The Hindu Businessline

Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) was among the first players to enter this segment. Others, such as Kinetic and TVS, are also in now. The latest to enter the category is the country’s leading automotive battery-maker, Exide Industries. The company launched its e-rickshaws earlier in October.

English Mathrubhumi

The state government has decided to give registrations only to electric autorickshaws from now on. The new electric motor vehicle policy will be implemented in Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode cities first and later to expand in other parts of the state.

Livemint

Ten minutes charging time to add 200 miles of driving range: scientists in the US have claimed a technological breakthrough that could resolve one of the key concerns surrounding all-electric vehicles. Writing in the journal Joule on Wednesday, researchers at The Pennsylvania State University said that such a speedy charge rate required a battery to rapidly take in 400 kilowatts of energy.

Financial Express

A high-level delegation from Niti Ayog led by Dr VK Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog and Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. recently concluded a visit to “Lithium Triangle’’ countries – Chile and Bolivia to review the agreements related to Lithium mining earlier this year. The high-level delegation visited these countries to get a better understanding of the availability of the Lithium, possibilities of joint ventures as well as the incentives offered by the governments of these countries.

The New Indian Express

Even as India has lined up an ambitious plan to promote electric vehicles (EV), the availability of top-quality lithium-ion batteries remains a pain point for EV companies, since local manufacturing is yet to take off and EV makers depend on China for imports.

Quartz

When it comes to electric cars, 2019 has been a big year. Tesla ramped up production of its Model 3 sedan, Audi launched its e-Tron all-electric SUV, Porsche unveiled the Taycan sports car, and perhaps the most significant of all, Daimler announced that it has no plans to develop next-generation combustion engines, but instead will focus on electrification.

India Times

Uttarakhand Transport Corporation had conducted a trial run of electric buses between Dehradun and Mussoorie this month last year. Following a successful run of these buses, the state transport corporation has now decided to induct 50 electric buses in its fleet. In addition, the transport body will also be procuring 10 CNG buses, latest by next year.

ET Energyworld

The oil industry faces an uncertain future. The world is rapidly waking up to the severity and immediacy of the threat from climate change. At the same time, electric vehicles are getting cheap enough to compete with internal-combustion engines. Bloomberg New Energy Finance expects electrics to begin taking over in about a decade.

Moneycontrol

India will invest a massive $100 billion in oil and gas infrastructure to meet energy needs of an economy that is being targeted to nearly double in five years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on October 29 as he sought investment from oil kingpin Saudi Arabia and other nations to boost supplies.

Bangalore Mirror

It’s bad enough when your phone runs out of charge but it’s worse when your Electric Vehicle (EV) is down to low charge. Well, there’s no need to panic if you left home without charging your EV because in less than a month’s time, the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will be installing 100 charging points at 80 locations. These charging stations can be accessed easily via an app and one can book a slot in advance to avoid any queues.

The New Indian Express

Even as India has lined up an ambitious plan to promote electric vehicles (EV), the availability of top-quality lithium-ion batteries remains a pain point for EV companies, since local manufacturing is yet to take off and EV makers depend on China for imports.

Livemint

Aimed at curbing pollution and decongesting urban roads, the road transport and highways ministry, in a first, plans to issue national level comprehensive guidelines soon that will spell out details for shared mobility. The guidelines will especially special focus on private car pooling services.

The Economic Times

More than two years after organised players like Kinetic, Hero Electric and Mahindra & Mahindra forayed into the growing e-rickshaw market they are yet to gain a toehold in this space. An electric-vehicle revolution is gaining ground in India, home to about 1.5 million battery-powered, three wheeled rickshaws — a fleet bigger than the number of electric passenger cars sold in China since 2011.

Financial Express

Representational ImageHit by stringent compliance norms, only around 3,000 electric two-wheelers were registered and sold under the government’s subsidy programme – FAME-II scheme – in the first six months (April-September) against over 75,000 units registered last year, people aware of the matter said.

The Times of India

In a practical step that is bound to encourage a lot of people to shift to less polluting and energy efficient electric vehicles, the state government is planning to install charging facilities on the premises of government offices that face highways and arterial roads.

ET Prime

Research points out that unless the share of renewables in the energy mix is significantly high, EV use might even increase the emission burden. While EVs can help improve urban air quality to an extent, the pollution in towns and villages adjoining thermal plants — which will produce the energy to charge the EVs — will increase.

India Times

The state of Karnataka is trying to pass a new mandate upon vehicle parking soon. By making changes to the Model Building Bye-laws 2017, the state plans to reserve 20 percent of the parking space of any residential or commercial infrastructure for electric vehicles. The space would need to offer charging facilities so that the EVs can be charged while parked.

