Mention
The week that was – from Chetan Maini’s bet on battery swap tech to Yulu’s shared mobility and customer engagement platform Narvaredit
We believe the best engineers are those who tell stories through their ability to code, and that’s how we are going to begin this weekly wrap. “How good a storyteller are you?” asks Praneet Khare, Co-founder, Avid Secure, a security startup that was recently acquired by Sophos, a global provider of network and end point security.
Industry
Rs 50,000 crore Japanese EV boost in Gujaratedit
Japanese majors Suzuki Motors, Toshiba and Denso have formed a consortium to set up a plant for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries and electrodes in Gujarat. The plant will come up near Hansalpur in Gujarat. The proposed lithium-ion battery plant will be the biggest in the world, claimed sources in the know.
No vehicles to boost e-autos in Keralaedit
Despite finding favour with commuters, the fleet of non-polluting e-autos saw no addition after their launch as Metro feeder services over six months back. The main reason being lack of availability of vehicles, with the Kerala Automobiles Limited (KAL) unable to roll out e-autos by Onam as scheduled and the drivers not happy.
KSRTC to get 400 e-buses, to pass on 300 to BMTCedit
If all goes as planned, electric buses will start plying on Karnataka’s roads by November 15 this year. KSRTC will float tenders for obtaining these buses for all transport corporations, including the BMTC, sources said.
Delhi Transport Corporation to float tender for 300 e-buses soonedit
The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), is going to float tenders for 300 electric buses very soon. It has received the go-ahead from the Centre to bring the buses under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME) II scheme of Government of India.
E-tailers push for electric mobility in Indiaedit
Last week online grocery retailer bigbasket announced an ambitious plan to increase its current fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) to1000 electric vans and 2000 electric bikes in the next one year for its last-mile delivery service across metro cities. While analysts feel it is a smart eco-friendly move by bigbasket to cut down delivery cost, there are infrastructure issues that need to be addressed. The Bengaluru-based company currently has 150 electric vans and 50 bikes.
Electric vehicles: The way forward for early adoptionedit
India has seen a three-fold increase in the number of internal combustion vehicles per 1,000 people, from 53 in 2001 to 167 in 2015. This is increasing both the country’s dependence on oil imports and its carbon emissions. To address the problem of carbon emissions, the government and automobile companies are taking steps towards increasing electric mobility. On the government’s part, these include NEMMP (National Electric Mobility Mission Plan) and FAME II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles).
Competition
Lohia Auto eyes electric two-wheeler comeback, lines up new launchesedit
Electric vehicle-maker Lohia Auto might have shifted strategic focus to the three-wheeler segment over the past few years, but the company is set to make a comeback in the two-wheeler space with a full portfolio of electric models soon.
Lowering dependence on imported electric vehicle components to drive Altigreen’s big India plansedit
Altigreen Solutions is a Bangalore-based start-up that is the recipient of multiple awards. Altigreen, at the moment, provides solutions to OEMs based on their requirement for an electric or hybrid powertrain. Notable OEMs have approached the company and are in talks with them. We happened to have a chat with Amitabh Saran, the founder of Altigreen on the company’s vision.
Hyundai, Kia to invest in Ola Electricedit
Ola Electric Mobility, an arm of the ride-hailing major, will raise capital from South Korean automotive giants Hyundai and Kia, according to a filing with antitrust watchdog Competition Commission of India (CCI). The details of the transactions could not be ascertained but it comes after Hyundai and Kia invested $300 million in Ola’s parent company, ANI Technologies, earlier this year and both the deals are linked, according to the filing.
Committed to building EV ecosystem in India: Dassault Systemesedit
With the government setting a target of 2023 to step up the adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in India, global 3D design company Dassault Systemes is mulling to invest more for the development of the EV ecosystem in the country, a top company executive said on Sunday. When it comes to Electric Vehicles, India is the most interesting market because it is able to think about innovation, and is involved in a lot of testing and trying to find new disruptive ways, according to Florence Verzelen, Executive Vice President, Industry Marketing, Global Affairs and Communication, Dassault Systemes.
BYD India’s dynamic market strategy revealed in Autocar Professional’s September 15 issueedit
Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD is biding its time for a bigger presence in the Indian market. The world’s largest EV maker, which already has a strong presence in the electric bus market in India through its BYD Olectra buses, has now turned its attention to electric mobility in smaller-sized vehicles.
International
This UK city is most prepared for electric cars – but Britons won’t buy due to price fearsedit
Research shows the coastal city is the most prepared for electric vehicles, with a 13 percent increase in charging points now taking the total number of stations to 77. Coupled with a low population rate and over 1,000 alternative fuel cars registered in the region, Southampton is set for an expected electric boom.
When should you choose a battery electric vehicle over a plug-in hybrid?edit
We are encouraging questions from readers about electric vehicles, and charging, and whatever else you want to learn. So please send them through and we will get our experts to respond, and invite other people to contribute through the comments section.