Mention
7 Chetan Maini, Co-Founder, Sun Mobilityedit
“Creating an open architecture infrastructure for accelerating electric mobility is the next big thing, but the idea is not going to be limited to a product — it will encompass the entire mobility ecosystem, involving multiple stakeholders across OEMs, governments, cities, public transport and technology companies. Providing energy as a service and expanding from charging and swapping infrastructure to mobility solutions and core technologies in batteries and powertrains will drive electric mobility in India that can be replicated globally.”
Industry
MSRTC to ply Pune-Mumbai e-buses after proper testsedit
The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation would start plying e-buses from Mumbai to the city and Nashik after proper studies and tests, considering the ghat sections along the two routes. “We have recently floated tender for 200 e-buses. A private party will run them on lease. The routes will be decided after the tender is awarded. All buses will be air-conditioned,” said Ranjit Singh Deol, the managing director of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).
Will regulate e-rickshaws to avoid traffic chaos: Delhi govtedit
Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot Monday said that the Delhi government will chalk out ways to regulate the movement of e-rickshaws. According to data shared by the government, there are 71,092 registered e-rickshaws in the capital, but there is no estimate of the unregistered ones.
FM announces measures to boost auto sectoredit
Government will consider scrappage policy, announces additional 15% depreciation on all vehiclesThe finance minister has announced measure to boost economy, while also announced significant measures to support auto sector witnessing large decline in sales across the segments. The finance minister has announced that the BS IV vehicles purchased till 31 March 2020 will remain operational for entire period of registration.
Auto LPG body seeks alternative fuel policy, lower GST ratesedit
The Indian Auto LPG Coalition (IAC) has sought framing of an alternative fuel policy in the country. The coalition is the nodal body for the promotion of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG or cooking gas) in India. “In addition to promoting electric vehicles (EVs), the Centre should also focus on formulating an alternative fuel policy to bridge the gap till EVs can be proliferated,” Suyash Gupta, Director General of the IAC, told BusinessLine.
Tamil Nadu rolls out first electric busedit
Equipped with surveillance cameras and several safety features, Tamil Nadu’s first air-conditioned green bus, which is noiseless, smokeless and vibration-free, was rolled out on Monday. The attractive electric bus, painted green, may tempt many vehicle owners to sacrifice their vehicles to hop a tranquil ride on it in the city.
After Electric 3-Wheelers Failed, Coimbatore Will Try Electric 4-Wheelers For Waste Collectionedit
Indian government is repeatedly addressing the dire need for electric vehicles in the country. So much so, that several operations carried out by various civil authorities are now relying on electric vehicles. Coimbatore had taken a similar stance last year, appointing 50 electric three-wheelers for waste collection in the city. The plan apparently didn’t work out, mainly due to the inefficiency of these vehicles.
Indian firms looking at fresh Rs 5 lakh crore investment in natural gas: Pradhanedit
India’s oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan today said domestic companies are looking at fresh investments worth a mammoth Rs 5 lakh crore in the natural gas sector. This comes amid last week’s stimulus package announced by the government and calls from India Inc for further measures to boost investor sentiment.
Competition
Hyundai planning electric scooter for Indian marketedit
Hyundai Motor Group has developed a prototype electric scooter for Indian market, company sources said. The group doesn’t have two-wheeler in its global portfolio yet. The scooter is charged automatically using electricity produced while driving. Dong Jin Hyun, head of Hyundai Motor Group Robotics Team, said: “This is the vehicle-mounted personal scooter, which could be featured in future Hyundai Motor Group vehicles. Our personal electric scooter makes first- and last-mile commuting a joy, while helping reduce congestion and emissions in city centres.”
A 220 km running range for EV will overcome range anxiety: Shailesh Chandraedit
Shailesh Chandra, president – electric mobility and corporate strategy, Tata Motors Ltd spoke to Mint recently on developing cost-effective electric mobility solutions for mass adoption in India, banking on shared mobility and exploring new skateboard concepts, which are used by the likes of Tesla, General Motors and Audi, for developing futuristic EVs.
International
1,000 new electric car charge points ‘too little’edit
Plans for 1,000 new electric vehicle charging points to be provided by local authorities over the next five years are not ambitious enough, the Green Party has said. Richard Bruton, the climate action minster, said yesterday that the move would help provide the infrastructure for the government’s target of almost one million electric vehicles on the road by 2030.
Lithium hit by oversupply and electric vehicle subsidy cutsedit
The rise of the electric car was once a boon for the lithium industry, which produces the critical raw material for all batteries used in the vehicles. But this year has been bleak. Prices for the industry’s core product, lithium carbonate, have sunk 13 per cent, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, knocking profits for the largest producers and wiping out most of the leading producers’ share price gains since the beginning of 2016.
How Amsterdam plans to power a city of electric carsedit
Amsterdam has bold plans to ban all gasoline and diesel vehicles from the city by 2030. But if it is to meet that target, it has only a decade to build the infrastructure to power a city of electric cars. As part of the plan, from next year certain diesel vehicles will be banned from Amsterdam’s city center. From 2022, buses and coaches will only be allowed in the city center if they have electric or hydrogen-powered engines, and by 2030, all transportation in the city must be emissions free.
Electric vehicles have ‘higher carbon emissions’edit
Electric vehicles in Australia’s eastern states are responsible for more carbon dioxide emissions than regular petrol vehicles, according to an expert report that warns Labor’s green cars policy would require up to $7 billion in upgrades and installation of recharging infrastructure across the nation.
Volkswagen to install 4,000 EV charging points in Germany by 2025edit
Volkswagen is planning to install around 4,000 charging points for electric vehicles at its German plans by 2025. Also, combined with the dealerships, the group is providing around 36,000 new charging points across Europe. The first charging station has been already installed with 60 new charging points. The German automobile group is investing around €250 million for expanding the charging infrastructure at its European sites.