Specific
We will be in 10 cities with 50 stations by March 2020, Sun Mobility co-founder saysedit
With three-wheeler major Piaggio launching its Ape E-city with Sun Mobility’s swappable battery solution, Chetan Maini, the pioneer of Indian e-mobility and co-founder Sun Mobility, is focusing on scaling up through OEM and fleet-led partnerships. In a chat with TOI, he discusses why shared mobility eco system will be the first to migrate to electric.
Mention
TaMo sees swappable battery adoption to take 4-5 years moreedit
Some companies that are working to- wards swappable batteries are Bengaluru based SUN Mobility, Gurgaon based Exicom Power Solutions and 22 Kymco, an alliance between startup Twenty Two Motors Pvt Ltd and Taiwan’s Kymco Global.
Industry
Tamil Nadu to buy 640 e-buses, set up 260 charging pointsedit
The Tamil Nadu government is working out the cost involved in procuring 640 electric buses and setting up 260 charging points for them, and has floated tenders that will close in a week. Pallavan Transport Consultancy Services (PTCS), which functions under the transport department, has invited bids for direct supply of e-buses under the central government’s FAME II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles) scheme.
Electric cycles attract 5 per cent GST, ordinary cycles 12 per centedit
The Modi government has been defending the multi-tiered rates under GST, saying there cannot be one rate, as different segments of society have to be taxed differently. However, it has emerged that ordinary bicycles used mostly by the low-income group people attract 12 per cent GST while expensive electric bicycles are in the lowest slab of 5 per cent.
Delhi cabinet approves policy on electric vehicles to curb pollutionedit
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government on Monday approved a policy on electric vehicles (EVs) with a focus on two-wheelers, shared transport vehicles, and commercial vehicles to lead the change to electric mobility, at a time when the state is grappling with severe levels of pollution.
Competition
Ampere Vehicles launches Reo Elite electric scooteredit
Ampere Vehicles, a wholly owned electric mobility subsidiary of Greaves Cotton, has launched Reo Elite, a new electric scooter with euro design starting at Rs 45,099 (ex- showroom, Bengaluru). The product is available for booking for Rs 1,999 on Ampere’s website and through dealerships in Bengaluru. All booking customers will receive original helmets for free as part of the safety promotion drive by Ampere. Booking amount would be discounted from the final invoice, the company said in a statement.
International
Electric vehicle startup Rivian scores $1.3 bln investmentedit
Electric vehicle startup Rivian said on Monday it closed a $1.3 billion investment round, led by fund manager T. Rowe Price but also including existing investors online retailer Amazon.com Inc and No. 2 U.S. automaker Ford Motor Co. The investment round, which also included BlackRock Inc, is the fourth this year for Rivian and positions the Plymouth, Michigan-based company as one of the better-financed players in a crowded EV manufacturing market where Tesla Inc is the most established player.