Electric vehicles news this month

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

Electric vehicles news this month

BEST gets 26 new electric buses under FAME India scheme

The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has received 26 new electric buses under the central government-sponsored FAME India scheme. 

It has received the first batch of 26 electric buses out of 300 under the centre-sponsored phase II of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) scheme. The BEST had a fleet of 3,875 buses, of which 38 were electric buses.

Okaya Power bags World Bank fund contract from EESL for charging stations

Okaya Power Group has bagged a World Bank-funded contract from state-run Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) for the deployment of 1,020 electric vehicles charging stations across India. The company said in a statement that “OKAYA, a flagship company of Okaya Power Group, has bagged a major World Bank-funded contract from EESL.”

Okaya has grabbed the contract from the EESL to supply installation and commissioning of 1,020 multi-standard EV charging stations with CCS, CHAdeMO & Bharat specification protocol across India.

BattRE launched low cost RE:charge stations

A Mumbai based electric vehicles startup BattRE has launched an innovative low cost RE: charge stations powered by RevOS which will boost up the EV charging ecosystem.

The company’s charging stations are providing an opportunity for the people who are looking forward to earning additional income. Setting up a charging station is a new income source that can be installed anywhere such as home, office, Kirana shop etc.

Omega Seiki Mobility unveiled EVs for commercial & passenger vehicles

Omega Seiki Mobility unveiled three electric vehicles for commercial and passenger segments. The company plans to start delivery of the models from March next year. The new electric vehicles include Sun Ri (three-wheeler for cargo segment), Ride (e-rickshaw), and Stream (passenger auto-rickshaw).

Anglian Omega Group Chairman Uday Narang said in a statement that “The Indian market has great potential to capture electric vehicle technology on a larger scale. Replacing conventional internal combustion engines with electric vehicles will benefit the nation in multiple ways by generating new employment possibilities, contributing to the economy, and sustaining the environment.”

Ola to introduce electric scooter in India by January

Ride-hailing major Ola is foraying into electric scooter manufacturing and plans to hit the market with its first vehicle in January next year. It will be manufactured at a facility in the Netherlands and will go on sale in India as well as Europe.

Ola Electric is looking at setting up a facility in India to meet the local demand more efficiently and participate in the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.

Zenobe Energy raised £150 million funding for grid-scale battery, EVs & charging infrastructure

Zenobe Energy, a leading UK company which provides battery storage solutions and EVs infrastructure has announced that it has secured an investment of £150 million from Infracapital an infrastructure equity investment arm of M&G Plc. The funding will be used for the expansion of its grid-scale battery, electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.

India’s first dual suspension e-cycle launched

Electro Motorad a Pune based EV startup has launched an electric cycle which claims to be India’s first electric cycle with a dual-suspension setup. Its products line up included EMX and Doodle which claims to provide a comfortable riding experience to the riders. They are priced upwards of ₹50,000.

EMotorad plans to launch three more products by December and February are known as EM-Cosmos, T-Rex, and T-rex Pro. The company also plans to sell accessories for the e-cycle apart from the sales of the cycles.

EV charging network ChargePoint partnered with Apple Inc

Electric vehicle charging network ChargePoint has partnered with Apple Inc to integrate a wide range of EV charging information in Apple’s CarPlay infotainment system.

The app helps the drivers to navigate to the nearest charging station and start a session. It also helps to check the speed of the charger, availability and plug type.

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.

Okinawa launched exchange offer for petrol two-wheelers 

Electric two-wheeler manufacturer Okinawa Scooter partnered with an online platform for used bikes CredR to launch the exchange offer on any petrol-based two-wheeler for an electric scooter.

This scheme will be initially launched in Ahmedabad, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Bangalore and Pune and later on it will expand to other cities across the country. The CredR will offer instant quotes for old petrol scooters so that the cost of the Okinawa scooters get reduces.

Etrance Neo high-speed electric scooter launched by PURE EV 

IIT Hyderabad-incubated Startup PURE EV is going to launch ‘Etrance Neo,’ its new high-speed long-range model, on December 1, 2020. It is the second high-speed electric scooter eTrance Neo from the company. The etrance Neo is an upgraded version of Etrance plus. The design is the same as etrance plus, but the performance is equal to epluto 7G.

The etrance Neo works with a 1.5kw BLDC hub motor which provides a top speed of 60 km/h. Whereas the battery back is 2.5 kWh lithium-ion which is detachable. On a full charge, you can travel up to 120 km in the eco mode.

The ex-showroom price of Etrance neo is 75,999 rupees and it is coming with 3 years of warranty on battery and motor.