The Economic Times

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has recently issued a clarification stating that solar PV cells manufactured using diffused silicon wafers or blue wafers shall not be considered domestically manufactured solar PV cells, and hence, would not qualify for MNREs schemes/programmes.

The Economic Times

The projects identified by the highways building authority are currently being appraised by the ministry of road transport and highways. These projects, however, are likely to be bid out under the engineering, construction, procurement (EPC) mode, as private investors sentiments remain dull for projects to be awarded on the BuildOperate Transfer (BOT) basis.

Saur Energy

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has extended the deadline for selfcertification of solar inverters through the BIS, again. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has extended the deadline for selfcertification of solar inverters through the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), again.

News Bricks

FAME 1 was an invigorating move towards the electric road. The subsidies were acting as a change agent, and the policy was being spoken all over the country. Though the number of electric vehicle buys was less, the policy and its purpose were much internalized.

Saur Energy

Indigenisation of electric powertrain components and battery pack assembly could produce a value addition USD 2.7 billion for the auto industry in India, in case of an EV transition Indigenisation of electric powertrain components and battery pack assembly could produce a 5.7 percent higher output value addition worth USD 2.7 billion for the auto industry in India, in case of an electric vehicles (EV) transition, according to an independent study released by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).

The News Minute

The company has the capabilities to offer battery management systems and solutions to fastcharging stations. There is no denying that the charging stations need to come up on our highways and cities if the objective of switching to electric vehicles has to be achieved. Hopefully, TechnoPro and other companies with similar capabilities can help in this direction. To put this in perspective, the country has hardly 650 charging stations against as many as over 650,000 in China.

The Economic Times

Bredesen believes this idea will make it easier to reduce the health and environmental impact of carbon emissions by sidestepping the yearslong renewable energy contracts that some larger companies agree to as they seek recognition for trying to curb climate change.

Saur Energy

The RfP details that the AAI is seeking to procure renewable solar power to meet to some extent the power consumption of the airport. And, the year on year energy to be contracted for a period of 10 years, pursuant to this RFP is 1.577 MU for each year of the contracted period.

Downtoearth Org

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has released a new report named Future of Wind in which it has suggested that wind energy could be the single largest source of power generation by midcentury.

Business World

Globally, we have witnessed a record breaking decade in renewable energy investment, in fact investment in renewable energy in developing countries has outweighed those in developed countries. Thus, solar power, which has seen a significant increase in capacity investments in the last decade, is set to drive the global investment in new renewable energy.

The Csr Journal

India is surging ahead in the area of renewable energy. The renewable capacity has reached 73 gigawatt (GW), which is 20 per cent of the countrys total energy capacity. The generation has increased, and solar energy has made tremendous strides. However, owing to several issues including those of policy inconsistencies and problems faced by discoms, meeting the ambitious 175GW renewable capacity target by 2022 will be very difficult.

Mercom India

Solar will account for 60% of the rise and the share of renewables in global power generation is also set to grow from 26% to 30% in 2024, says the report Global Renewable Market Led by Solar Set to Grow by 50% in Next 5 Years IEA Report

News 18

This year is going to be in red and the question is how much in red and it will depend on the stimulus for revival, which I dont see coming. Some prebuying of BSIV (vehicles) ahead of BSVI implementation will happen but the industry will end in the red. There is no question of any growth, he added. As per industry body SIAM data, in the April September period this fiscal, total domestic CV sales slumped by 22.95 per cent to 3,75,480 units as against 4,87,319 units in the yearago period.

Telangana Today

The company uses brushless DC motor (BLDC), which are known to be used in electric vehicles. The company made some design changes to use in fans. These motors, which weigh just a third of conventional motors, consume 28 watt as against 75 watt by fans powered by conventional motors.

News18

Japanese auto major, Toyota Motor Corporation said it plans to introduce a compact battery electric vehicle (BEV) in India in association with compatriot Suzuki Motor Corporation. The two firms are looking to introduce the BEV at an early stage, Toyota said without disclosing a time frame. “India is one of the countries we have in mind for introduction (of BEV),” Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) Executive Vice-President Shigeki Terashi told a group of visiting Indian reporters here.

The Economic Times

In the biggest reform in fuel retailing sector in almost two decades, the government on Wednesday relaxed norms for setting up petrol pumps, allowing non-oil companies to venture into the business – a move that could help private and foreign firms to enter the world’s fastest-growing market.

Financial Express

E-Trio is a Telangana-based start-up. The company which was started in 2016 is already converting petrol-fuelled Maruti Alto as well as Dzires. These vehicles, depending on the battery, can run up to 150km. However, E-Trio has now obtained a certification for electrification of commercial vehicles from ARAI and iCAT.

