Specific
Once consumers have driven electric, they’ll never go back: Chetan Mainiedit
Chetan Maini, co-founder and vice-chairman of SUN Mobility, an electric mobility solutions firm, is a pioneer of the electric vehicle (EV) industry in India. Maini’s Reva was the country’s first electric car and, experts say, it was far ahead of its time. Despite its modest success—it was later bought by Mahindra and Mahindra, and rebranded as Mahindra Electric—the Reva provided a feasible and workable EV solution at a time when there was practically no ecosystem or robust conversation around EVs (and certainly no Tesla)—not just in India, but globally.
Mention
Are you ready to plug in your Tesla?edit
First, the bad news—Tesla is not about to launch its cars in India anytime soon, visits to its plant, friendly hugs and Elon Musk’s tweets notwithstanding. Yes, Tesla’s arrival is a matter of time; when, and not if. But is that the only portent that will mark the arrival of electric cars in India?
Industry
Nitin Gadkari Backs Biofuel To Complement Electric Vehicles In Combating Air Pollutionedit
The minister for road transport and highways of india and shipping ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises, Nitin Gadkari, has now advocated use of eco-friendly alternative fuels to tackle air pollution. At the launch of TVS’ ethanol-based bike, Gadkari reportedly said that the government is focussing on various kinds of eco-friendly alternative fuels or biofuel, including ethanol and biodiesel.
Subsidies to regulations: Lessons India’s EV market can learn from Chinaedit
Since the announcement of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 by the government, the one country that is alluded to with unfailing regularity in policy corridors, company’ boardrooms and various other forums and deliberations is China and for obvious reasons. The country is the world’s second largest manufacturer of electric vehicles (EVs) after Norway.
Nearly 4 lakh e-vehicles in India, half of them in UP and Delhiedit
Currently there are nearly four lakh registered electric or battery operated vehicles in India and half of them are in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, according to road transport ministry’s data. Sources said most of these vehicles are e-rickshaws and e-carts, which got legal status after Parliament passed a law in March 2015 to recognise these as motor vehicles.
Likely spike in ethanol blending to counter disruption by e-vehiclesedit
The emphasis of the Centre and policy think tank NITI Aayog on the adoption of electric vehicles to cut emissions and slash oil import bill is likely to stoke ethanol doping in fuel as well. The NITI Aayog has proposed that only e-vehicles should be sold in India post 2025. Domestic manufacturers of vehicles, which predominantly run on petrol mixed with ethanol, are now looking at ways to concur with the central government’s environmental agenda without majorly disrupting existing capacities and product mix.
E-drive: High voltage, low chargeedit
On a muggy Tuesday morning last week, half-a-dozen Hyundai SUVs tailed a black pilot car zipping around the 5.14-km grid at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida. In contrast to the last major international event here six years ago, when open-cockpit, single-seater Formula One cars had spun around the track with ear-splitting wails, the all-electric posse barely emitted a sound.
Give more time for switch to electric vehiclesedit
India’s first ethanol-powered motorcycle was unveiled last week, so too an electric car by an international manufacturer based in India while a new electric scooter also hit the market. Electric vehicles (EVs) are clearly gaining traction, but not at a rate that could possibly meet the overambitious conversion target set by Niti Aayog, which said most recently that 2023 and 2025 should be the cut-off dates for three-wheelers and two-wheelers under 150 cc to go electric.
Competition
KSL Cleantech plans Rs 200 crore investment on electric vehicles ventureedit
The company, which has been primarily into the solar power space for the last 10 years, is also in talks with global firms for partnering in its electric mobility venture in areas including product development and supply of components such as lithium ion batteries.
International
Is an electric car viable for long journeys? A newcomer to battery-powered driving finds outedit
I felt a distinct sense of dread upon disembarking the plane at Stornoway airport. I’d arrived on the isles of Lewis and Harris (actually all one island, but with two names) 50 miles off the coast of Scotland to put the Nissan Leaf through its paces and had prepared for the worst on the 270-mile road trip from Stornoway, across the sea to Ullapool then on to Glasgow.
In Paris, cars forced to make way for the two-wheel revolutionedit
With the wind rushing through their hair, they zip past on bikes, electric scooters and mono-wheels, effortlessly passing lines of hot-and-bothered drivers stuck in the endless Paris traffic. In the French capital, the new mobility revolution has caught on fast, with locals and tourists embracing the growing array of app-based ways to get around.
Electric vehicle company puts Indiana factory plans on holdedit
An electric vehicle startup has halted plans to start production at a northern Indiana factory where it aimed to employ more than 450 workers. The subsidiary of Chinese automaker Sokon had announced its plans last year for spending $160 million to buy and retool the former AM General commercial assembly plant in Mishawaka.