Industry
Festive sales failed to live up to expectation: SIAM Presidentedit
Non-availability of credit and anxiety over elections resulted in weak festive sales of domestic vehicles in December 2018, data showed on Monday. After furnishing the figures Rajan Wadhera, President, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said: “… as you would have noticed, third quarter results have not been good for the industry at all. Various parameters have suggested a slowdown.”
Delhi-NCR Gets Its First Electric Vehicle Taxi Service That Kicks Off With A 70 Car Fleetedit
Delhi-NCR’s very first electric vehicle (EV) taxi service has kicked off, with Gensol Mobility launching its Blu-Smart initiative in the Delhi-NCR region. A new frontier in the EV adoption, Blu-Smart has appointed around 70 cars for kick-starting the service, with an aim to increase the fleet to 400 by the end of March this year.
EV policy: Soon pay more for cab rides, fuel and parkingedit
Owning a petrol or diesel vehicle may soon blow a hole in your pocket, thanks to the Delhi’s government’s proposed electric vehicles policy. Be prepared to get taxed when you refuel a petrol or diesel-guzzling vehicle at the gas station or even when you hail an Uber or Ola that uses diesel or petrol (a possible 2.5% ‘congestion fee’ on cab aggregators will inevitably be transferred to the user).
Govt to extend key manufacturing plan to promote battery industryedit
The Centre is looking to extend its phased manufacturing plan (PMP) for promoting indigenous battery manufacturing in the country for supporting electric mobility. PMP was initiated by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology for electronics and provided financial incentives, several duty exemptions, and countervailing duty on imports to boost domestic production.
Millennial Lithium boosted as tests show battery-grade lithium carbonate can be made from Pastos Grandes brineedit
Millennial Lithium Corp has put out positive news from its Pastos Grandes project in Salta, Argentina, sending shares buzzing. Bench scale tests on the brine from the project have yielded battery-grade (namely over 99.5%) lithium carbonate (Li2CO3).
Tiny silicon particles could power lithium ion batteries with 10 times more capacityedit
University of Alberta chemists have taken a critical step toward creating a new generation of silicon-based lithium ion batteries with 10 times the charge capacity of current cells. “We wanted to test how different sizes of silicon nanoparticles could affect fracturing inside these batteries,” said Jillian Buriak, a U of A chemist and Canada Research Chair in Nanomaterials for Energy.
Focus: India’s electric vehicle goals being realised on two wheels, not fouredit
Hurt by high fuel prices, Vinod Gore, a farmer in Gove village in Maharashtra, ditched his petrol scooter for an electric model, underlining how two-wheelers are driving the country’s goal of electrification of its vehicles.
Electric Cars Are Cleaner Even When Powered by Coaledit
Electric cars are better for the environment than traditional gasoline models, and that benefit will grow as power generators shift away from coal. That’s the conclusion of research by BloombergNEF, which found carbon dioxide emissions from battery-powered vehicles were about 40 percent lower than for internal combustion engines last year.
India’s plan to breathe easy is out, but targets are not legally bindingedit
The Indian government has unveiled its long-awaited National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) that aims at a 20-30 percent reduction of particulate matter (PM) concentration over the next five years, with an overall goal of mitigating air pollution and improving air quality in the country, which has some of the world’s most polluted cities.
2019: A crucial year for India’s green power targetsedit
A decade ago, some of the developed and wealthiest countries in the world were driving renewable energy investment and deployment activity. Now, with rising electricity demand and falling renewable technology costs, developing nations are leading the global transition to cleaner energy sources. Globally, India stands at No. 5 in terms of total renewable energy installed capacity, behind only China, the U.K., Germany and the U.S.
How Should EV Owners Pay for Use of the Roads?edit
Drivers who make the switch to an electric vehicle from a gasoline-powered car stand to save big on fuel spending. Roads, meanwhile, lose out on a revenue-generating opportunity. The rise of EVs has prompted an important question for U.S. policymakers: How should EV owners pay for use of the roads if they aren’t contributing via the gas tax?
Competition
Honda Jazz electric vehicle spotted testing on Indian roadsedit
Various mass-market carmakers are looking to introduce electric vehicles in India by way of all-electric variants instead of all-new models. So far we have Maruti Suzuki testing electric WagonR’s in India and Tata preparing to launch the Tiago/Tigor EV. And now an all-electric Honda Jazz has been spotted testing undisguised on Indian roads.