India Times

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has been finding ways to extend the last mile connectivity for Metro users in Delhi. For the same, the corporation had recently introduced electric bicycles at select stations. Now, in addition to extending this service to more stations, the authorities will also be installing EV charging points.

The Economic Times

Electric two-wheeler sales under a government incentive programme crashed by 94% in the first six months of FY20 after policy changes led customers to opt for more affordable models. About 3,000 electric two-wheelers were sold through phase-II of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) initiative from April to September, a decline from 48,671 units in the year-ago period, according to Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV).

Moneycontrol

The stated target of the NITI Aayog to have 30 per cent electric vehicles in India by 2030 and all three-wheelers running on batteries has prompted the government to offer heavy incentives for companies to comply. In light of this, both local and global automobile manufacturers are carving their way into this exciting opportunity towards a greener future for India.

Business Standard

Manufacturing of battery cells for electric vehicles (EV) is yet to take off in India in the absence of a strong local market despite a steep fall in prices of battery cells and the recent thrust by the government and some players to promote EVs. Batteries comprise 30 per cent of the cost of an EV.

The Times of India

To promote electric vehicles, the state government has decided to offer subsidies and incentives to both its manufacturers and buyers. While reviewing the progress of the formulation of Odisha Electric Vehicle (EV) policy, chief secretary Asit Tripathy had recently asked the secretaries of different departments to make concerted efforts to turn Odisha into an ideal destination for e-vehicle manufacturers.

Down To Earth

Electric vehicles (EVs) have garnered a lot of focus in India of late, but the rate at which its states have added EVs on the roads hasn’t been encouraging. Gujarat, which leads the EV chart, managed to add only one car to an existing base of 31,576 in the past six months, according to the dashboard on the website of FAME — Faster Adoption and Manufacture of (Hybrid and) Electric Vehicles — scheme. The state’s target is to have 100,000 EVs by 2022.

The Economic Times

West Bengal government has prepared a road map for switching to electric mode in public transportation sector in Kolkata by 2030. The state transport department will be overseeing the project. It was for this project that Kolkata has received the C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Award in the green mobility category in Copenhagen, Denmark recently.

News18

To cater to the rising interest in electric mobility across India, many states are gearing up to adopt mass-scale electric mobility, with some willing to take precedence over others. According to a report, Chandigarh administration has chalked out a draft Electric Vehicle Policy or EV policy. With this, Chandigarh becomes the latest entrant in the list of states that have either come out with or already have a draft EV policy. The others include Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Bihar.

ET Auto

Millennials and Generation Z have started inclining towards the economic benefits of owning electric vehicles. Attributing a study by Cox Automotive, the report shows that 65 per cent of Gen Z consumers feel that charging an EV costs less than fueling a gas car.

The Economic Times

India is being pragmatic about its energy use, looking for alternatives but not sacrificing energy consumption that’s vital for a growing economy. Data from the World Energy Institute shows India scores 50 in sustainable energy, a mid-point score that fits with its current realities.

ET Auto

Karnataka is working on a draft building bye-law to mandate residential and commercial buildings in the state to saside 20% of their parking space for EV charging facilities. The government is amending the Model Building Bye-laws 2017 to make the provision in the buildings.

Hindustan Times

“Kona’s battery size is almost three times that of these other cars (Tigor and e-Verito). The running cost is just 40 paisa/km. It’s a bril- liant car in terms of comfort and this is the beauty of EVs anyway,” said EESL MD Sau- rabh Kumar. Only 500 Tigors have been supplied by Tata Motors to EESL so far, while M&M has delivered 1,000 e-Veritos. Queries emailed to spokes- persons of EESL, M&M, power ministry and Hyundai Motor India Ltd, remained unan- swered till press time.

The Indian Express

TSRTC employees have listed 26 demands. These include merger of the TSRTC with the state government, which would make them eligible to a number of perks and benefits; reimbursement of government dues to TSRTC; and an allocation of 1% of the state Budget to TSRTC. Other demands include job security for drivers and conductors; and immediate reimbursement of a salary hike due since April 1, 2017.

The New Indian Express

With electric vehicles (EV) considered a huge investment potential, several states are competing to bring out attractive schemes for companies to invest in. According to an analysis released by the World Economic Forum, the International Organisation for Public-Private Cooperation and Ola Mobility Institute, 10 states, including Karnataka, and Union Territories are trying to build momentum for EV usage across three sectors — manufacturing, infrastructure and services.

The Times of India

With an aim to promote to e-mobility in the district, 32 charging stations for electric vehicles will be installed in Thiruvananthapuram. The government has accorded administrative sanction for the project taken up as part of its electric vehicle policy. As per the policy, the state aims to introduce one million electric vehicles on the road by 2022. Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) was appointed as the nodal agency for setting up electronic-vehicle charging stations.

