bengaluru-based electric vehicle component manufacturer startup. It is planning to raise $3-3.5 Mn (INR 22-25 Cr) of equity capital from various investors. The amount will be spent on the company’s 150,000-unit annual capacity electric powertrain manufacturing plant. The chief executive of Entuple, Rakesh Mishra said that the company is looking to make EV fast chargers by 2021.

He said that the company is already in talks with the more than 30 EV companies, which include large auto manufacturers, startups, systems integrators, and speciality vehicle makers. The EV manufacturers need reliable local suppliers but right now the demand is less and they have to take a risk as a business.

The new facility located in Bengaluru aims to manufacture five types of hub-mounted motors and controllers for electric two-wheelers. It is also planning to upgrade its existing facility that makes frame-mounted motors, taking the capacity up from about 6,000 powertrains a year to 96,000 units which would be given to electric three- and four-wheeler makers.

Chopper-style electric bike Wyld unveiled by EMoS

EMoS a Brisbane-based Electric Mobility Solutions is to unveil a new “chopper-style” electric bike Wyld on the World EV Day. It has gain approval to sell the bike in Australia. It will be added in EMoS’s personal transport lineup.

The company has the largest registerable portfolio of electric urban transport vehicles in Australia. It offers a comfortable and affordable riding experiences for the growing last mile and single-passenger electric vehicle market.

Talking about Wyld’s top speed of 50km/hr in some states there is no need for a licence to ride. It has two motor options 1.5kW or 3.0kW motor and has three battery options 60V/12Ah, 60V20Ah, and 60V/30Ah. It has a removable battery which weighs 7.8kg.

EMoS Founder and CTO Wolfgang Roffmann, said,  “We want our vehicles to give our customers more, more safety, more agility and more fun.” He says under real-life conditions, the Wyld will offer around 65km riding range.

Hyd based Greenko to invest $1 billion in new battery storage business

A Hyderabad based Greenko Energy Holdings aims to invest around $1 billion in a new battery storage business. It plans to produce lithium-ion batteries in India for power grid-scale applications and electric vehicles. The company will invest a fresh capital for renewables of 3.0 investment to develop lithium-ion battery technology.

The Sovereign funds GIC Holdings Pte. Ltd and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) backed Greenko’s pivot towards battery storage that comes in India readying its proposed ₹18,000-crore production-linked incentive package for battery storage manufacturing. India is also planning to issue tenders for setting up Tesla-style gigafactories for cell and battery manufacturing.

India plans to impose tariffs on imports of lithium-ion cells and offers incentives to manufacturers such as 100% tax deduction on Capex in the first year of operation under Section 35 AD, concessional financing options by giving companies deemed infrastructure status and waiver of minimum alternative tax.

Globally, lithium-ion cell manufacturing is dominated by China, followed by the US, Thailand, Germany, and Sweden. The Chinese state firms have procured lithium mine concessions in Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.

Delhi Govt to pay incentives to EV buyers within 2 days of purchase 

The Delhi Government has announced that it will soon introduce a subsidiary plan under its recently launched electric vehicle policy for buyers of electric vehicles. In a week it will launch a subsidy program. The government has planned to pay the incentives within two days to the eligible EV buyers in Delhi through a software developed by the ICICI Bank.

The policy is guided by ‘EV Cell’ which presented 5-year roadmap that will see 500,00 EVs on roads of the Delhi. As per the policy, the Delhi government will provide purchase incentives of Rs 30,000 to electric two-wheelers, e-rickshaws, and goods carriers. For electric cars, the purchase incentives range from Rs 10,000 to Rs 150,000. To get the benefits of this subsidy the electric vehicles must be eligible in terms of performance and efficiency criteria mentioned in the central government’s Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India Phase II (FAME India Phase II) policy.

The EVs sellers must register themselves with the transport department of the Delhi Government to process incentives on EVs. The customers’ details are added on the software by the sellers and the government will credit the incentives in the bank account of EV buyers after the authentication of the motor licensing officer.

Odysse Electric Vehicles opens new dealership in Mumbai

New Odysse Electric Vehicles has opened a new dealership in Mulund, Mumbai, giving a push to its sales and service network in India. Odysse Electric Vehicles has currently five dealerships, two in Rajkot and one each in Jamnagar, Morbi (Gujarat) and Mulund in Mumbai.

The new dealership of electric two-wheeler manufacturer will sell models like the Racer, the Racer Lite, the Hawk, the Hawk Lite, the Hawk+ and the Evoqis. It is 850 square feet spread with a dedicated area for interaction between the customers and the sales executives.

The Odysse will also sell the accessories and merchandise including helmets, scooter guards, seat covers, jackets and gloves, at the new showroom.

All Odysse electric scooters are equipped with portable batteries which can be charged in a scooter with the help of a home socket. There is no requirement of any charging stations to charge them. These batteries take about 3.5 hours to charge fully, he said.

 

 

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