International
Startup GBatteries claims it can charge an EV as fast as it takes to pump gasedit
A Y Combinator startup called GBatteries has come out of stealth with a bold claim: They can recharge an electric car as quickly as it takes to full up a tank of gas. Created by aerospace engineer Kostya Khomutov, electrical engineers Alex Tkachenko and Nick Sherstyuk, and CCO Tim Sherstyuk, the company is funded by the likes of Airbus Ventures, Initialized Capital, Plug and Play, and SV Angel.
Electric Vehicle Masterclass to look at fleet pros and cons of going greenedit
Hammersmith on Thursday 24 January 2019 – will feature an Electric Vehicle Masterclass as part of an information-packed conference line-up designed to help with the latest and greatest issues for fleets. Chaired by the BVRLA, the Masterclass will help deal with all fleet queries on deploying EVs, from deployment to charging and everyday operation, and includes talks from EV industry suppliers and advisors as well as those operators at the coalface of running electric vehicles.
Beijing, pushing its electric vehicle market, is making it harder for start-ups to enter as it fights overcapacityedit
The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the nation’s top economic planning agency, has promulgated new rules governing the production of electric vehicles, which are likely to cull a majority of small players to keep severe overcapacity in check.
Clean air zones open up the electric car marketedit
The introduction of Clean Air Zones in London in 2019, and in cities across the UK from 2020 onwards presents a powerful motivation to invest in an electric or hybrid vehicle. Energy Saving Trust’s, Regional Account Manager, Luke Redfern told us that vehicle manufacturers are releasing a growing number of different makes and models of electric vehicles on to the UK market to take advantage of the opportunity.
Industry must rein in spend on electric, self-driving cars: Magna CEOedit
Global automobile and auto parts makers which want to capitalize on electric and autonomous vehicles need to cut back investments and forge more partnerships instead, the chief executive of global parts supplier Magna International said Tuesday.
Volvo Group Invests in Wireless Electric Vehicle Chargingedit
Volvo Group Venture Capital, a subsidiary of Volvo Group, has announced an investment in Momentum Dynamics, a company that is developing high power wireless charging technology for electric vehicles. Philadelphia-based Momentum is developing and commercializing high power inductive charging for the automotive and transportation industries.
Auto industry faces ‘profound transformation’edit
In case you hadn’t noticed, what with the steady background thrum of the U.S. auto industry having just wrapped up its fourth-strongest sales year on record — while at the same time stressing over whether sales are facing a pending drop — the global auto industry has taken a big shine to electric vehicles. And the shockwave is hitting automakers, parts suppliers at nearly every tier level and materials companies.
Car2Go launches 400 strong electric car fleet in Parisedit
The car sharing market in Paris has seen a turbulent last year. Since Bolloré’s pioneering Autolib had to declare bankruptcy, other carmakers rushed to replace the service. Daimler’s Car2Go now delivered well on schedule and launched 400 electric Smart ED to free-float across the French capital.
New Zealand, say goodbye to petrol stations and hello to EVsedit
In the early 2000s, I visited my local one-hour photo shop. I paid $30 for 24 photos and a new Kodak film, the owner then told me the new digital cameras would never replace film, as the quality could never compete. Two years later, both he and the shop were gone because neither could adapt to the disruptive technology.
FCA reviewing Italy plan after new taxes for polluting carsedit
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV is reviewing its investment plan for Italy after the country approved taxes on the purchase of larger gasoline and diesel cars, Chief Executive Officer Mike Manley said on Monday. The carmaker said in late November it would spend more than 5 billion euros ($5.7 billion) on new models and engines in Italy over the next three years to try to make better use of factories and boost jobs and margins.
Volkswagen to build electric vehicles at Tennessee plantedit
German automaker Volkswagen said Monday its factory in Tennessee will be the focus of an $800 million investment in the company’s manufacturing of electric vehicles in North America, a sign of a growing push into the electric car market by European companies.
Infiniti QX Inspiration Concept EV makes a delayed Auto Show debutedit
Like every good luxury car brand, Infiniti has plans to make its first EV a crossover-ish attempt full of its special touches and design language. The latest step in that direction is the QX Inspiration Concept that takes advantage of the design opportunities of electric vehicles to meld high-tech up front with physical no-tech touches in the rear like real, natural wood inlays and even a marble center console extending toward the rear seats.
GM electric vehicle strategy last chance for Cadillac’s success – executiveedit
General Motors Co’s strategy to make its luxury Cadillac marque its lead electric vehicle brand is the automaker’s final opportunity to turn the unit around and make it a success, a top executive said on Monday. “We don’t have any chances left with taking Cadillac to a really new place,” newly appointed GM President Mark Reuss told Reuters on the sidelines of the Detroit auto show. “This is pretty much it.”