Autocar

With the interest around electric mobility growing in India, many states are preparing to adopt mass- scale electric mobility, with some wanting to take a lead. The Union Territory (UT) of Chandigarh is one such region. The administration has prepared a draft EV policy, which has been seen by our sister publication Autocar Professional. With this, Chandigarh becomes the latest entrant in the list of states in the country who have either come out or have a draft EV policy, the others being Maharashtra, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Bihar, among others.

Livemint

It was the mid-1990s, and I was doing my MBA in Delhi. Every alternate Sunday morning, I would walk 30 long minutes to a public call office (PCO) booth to take a token that enabled me to make a call back home that night at a quarter of the prevailing rates. Back then, phones were a luxury in India. While everyone craved a device to talk to loved ones, decades of government control of the telecom sector had not helped make this happen.

NDTV

The Noida Authority on Thursday procured five electric vehicles (EVs) for official use, as work is underway to prepare infrastructure like charging stations for clean energy-based mobility in the city, officials said.

Financial Express

The global automotive industry is on the verge of disruption. Four technology-driven trends — electrification, shared mobility, connectivity, and autonomous driving—are leading the automotive industry to this disruption. These trends will shift markets and revenue pools, change mobility behaviour and build new avenues for competition and cooperation.

India Times

Bajaj Auto Ltd marked its entry into the Indian electric vehicle market on Wednesday with the launch of its first ever electric scooter – Bajaj Chetak. The launch event was attended by eminent personalities involved in India’s EV transition, the likes of Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant as well as Transport minister Nitin Gadkari. Focussing on EVs, the duo had some interesting insights to share at the event.

The Economic Times

India’s bid to electrify its fleet is progressing swiftly and the country must not ‘miss the bus’ for creating a local manufacturing base for electric vehicles, union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari has said. “Our dream of electrification is progressing very swiftly. Electric as a fuel is so cheap, pollution free, and cost will be competitive once the scale increases,” Gadkari said at the launch of Bajaj’s electric two-wheeler here on Wednesday.

The Times of India

As part of measures to check the deteriorating air quality of the state, Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) is all set to roll out 15 electric buses from October 30. ASTC MD Anand Prakash Tiwari said the state-owned road transport corporation will start off with 15 buses in the first phase but the goal of ASTC is to cover all major arterial routes in the city. “To start off, we are going to launch 15 electric buses for Guwahati. The buses will ply from Panbazar to Kamakhya temple initially.

The Hindu

Ahead of the investors’ summit in Indore on October 18, the Madhya Pradesh government on Tuesday decided to cut paperwork for housing projects and do away with motor vehicle tax for electric vehicles.

ET Auto

Discussing the EV landscape in India, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said that India is expected to be a hub for electric two and three-wheeler in the coming six years. “We were late in making India a hub for mobiles, ICE four-wheelers, but we have to make sure the country becomes the manufacturing hub for two-wheeler and three-wheeler,” Kant said at the unveiling of Bajaj Chetak EV.

BloombergQuint

On a day when Bajaj Auto Ltd. announced the return of its iconic Chetak brand in an electric avatar, the company’s Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj took a dig at rivals with different backgrounds for trying to create electric vehicles “out of thin air”.

Livemint

While the government will continue to focus on making India world’s top electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing hub, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said there is no need for any timeline for automobile companies to switch to electric mobility.

Livemint

What started as a small fire—a dip in sales volume of commercial vehicles in September 2018 immediately after the regulatory change in axle load norms —has turned into a full-blown conflagration in a year, engulfing at least five segments of the broader automotive industry in India.

The Times of India

To make electric vehicles popular, the municipal corporations are now mulling over reserving spots and setting up charging stations in parking lots. South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) would be reserving five spots for electric vehicles in each of its parking lots.

ET Auto

Madhya Pradesh government plans to introduce 2,200 electric buses into the public transport system in the next four years, state Urban Development and Planning Minister Jaivardhan Singh said on Tuesday. The state cabinet approved Electric Vehicle Policy 2019 to encourage the use of e-vehicles in public transport.

The Times of India

The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) has selected the Waltair depot along Lawson’s Bay to set up charging points for electric buses that will soon begin plying on city roads. APSRTC deputy chief traffic manager (urban) at Dwaraka Bus Station M Sudha Bindu said that the buses will ply to all major localities in the city as well as to tourist destinations like Bheemili, Kailasagiri and Beach Road.

The Economic Times

India will chart its own course of energy transition in a responsible manner even as it is said to be a key driver of global energy demand in coming decades, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Tuesday. As the world battles alarming rates of carbon emission threatening the environment?, countries around the globe face pressure to reduce hydrocarbon use and switch to greener sources such as renewable power and electric vehicles.

