Mention
GST rate slashed to 12% on EV chargers; industry sees it as sentiment boosteredit
Union Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman led goods and service tax (GST) council on Friday approved reduction GST on electric vehicle chargers to 12 percent from 18 percent earlier. However, no relief was given to the electric vehicle manufacturers as the proposal to reduce tax on EV still remains under consideration with GST committee.
Delhi Government and Rocky Mountain Institute working on urban mobility solutions for Capital cityedit
Delhi Government has partnered with Rocky Mountain Institute to organise Urban Mobility Lab where forty mobility solutions provider from across the country will participate to develop innovative passenger and freight mobility solutions for the capital city.
Industry
Niti asks two and three wheeler makers to present EV conversion plan in 2 weeksedit
Government think-tank Niti Aayog has directed the two-wheeler and three-wheeler manufacturers to submit a concrete proposal to move towards e-mobility in the next two weeks. According to source in the know, Niti Aayog told automakers in a meeting Friday that if the industry fails to undertake measures to curb vehicular pollution, courts would step in.
Considering low-cost EV for India in collaboration with Hyundai: Kia Motorsedit
South Korean auto major Kia Motors Corporation is considering a low-cost electric vehicle (EV) for India in collaboration with group firm Hyundai Motors and wants personal usage for EVs to be included for government support under the FAME II scheme in India, according to a top company official.
Expecting a boom in e-vehicles industry, ITIs move to skill youth in the segmentedit
The Directorate-General of Training (DGT) under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) is planning to launch a course on e-vehicles in its Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). “As of now, we can foresee an increase in the number of e-vehicles in the next few years. The aim is to train youth to repair, install and assemble them,” an official told BusinessLine
India becomes investment darling for renewable energy to airportsedit
Sovereign wealth funds are piling into India, buying stakes in everything from airports to renewable energy, attracted by political stability, a growing middle class and reforms making it more enticing for foreigners to invest.
Indians shifting to hybrids on green policies, carmakers’ pushedit
Indian consumers are increasingly looking to buy a hybrid or an electric vehicle over conventional powertrain-driven ones on the back of supportive environmental policies, big-brand bets and shift in buyers’ mindset, shows a report by global consultancy firm Deloitte.
INTERVIEW| EV transition will speed up only from 2025: Continental Powertrain India head Anurag Gargedit
With the government having given a clear signal to speed up e-mobility adoption, German auto component giant Continental believes the transition from combustion engines to e-mobility will pick up speed only between 2025 and 2030. In an interview, the company’s head of the powertrain business in India Anurag Garg tells this paper that the industry needs a clear roadmap as technologies continually need to be upgraded and more investment is required for the same.
First step should be to shift buses, taxis and 2-wheelers: TERIedit
The shift towards electric vehicles should be channelled through introduction of electric buses, taxis and two-wheelers, according to The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). “TERI’s analysis suggests that the first step should be to shift buses, taxis, and two-wheelers to EVs, as well as short motorised trips to non-motorised transport.
Auto industry united in seeking GST rate cut on vehicles, says SIAMedit
Automobile industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) said Friday all its members are totally united in seeking a reduction in the GST rate from 28 per cent to 18 per cent on vehicles. Reacting to media reports that some leaders of the auto industry do not agree to the proposal for GST reduction on vehicles, SIAM President Rajan Wadhera said all the players in the passenger car, commercial vehicle as well as two and three-wheeler manufacturers are united in seeking lower GST on vehicles.
President Ram Nath Kovind Reaffirms Indian Government’s Electric Vehicle Push, Highway Developmentedit
Terming infrastructure as pivotal in propelling prosperity and growth, President Ramnath Kovind Thursday said the government’s endeavour is to build 35,000 km of highways, besides expressways, by 2022 and to lay a strong foundation for urban infrastructure that will encourage employment generation. Addressing the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament, the President said massive work to create infrastructure is underway, and electric vehicles (EVs) are being promoted to reduce pollution.
GST Council extends return filing dates, refers rate cut for EVs to a paneledit
In a major relief to trade and businesses, the all-powerful GST Council in its first meeting after the Modi government came back to power extended the cut-off date for filing annual returns for FY18 by two months to August, 2019. Easing the enrollment process for new firms, the Council decided to allow the use of 12-digit Aadhaar number for getting GST registration.A In order to check tax evasion, the Council made it now mandatory for registered multiplexes to issue e-tickets.
EV conversion plan: NITI seeks plan from 2 and 3 wheeler makersedit
Government think-tank Niti Aayog has asked conventional two- and three-wheeler makers to suggest within two weeks concrete steps towards transition to electric mobility keeping in mind 2025 deadline, according to sources. At a meeting of the manufacturers and start-up electric vehicle (EV) makers called by Niti Aayog on Friday, the industry was cautioned that if they do not take steps to address pollution issues, courts will step in.
Andhra Pradesh to Procure 350 Electric Buses For Rs 764 Credit
In a major push to eco-friendly public transport in Andhra Pradesh, public carrier APSRTC will shortly procure 350 electric buses. The electric buses will ply in Vijayawada, Amaravati, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Kakinada on a pilot basis. Transport minister Perni Venkatramaiah (Nani) assumed charge in the secretariat on June 21, 2019.
20 Electric-buses await charging points to ply in Srinagaredit
Twenty electric buses are waiting for charging points to start plying in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar city. Sources in the state-owned Road Transport Corporation said these electric buses were received from Tata Motors two months back, but are yet to start operation for want of charging points. “The charging points too have been received from the manufacturer, but for their installation we need electric transformers, for which we have approached the Electricity Department,” sources said.
E-bus bay work will only go ahead after govt nod: GMCedit
Guntur municipal corporation (GMC) has stated that work on e-bus bay project will only go ahead once the state government clears it though the civic body has already approved the tender from a contractor. GMC commissioner Shrikesh B Lathkar also added that the project will bring good revenue to the civic body. For now, the proposal for the project has been forwarded to the municipal administration secretary
Competition
Interview | Hybrid is the right technology for sustainable transition to EVs: Rajesh Goeledit
The Indian passenger vehicle (PV) market is going through its worst phase in almost a decade, but Rajesh Goel, senior vice-president & director, Sales & Marketing, Honda Cars India, believes that as the festive season approaches, the market should revive. “There is a lot of potential and a lot of pent-up demand,” he says. In an interview with FE’s Vikram Chaudhary, he adds that while electric vehicles (EVs) are an excellent choice for a country such as India, for making a sustainable transition to EVs, one has to go via the hybrid technology
International
Ireland Government to Ban Sale of New Petrol and Diesel Cars by 2030edit
Ireland has announced it will ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 as part of its new climate change plan. The government hopes to have 950,000 electric vehicles on Irish roads by then, supported by a network of charging stations. The measure is one of 180 proposals covering business, construction, transport, agriculture and waste management intended to put Ireland on a path to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Electric dream in danger as funding dwindlesedit
Last year, Wei Qing and his private equity investment team visited over 20 Chinese electric vehicle manufacturing startups. The end result? They decided not to invest in any. “There are too many uncertainties from when a company tells a story in the early stage, to when it produces a sample car and raises funds, to the eventual mass production,” said Wei, MD at Sailing Capital.