Tesla installs 20,000 charging stations worldwide 

Tesla has made an announcement that its Supercharger network of charging stations for electric vehicles has installed 20,000 units worldwide. It plans to expand its network of charging stations it has announced many times but has failed to implement in specified time due to the launch of the new generation Supercharger technology-Supercharger V3 expert says.

Last year the company had announced the V3 Supercharger charging station since then it has increased its deployment of the Tesla Supercharger network. By end of the last year, Tesla had over 15,000 charging stations in 1,716 locations worldwide. About 2,500 charging stations have been installed in a little time.

Electric vehicles to get star ratings for efficiency under S&L

Electric vehicles batteries and charging equipment can now be rated by a star-rating method under the standardisation and labelling (S&L) programme of the government. This star-rating method will be helpful for the consumers to choose the most energy-efficient electric vehicles like we choose every other product on e-commerce websites.

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), a government agency under the Ministry of Power, has been tasked to form the S&L programme for the EV industry. The star-ratings to EVs include batteries and supply equipment (EVSE) that will look the same as the energy ratings given to 26 appliances and equipment under the S&L programme by BEE.

400 EV charging stations in AP & Okaya install 500 charging stations 

To promote electric vehicles in the State the government decided to set up 400 charging stations in Andhra Pradesh. The government also wants to consider a proposal to study the real-time performance impact of electric two-wheelers to ward and village secretariat staff.

It also aims to set up testing facilities for vehicles and components and intelligence testing tracks for electric vehicles with an investment of Rs 250 crore.

Energy storage solution provider Okaya installs more than 500 electric vehicles charging stations across India. The company has over 10,000 chargers installation orders with it as well, Okaya said in a release. The company’s e-mobility ecosystem portfolio includes AC and DC fast chargers for passenger cars and commercial vehicles, besides high voltage EV chargers, cloud-based central management systems, onboard chargers, among others.

Inverted Energy opens lithium battery manufacturing facility in Delhi 

A Delhi-based battery maker Inverted Energy has made an announcement the opening of its lithium battery manufacturing facility in Delhi. Inverted Energy on a release said that the commencement of the plant is aimed to reduce the dependence on China, its current production capacity is 100 MWh (megawatt hour) annually.

Inverted Energy launched a new range of Li-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and home energy storages, among others. “With this capacity addition, the company has extended its journey towards Atmanirbhar Bharat and to create a flexible, cost-effective and optimised market space aiming to reduce dependency (for batteries) on China,” he said.

Jaguar opens booking for I-PACE electric SUV in India

Jaguar Land Rover India has opened bookings of its all-electric SUV I-PACE today. The I-Pace will launch early next year and the deliveries will commence from March 2021.

Recently, the Jaguar Land Rover’s country head said that the company is planning to launch its battery-powered SUV in India in early 2021. It has also revealed the updated version of the electric SUV which includes a new fast, intuitive infotainment system and quick-charging capability.

It now features a 3 phase AC home charging and even more driver-focused technology. The I-PACE will be offered in three variants that include S, SE, and HSE.

It is equipped with a 90 kWh lithium-ion battery that can be charged using a 7.4 kW Ac wall charger and the company is offering a 5-year service package with 5-year roadside assistance with standard 8 years or 1,60,000 km battery warranty. The I-Pace can accelerate from 0-100 kmph in just 4.8 seconds.

Europe records high in sales of Plug-In electric cars-Norway & UK sales 

The global pandemic has affected the economy badly, despite it the electric vehicles market in Europe is breaking records. Especially the plug-in electric vehicles had their best month of the year in September. The plug-in vehicles witnessed record registration of 160,059 that is 166% more when compared it with the numbers in September 2019. The market share hit an outstanding 12%.

Most of the sales were BEVS but PHEVs are growing faster. BEVs counted 91,615 up 120% year-over-year and 7.1% of the market. The PHEVs recorded 68,444 up 268% year-over-year and 4.9% of the market.

According to a new analysis by clean transport lobby group Transport & Environment (T&E), electric vehicles are tipped to account for 10% of all auto sales in Europe by the end of 2020 and reach 15% in 2021. More than 772,000 new plug-in passenger cars were registered in Europe, which is 9% of the total volume (4.9% falls on BEVs) after 9 months.

No tax for electric vehicles for 2 years in Tamil Nadu

The government of Tamil Nadu has passed an order for 100% exemption of motor vehicle tax for battery-operated vehicles. This will be for a period of two years commencing from November 1, 2020, until December 31, 2022.

This initiative from the State government is taken to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles. This step is towards making the State an automotive manufacturing hub. Tamil Nadu was the first state to announce its EV policy on September 16.

It aims to build a comprehensive EV ecosystem for which it hopes to attract a cumulative investment of Rs 50,000 crore. Around 150,000 new jobs are expected to be created in the new ecosystem.