ET Energyworld

India is expected to emerge as the world’s third-largest passenger vehicle market by 2021. Currently, the automotive sector contributes more than 7 per cent to India’s gross domestic product. The Automotive Mission Plan 2016-26 sets an aspiration to increase the contribution to 12 per cent.

The New Indian Express

A private bidder will be in the loop of running electric buses along with the State Transport Corporation, despite fears of job insecurity amongst its employees. The plan is to open up electric vehicles to private operators to provide services. With tenders floated for 350 electric buses (300-BMTC, 50 KSRTC) under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) basis, the buses will be owned and operated by the private company.

Financial Express

Delhi Metro takes a big step to improve last-mile connectivity! The Delhi Metro feeder bus services for last-mile connectivity will be enhanced for passengers in the national capital as the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has decided to introduce more electric feeder buses soon.

The Times of India

The Gujarat government has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Japanese company Automotive Electronics Power Private Limited (AEPPL) to set up a Rs 4,930 crore lithium battery plant in the state. AEPPL MD Ichizo Aoyama and M K Das, the principal secretary for industries, signed the MoU in the presence of chief minister Vijay Rupani.

India Times

Electric buses are finding increased use in the state transport as well as in commercial fleets. Why not? After all, the e-buses are more efficient, much more silent and negligibly harmful for the environment in comparison with their diesel engine counterparts. But as we have seen time and again, humans have a tendency of blemishing the natural state of affairs. So can one, knowingly or unknowingly, convert these green electric buses into a polluting mode of transport? Yes we can!

The Hans India

Olectra Greentech Limited (OGL), a part of infrastructure major Megha Engineering, on Monday said that it supplied electric buses to multiple cities and states under phase one of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles (FAME-1) announced by the central government to encourage electric vehicles.

Moneycontrol

The latest iteration of the biennial Indian Auto Expo is approaching soon and will be held at the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida from February 07 – February 12, 2020. Major automobile manufacturers in India are expected to showcase their products, including a range of BSVI-compliant vehicles and electric vehicles.

The Times of India

Chinese electric vehicle companies are zooming in on the burgeoning Indian electric vehicle (EV) market as a new frontier for opportunity. Chinese companies, which tied up with Indian or global partners — BYD has tied up with Olectra for e-buses while SAIC has entered India with its British brand MG Motor — are now going it alone, particularly in e-two wheelers. Chinese e-two wheeler company Benling will put up a local assembly facility and is bringing in a host of Chinese component vendors and electric two wheeler companies to create an ‘electric eco system’ in India.

Financial Express

With all major automotive players, industry bodies as well as consumers shifting their attention from traditional fossil-fuel driven vehicles to alternative energy, the automotive industry is experiencing a major disruption in the existing powertrain technology making way for a more viable contender, e-mobility. There has been a rapid rise in the number of electric vehicles on-road with EVs contributing 5 million units across the globe in 2018, of which China, Europe, and the United States accounting for the major shares.

The Economic Times

Energy Efficiency Services (EESL) has entered into an agreement with BSNL to install 100 electric cars public charging stations in Punjab. Both EESL and BSNL have entered into this 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the objective of building electric vehicle infrastructure in BSNL, Punjab Telecom Circle area and explore synergy for further promoting EVs, including electric two-wheelers in the state, an official statement said.

Financial Express

Every state in India is quietly (some do make a noise about it) working towards electrification of their automobiles. Every other day, you hear about automakers or those in the power declare some new initiative for a particular state, if not the country. We recently happened to stumble across the Madhya Pradesh government’s EV policy. It is actually one of the policies that is very much customer friendly. The intricacies discussed in the policy are sure to endear it to the masses.

The Times of India

The transport department has prepared a roadmap for shifting to electric mode in the public transportation sector of Kolkata. Echoing mayor Firhad Hakim’s statement at C40 World Mayors’ Summit in Copenhagen, transport secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam said: “Our plan is to completely shift to electric mode by 2030. We already have our tram network and a formidable metro network across the city is also coming up soon.”

Express Drives

The central government is aligning its policies in sync with its aim to steadfast the adoption of electric vehicles in India. However, to achieve a respectable milestone in relation to electric mobility, our country needs to overcome a plethora of hurdles related to infrastructure, ease of usability, costs, comparable products among others.

The Times of India

India could be racing towards becoming the third largest automobile market in the world; but it is also where 15 of the 20 most polluted cities, globally, are housed. Though 19 of every 1,000 people in the country own a car today, it faces an acute problem of congestion and reports a road accident death every four seconds.

The Times of India

The pain of auto sector continued for the 11th straight month, despite the onset of the festival season as overall sales declined 22.4%, heaping more pressure on a sector that is reeling from the impact of a demand slowdown. The auto industry, however, said there were early signs of some improvement and the full festival season – along with discounts and measures announced by the government – will help improve sentiment in the segment.

