Solar power developer ACME Group today said the company has launched India’s first battery swapping and charging station for electric vehicles. The company said it has provided battery swapping and charging stations ‘EcoCharge’ to taxi aggregator Ola for their pilot project at Nagpur in which 200 vehicles including bus, auto and car— all running on electricity was launched in the first stage on May 26, 2017.

Publication: ET Energyworld

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched Limitless Electric Bikes for the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) on his third leg of visit to the city as a part of Mahanadu event here on Monday.Thus, the GVMC has earned a distinction of becoming India’s first Municipal Corporation to deploy mass electric two-wheeler mobility system which is more economical and emission-free and as the first of its kind initiative.

Publication: The Hans India

The goods and services tax (GST) is being introduced to simplify the current taxation system. However, with the GST council declaring its plans for the automotive industry, things have certainly become more complicated for hybrid cars. The council’s recommendations have left many dumbfounded, considering the administration’s otherwise supportive stand on eco-friendly cars.

Pubication: The Hans India

Imagine a scene in a high-tech action movie, where four friends are travelling in an ultra-modern glitzy car and, unexpectedly, a speeding truck approaches from the other side and collides with the car. The sensors fitted in this car instantly alert the nearest emergency services of the mishap and help approaches in the “nick of time”, saving everyone. Well, this is just a movie scene and there is always scope of alteration. In real life, there is no second chance and if we don’t take necessary precaution, accidents can be fatal and end up in loss of human life.

Publication: Live Mint

With its recent slew of Vision Next 100 concepts, the Concept Ninety and the R5 Homage, BMW has become something of a king of concepts. At the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, it added one more to the list: the Concept Link electric scooter.

Publication: Autocar India

Cab-hailing app Ola is expanding Ola Play, a content platform, as well as its nascent electric vehicle business to differentiate its services from Uber, three people familiar with the matter said.

Publication: Live Mint

Should your next car be an electric one? Perhaps, if the government has its way in trying to get India to go all electric by the year 2030. At present, there are only two electric cars available in the Indian market – both made by Mahindra – the E20 Plus and E-Verito.

Publication: The Quint

Interview: Recently SIAM had announced that the automotive industry would invest Rs 1 lakh crore in new technologies for meeting BS-VI, fuel efficiency and safety regulations. How much of that amount will come from the auto component sector?

Publication: The Economic Times 

Betting big on the Government of India’s focus on promoting the electric vehicle industry, shared mobility service provider Ola has partnered with OEMs to introduce electric vehicles – e-buses, e-cabs, e-rickshaws and e-autos together on its platform. The programme will see electric automobile manufacturers provide 200 vehicles – 100 Mahindra’s new e2o Plus, and the remaining from Tata Motors, Kinetic, BYD, TVS among others. The pilot project in Nagpur also includes 4 electric charging stations spread across the city.

Publication: Autocar Professional 

India will levy a 5 percent tax on all equipment required for generating solar power compared with nil duty now, a government official clarified, putting an end to confusion about the new taxation policy for the industry after its landmark tax reform.

Publication: Money Control

This Friday, Ola—in partnership with Mahindra—announced having launched a programme to build an electric mass mobility ecosystem in Nagpur. However, media reports now suggest that Ola is headed the electric car way, or at least that its lead investor—SoftBank—is bullish about the electric car market in India.

Publication: Yourstory 

The biodiesel industry feels the recently announced goods and services tax will make it costlier than diesel and uncompetitive as a clean energy fuel. In the GST rates announced recently, biodiesel, ethanol and other mixing products will be taxed at 18 per cent. Biodiesel has attracted zero excise duty for the past 10 years and producing states like West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan charge zero value-added tax (VAT) on it.

Publication: Business Standard