UT Administration to add 80 electric buses in its fleet-Chandigarh

The Central government to provide a subsidy of Rs 50 lakh for each electric bus of the 80 sanctioned in the city, Chandigarh. Under the ministry of heavy industries and public enterprises, the department of heavy industries is administering the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in India Scheme since April 2015 to promote the adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles.

This initiative comes under the part of the 100 electric buses that the union government has sanctioned under FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India ) India scheme.

Tollywood actor Vijay Deverakonda to invest in EV startup Watts & Volts

Hyderabad-based electric vehicle startup Watts and Volts to receive an investment from Actor-cum-entrepreneur Vijay Deverakonda. The Tollywood actor has announced its investments at the launch of the Telangana’s new electric vehicle policy. The startup is preparing its operations from next year.

The investment amount is disclosed. The actor has successfully managed his clothing line Rowdy and now taking steps towards eco commutes and shared mobility by partnering with Watts and Volts.

Telangana signed MoU with EV manufacturers ETO Motors, Olectra, Mytrah Energy to set up EV manufacturing units in State

ETO Motors announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Telangana to set up a greenfield manufacturing facility in the state for its range of electric three-wheelers. The facility will be set up under its subsidiary Keto Motors with an investment of INR 150 Crores over the next 5 years. This initiative will create 1,500 people employment opportunity.

This project’s products include electric three-wheelers passengers and cargo segment. Its vehicles are equipped with high-quality suspension and the largest tyres in the three-wheeler segment that provides a smooth riding experience. It will have greater stability and legroom. The vehicles are powered by AC-induction motor and come with lithium-ion batteries.

It provides a range of up to 120 KM in a single charge. The vehicles are highly robust as it comes with ABS panels and aluminium chassis.

Gujarat is looking manufacturers for 5,000 E-Rickshaws & 10,000 Electric 2W

The Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) has invited bids for manufacturers to market and distribute 5,000 battery-operated three-wheelers with lithium-ion batteries in the state. This tender has been passed under the GEDA’s battery operated vehicles subsidy program 2020-21.

The last date to submit and the opening of bids is November 12, 2020. Interested bidders will have to submit an amount of ₹1.5 million as the earnest money deposit (EMD). The work should be completed by March 31, 2021, and should not exceed to the next financial year.

Interested bidders will have to submit an amount of ₹750,000 as of the earnest money deposit (EMD). The last date to submit the bids is November 12, 2020, and the opening of bids will also take place on the same date.

IISC & IOC R&D signed MoU to develop affordable hydrogen fuel 

India’s leading research institute, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and the Research and Development Centre of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOC) have announced their partnership to develop biomass gasification-based hydrogen generation technology to produce affordably priced fuel cell-grade hydrogen.IISC & IOC R&D have signed an MoU to work together. 

As per the agreement, both IISC and Indian Oil will work together on and make use of both biomass gasification and hydrogen purification processes. The developed technology will be demonstrated at Indian Oil’s R&D Centre at Faridabad. The hydrogen generated from this process will be used to power the fuel cell buses as part of the bigger projects by Indian Oil.

Japanese firm to invest $1.9 billion to build motors for EVs

Nidec Corp will make an investment of 200 billion yen on a new plant in Serbia to build motors for electric vehicles. Japanese firm to invest $1.9 billion to manufacture energy-saving electric motor technology knows as e-axle or e-drive by 2030. 

As the company is looking forward to receiving more business from automakers of electric vehicles. The Japanese manufacturer of electric motors founder Shigenobu Nagamori said that he wants a 35% market share for energy-saving electric motor technology knows as e-axle or e-drive by 2030 which is said to be expected as ten times by then too as much as $30 billion a year.

The technology aims to make electric vehicles more affordable and manufacture zero-emission vehicles which account for 17% of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to the International Council on Clean Transportation in Washington.

Mahindra Treo Zor Electric Cargo 3W priced at Rs 2.73 Lakh

Mahindra Electric has launched an electric 3-wheeler cargo model Treo Zor under its existing line of three-wheeler EVs. The price of the new vehicles starts at ₹2.73 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

It is based on the Treo platform and is available in 3 variants such as Pickup, Delivery, and Flat Bed. The Mahindra Treo Zor aims to strengthen last mile connectivity and will be available at Mahindra small commercial vehicle dealerships in selected cities across India.

It offers higher savings of more than ₹60,000 every year compared to diesel cargo three-wheelers due to its low maintenance cost. Its running cost is just 40 paise for each km. Treo Zor comes with a standard warranty of 3 years/80,000 km.

It is equipped with 8kW battery and can produce a torque of 42 Nm. It can carry a maximum payload of 550 kg. The Treo Zor comes with an advanced IP67-rated motor that offers protection from dust and water. It can be charged with a 15AMP socket.

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