The Times of India

Passenger vehicle (PV) exports increased by over 4 per cent in the first half of the current fiscal, with Hyundai Motor India leading the segment with dispatches of over 1.03 lakh units to various geographies like Africa and Latin America, as per the latest data by SIAM. PV exports stood at 3,65,282 units in April-September period of the current fiscal as compared with 3,49,951 units in the same period of 2018-19.

Live Mint

Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino as this year’s Chemistry laureates, uses lithium-ion batteries. While the Academy gave in to a little hyperbole when it declared “they created a rechargeable world”, it was nevertheless on the mark in saying that “lithium-ion batteries have revolutionised our lives since they first entered the market in 1991.

The Times of India

Two years after the government introduced an e-vehicle policy to promote battery-run vehicles, the state is finally setting up the infrastructure required. It is also pushing to convert existing autorickshaws to go electric. While Bescom’s 112 charging points will be operational by this month-end, BMTC has identified four depots to set up charging points for its proposed 300 battery-run buses.

The Times of India

The central government should constitute a committee headed by the Union power secretary, along with the secretary to the ministry of new and renewable energy, the principal secretary finance and the secretary to the energy department of Andhra Pradesh government to find a “long-term” solution to the problem of paying the producers of renewable energy in the state, Balineni Srinivasa Reddy, the AP minister for energy, said in a letter to Union power minister RK Singh.

ET Auto

Passenger vehicles witnessed an increase of 8 per cent to 253,012 units in September 2019 as against 234,304 units in the month under review last year. “The festive season, measures announced by the government and high discounts have enabled sales growth, and helped in improving buyer sentiment in general,” said Rajan Wadhera, president, SIAM.

The Financial Express

India will not only meet, but beat the seemingly impossible target of installing 175 gigawatts of renewable energy generation capacity by 2022end, as the current work in progress leaves very little to be done to achieve the feet, according to the government. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has put up a roadmap on how the country reaches beyond 175 GW renewable energy capacity by 2022, in a rebuttal to a recent CRISIL report which said that Prime Minister Narendra Modis ambitious target is unlikely to be met in time.

The Economic Times

The New and Renewable Energy Ministry on Thursday denounced a CrisilNSE 0.34 % report that stated the ministry may miss the renewable energy target by 42 per cent, and asserted that the clean power capacity by 2022 will exceed the goal of 175 GW.

Money Control

According to SIAM data, the industry produced a total 12.02 million in the April August period as against 13.69 million vehicles in the year ago period. This was a YoY fall of 12.25 percent. The sale of passenger vehicles declined 23.54 percent YoY in April August.

The Economic Times

India is weighing the option of concessional toll rates for electric vehicles as it looks to incentivise adoption of clean mobility solutions, a move may that may be reflected in the revamped toll policy that the governments transport wing is working on, officials aware of the matter said.

Business Today

Similarly, Nocca Robotics, which makes waterless solar project cleaning robot for utility scale solar projects, could raise $1.67 million from the earlystage IAN Fund, with participation from angel investors of Indian Angel Network (IAN). Indias largest wind and solar power company ReNew Power had raised about $300 million through a rights issue in June, and another $350 million from debt funding early this year.

Live Mint

In an effort to offer efficient lastmile connectivity to commuters, the Delhi Metro rail Corporation (DMRC) has allowed escooter renting services at four of its stations. Electric scooters or escooters renting facility is at present available at Vishwavidyalaya, Mandi House, Dwarka Sector 9 and Nehru Enclave metro stations.

The Hans India

Revising the earlier guidelines for establishing electric vehicles charging infrastructure in the country, the Centre has identified Hyderabad city and Outer Ring Road of Hyderabad as areas of national priority for the phase-1 roll out. the Union Power Ministry informed the State government about the decision. The Centre has also told the State government about the revised guidelines for preparing a policy for setting up the charging stations for electric vehicles.

The Times of India

Citing losses, cash-strapped Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has decided to phase out Volvo airconditioned buses in the city. BMTC officials said 300 A/C electric buses will soon replace Volvo diesel buses over the next few months.

Entrepreneur

Even as electric vehicles (EVs) and a supporting ecosystem is gaining pace, a debate around customer adoption of this new technology is still on. In India, while the incumbent government has aggressively set EV mobility goals, the aspect of customers willing to drive this change is still something that needs work.

ET Auto

Indian firm JBM Auto on Wednesday announced that the company has received supply orders of 300 buses, including CNG and electric, from multiple organisations. As per the regulatory filing, the company has bagged CNG buses order from Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Limited (DIMTS) and Spicejet Limited & InterGIobe Aviation. Additionally, the company has also received electric bus order from Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport Corporation through its subsidiary JBM Solaris Electric Vehicles Private Limited.

The Times of India

Days after the Centre approved amendments in the electric vehicle charging guidelines to push the growth of electric vehicles, industry experts and investors on Wednesday pointed out the policy, infrastructure, resource and technical challenges in transitioning to electric mobility.

The Economic Times

India is weighing the option of concessional toll rates for electric vehicles as it looks to incentivise adoption of clean mobility solutions, a move may that may be reflected in the revamped toll policy that the government’s transport wing is working on, officials aware of the matter said. The road transport and highways ministry is ramping up the work on the new toll policy, which may also consider exempting electric vehicles from toll fee or provide up to 50% discount on such tolls for electric vehicles.

Financial Express

EVConIndia electric vehicle conference in New Delhi saw the participation of over 25 speakers and over 100 CEOs & CXOs, Investors and Innovators. During the event, as many as 7 sessions were hosted to discuss relevant aspects of the EV ecosystem. Moreover, 7 Start-ups participated & showcased their idea in the Start-up Accelerator program.

The Week

From subsidies of at least 10,000 crores for manufacturers, GST and import duty cuts and incentives ranging from registration fee exemptions to providing land for charging infrastructure, India’s central as well as state governments are on a major electric vehicle (EV) drive.

Times Now

Growing environmental concerns and government’s push for electric mobility have paved a way for automakers to bring in electric vehicles. While the two-wheeler market is already bustling with EVs, the car industry, although slow, is also picking up pace with almost all prominent automakers working to add electric cars to their portfolio.

The Economic Times

India is in the process of framing a recycling policy for lithium-ion batteries being used in electric vehicles and offer tax sops to re- cycling entities while imposing a liability on producers to collect used batteries that achieve end of life under the extended producer responsibility (EPR) norms. “It (proposed policy) will have incentives for companies setting up re- cycling facilities and make it incumbent on producers to collect used batteries,” a senior government official told ET on condition of anonymity.

Business Standard

A lot of talk is on regarding electric vehicles. How fast will this transition be? EVs are coming, but the timing is the question. A lot of infrastructure is required to go along with EVS. Even bigger contributor will be fuel efficiency standards. As cars are regulated to have higher fuel efficiency, the effect is going to be bigger from the fuel efficiency gains than at least from EVS

Times Now

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi is working towards developing driverless technology for electric vehicles. This project is being led by the institute’s Centre for Automotive Research & Tribology. However, there are four different departments–computer science engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, and electrical engineering– involved at various levels in the development of autonomous technology for EVs.

Financial Express

Tata Motors has bagged a contract of 300 electric buses by Ahmedabad Janmarg Ltd (AJL) under the government’s FAME scheme, the biggest order so far as part of the e-mobility drive in the country. Janmarg, also known as Ahmedabad BRTS, is a bus rapid transit system in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It is operated by AJL, a subsidiary of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and others.

The Hindu

The Transport Department is awaiting completion of the trial period of the e-bus run in the city to take the project to the next level, involving the purchase of electric buses for the State. The State government has been allotted 525 e-buses to be procured under the incentives scheme of Fame India Phase II policy announced by the Department of Heavy Industry.

BloombergQuint

India is unlikely to produce 175 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2022. In fact, it will miss the target by 42 percent. That’s according to a note by CRISIL Ltd., which cites regulatory challenges and policy flip-flops, amid record-low renewable power tariffs, as reasons for the shortfall.

India Times

Guidelines around electric vehicle charging infrastructure have been revised and as per the new norms, setting up an EV charging station at home or office has now been delicensed. The move is aimed at increasing the adoption of electric vehicles across the country.

The New Indian Express

Despite the initial hiccups, Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is sticking to its plan to reduce the dependence on diesel-run buses by announcing the procurement of 1,500 electric buses. Following the budget announcement in 2019, KSRTC has floated tenders for 250 buses to supplement its fleet in three zones.

Livemint

Hyundai Motor Co. launched India’s first electric SUV this summer with a quirky TV commercial urging millennials to “Drive Into the Future.” A few months later, the automaker finds itself on a lonesome road. In a nation of about 150 million drivers, only 130 Kona SUVs were sold to dealers through August. That slow pace is emblematic of the difficulties carmakers face in establishing an electric foothold in the fourth-biggest auto market, even with committed government support.

Fortune

India, home to one of “the big four” automobile industries in the world, has the potential to change the global automobile and energy landscape through adoption of electric vehicles, says a report released by the World Economic Forum and Ola Mobility Institute on Thursday. The U.S., China, and Japan are the other “big four” industries.

The Times of India

The state government, which was the first to introduce an e-vehicle policy, now plans to set another example by gradually increasing the number of electric vehicles (EVs) in its fleet. The state is believed to have asked all government departments to switch from traditional fossil-fuel vehicles to ones which run on green energy.

The Economic Times

Following a push towards electric vehicles (EVs) by the central government, India can become one of the largest EV markets in the world. A new analysis released by the World Economic Forum and Ola Mobility Institute shows there are ten states and union territories building a momentum for electric vehicle usage across manufacturing, infrastructure and services sectors.

Financial Express

High discounts and launch of new variants notwithstanding, auto sales across segments continued to disappoint in September, with passenger vehicle (PV) despatches (from manufacturers to dealers) falling 29% year-on-year. This is yet another sharp decline in over two decades, however, better than August when despatches had declined 32%, the highest since 1997-98 when the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) started collating monthly sales figures.

The Economic Times

As the Indian government goes bullish on electric vehicles (EVs), automobile original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are in a huddle to develop long-lasting, durable battery technology to get hegemony over the EV battery market. In the automotive paradigm, lithium-ion battery technology stands at the centre of innovation and there has been a significant amount of progress in the improvement of lithium-ion battery technology.

The Hindu Businessline

And getting customers could be even tougher than finding suppliers because electric two-wheelers are far pricier than IC-engine vehicles. A Honda Activa retails for around Rs 65,000 while the highly rated scooter from Ather Energy costs over a lakh. Says Rathore: “Indians are very price-conscious and don’t want to spend a lakh now against ?65,000.” And there’s another complication. “Honda’s a product that any roadside mechanic can service. Ather currently has no service network outside Bangaluru and Chennai,” Rathore says.

Business Standard

The Yogi Adityanath government has cleared a proposal to ply 700 electric buses in 14 top cities of Uttar Pradesh, in a decision involving an investment of around Rs 965 crore. The state cabinet meeting, chaired by chief minister Adityanath in Lucknow last night, approved the proposal of implementing the electric bus proposal on ‘gross cost contract model’ by selecting the operator through an open-bidding process. The bidding document was also cleared by the cabinet.

The Economic Times

With India planning to replace a significant portion of its conventional internal combustion engine fleet by electric vehicles in the next one decade, particularly to reduce pollution and also to create jobs through manufacturing of such vehicles, China may continue to play a huge role in realisation of that dream.

ET Auto

As the Indian government goes bullish on electric vehicles (EVs), automobile original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are in a huddle to develop long-lasting, durable battery technology to get hegemony over the EV battery market. In the automotive paradigm, lithium-ion battery technology stands at the centre of innovation and there has been a significant amount of progress in the improvement of lithium-ion battery technology.

ET Auto

India has the potential to become one of the largest electric vehicles (EVs) markets in the world, with the government pushing for the segment in order to curb pollution and reduce reliance on import-dependent fossil fuel, says a report. However, the uptake of EVs has been slow in the country due to the high upfront as well as lifecycle costs cost but long-term investment in research and development (R&D) will create sustained growth, according to the report by the Word Economic Forum and Ola Mobility Institute.

Livemint

India’s largest electric vehicle (EV) procurement programme could come to a halt amid the economic slowdown, with state-run Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) planning to curb its sourcing to less than a third of the 10,000 sedans it originally tendered due to lack of demand. EESL gave out a sourcing contract in September 2017 to Tata Motors Ltd and Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. While 1,500 such EVs have been sourced so far, EESL now plans to limit the final order to around 3,000 vehicles by March 2020.

The Hindu

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi declaring at New York last week that India would be aiming to increase its renewable energy target to 450 GW (gigawatts), a senior official in the Union Environment Ministry said that there was not yet a deadline for when this target would be achieved.

ET Auto

The apex auto body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) on Monday announced the appointment of Rajesh Menon as Director General of the organisation. He succeeds Mr Vishnu Mathur who is superannuating after a successful stint with SIAM, the auto industry body said in a release.

The Week

Inspired by the e-scooter sharing system in Brussels, the Delhi government may consider of emulating it in the national capital to address the city’s last mile connectivity issues, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said on Monday. Returning after a three-day study tour of European cities, Gahlot met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and briefed him regarding initiatives there in the public transport sector, said a Delhi government statement.

ET Auto

As part of the effort to phase out vehicles emitting noxious smoke, West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) in collaboration with the state government has taken an initiative to replace diesel taxis with electric ones, a senior official said on Monday.

The Economic Times

According to JLR Chief Executive Ralf Speth, millennials depending more on ride-hailing service providers for commuting would mean more demand for cars rather than affecting sales in mega cities, including those in India.

India Today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a mission to switch to renewables to cut harmful emissions. At the UN Action Climate Summit on September 23, Modi declared that he was raising the target for renewable energy capacity from 175 GW to 450 GW. Modi also said that he was going to make the transport sector greener by switching to e-cars.