The new guidelines issued by the Centre for electric vehicles charging infrastructure now allow owners to charge their vehicles at their residences or offices using existing electricity connections. The new revised consolidated guidelines and standards for electric vehicle charging infrastructure were announced by the Centre on January 14. Further, the guidelines have been made technology-agnostic… Continue reading Now charge your EV using existing electricity connection, centre issues new guidelines
Category: Electric Vehicles India
Piaggio inks pact with MoEVing to supply electric vehicles
Commercial vehicle maker Piaggio Vehicles on Monday said it has partnered with EV fleet operator MoEVing for the induction of electric vehicles. MoEVing aims to add a total of 500 Piaggio Ape’ E-Xtra FX to the existing fleet by 2022, Piaggio said in a release. “We aim to increase our Ape’ E-Xtra fleet to 500… Continue reading Piaggio inks pact with MoEVing to supply electric vehicles
India’s Rs 26,000 Cr PLI Scheme for auto manufacturing cuts out EV startups
“For upcoming two-wheeler EV companies, those are lofty figures. Very few young Indian companies will even be eligible for this scheme, let alone benefit from it. The scheme will certainly be great for your Hyundais and Tatas, but unfortunately, it does little to accommodate two-wheeler EV companies in India,” a founder of a two-wheeler EV… Continue reading India’s Rs 26,000 Cr PLI Scheme for auto manufacturing cuts out EV startups
EV customers face charging roadblocks at residences, Niti Aayog assures changes
Q. How will the government ensure that residential complexes have accessible charging points as opposed to aggregated charging stations?- Charging stations typically refer to high-powered chargers that are used for more rapid charging of EVs in public locations. There are, at present, a few challenges of setting up charging for a private EV at residential… Continue reading EV customers face charging roadblocks at residences, Niti Aayog assures changes
Elon Musk’s push to expand Tesla’s driver-assistance to cities rankles a top safety authority
Chief Executive Elon Musk last week said drivers would soon be able to request an enhanced version of what Tesla calls its “Full Self-Driving Capability.” The upgrade is expected to add a feature intended to help vehicles navigate cities, expanding the suite of driver-assistance tools that had been designed mainly for highways. Jennifer Homendy, the… Continue reading Elon Musk’s push to expand Tesla’s driver-assistance to cities rankles a top safety authority
Why Tamil Nadu is becoming a hub of India’s Electric Vehicle revolution?
India’s top EV companies Ola, Ather Energy, Sri Varu Motors, Simple Energy, TVS Electric and Ampere are lining up in setting up their manufacturing facilities to make their e-scooters in Tamil Nadu while @Guidance_TN is now in talks with Exide & Amara Raja Tamil Nadu has an exclusive EV policy since 2019 that offers sops… Continue reading Why Tamil Nadu is becoming a hub of India’s Electric Vehicle revolution?
Ola Electric plans a billion-dollar fundraise
In July, Ola Electric raised $100 million from state-run Bank of Baroda to finance the first phase of construction of what the company claimed would be the world’s largest electric two-wheeler factory. On 15 August, Ola Electric unveiled its S1 and S1 Pro electric scooter models, taking on rival startups and established automakers such as… Continue reading Ola Electric plans a billion-dollar fundraise
Found: Reserves of lithium, critical for EV batteries near Bengaluru
Researchers at the Atomic Minerals Directorate have estimated lithium reserves of 14,100 tonnes in a patch of land surveyed in Mandya, 100 km from Bengaluru. The quantity, though is quite small compared to what China produces (8.6 million tonnes) – but will go a long way in making India fuel the EV revolution.
India currently imports all its lithium needs. It imported lithium batteries worth $1.2 billion in fiscal 2019, up from $384 million in FY17.
Launched: First electric bus service between Mumbai and Pune
The 43-seater capacity luxury electric bus has a range of 300 kms on a single charge and will run twice daily between Mumbai and Pune.
EV sales drop; FAME II subsidies need to be reworked
https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/two-wheelers/scooters-mopeds/electric-2-wheeler-makers-learning-to-survive-without-subsidy-fame-ii-not-worked-smev/73106482As per SMEV data, sales of FAME II qualified electric two-wheelers in April-December 2019 period stood at just 3,000 units as against 48,671 units in the year-ago period when FAME I was in place, a decline of 93.84 per cent.
The government needs to rework on FAME II, especially eligibility criteria based on range and battery power while also relaxing localisation level, which will be 75 per cent from March this year, up from 50 per cent since March 1, 2019.
No Driverless Cars in India: Nitin Gadkari [Reason: Not tech feasibility, but unemployment]
“Many times I am asked what about a driverless car? Then I say till the time I am the transport minister, you forget that. I will not allow a driverless car to come to India.”
Stating that India has a shortage of 22 lakh drivers, Gadkari said there was a need for growth of employment as well as the industry in the country.
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Tata enters EV space with Nexon; Priced at 15 lakhs; Range ~300 Km
https://www.indiatoday.in/auto/latest-auto-news/story/tata-nexon-electric-vehicle-unveil-today-launch-price-battery-range-other-details-you-should-know-1629528-2019-12-19The Nexon EV will mark the entry of Tata Motors into the electric compact SUV segment in India and will be priced around 15 lakhs.
The claimed range of the Nexon electric vehicle is nearly 300 km.
Tata Nexon EV will be the second premiere of the automobile manufacturer in December 2019, following the unveiling of Tata Altroz earlier this month.
Developing EV infrastructure in India will take time: Honda
“We have to talk with government how they are preparing the infrastructure for the right electric vehicle. Even in Japan, we are still talking with government,” he said. “We need infrastructure. If not, (then) people don’t want to buy (EVs).” , says Noriaki Abe, managing officer at Honda. As a technology, EVs have existed for… Continue reading Developing EV infrastructure in India will take time: Honda
Electric cars could be charged in 10 minutes in the future
https://www.livemint.com/auto-news/this-battery-can-solve-most-of-india-s-electric-car-problems-11572491337451.htmlResearchers at The Pennsylvania State University have claimed a breakthrough that could resolve the key concerns of range anxiety and recharge time – 10 minutes of charging for 200 miles (320 km approx.).
Published in the journal Joule, the researches say that charging at this speed requires the vehicle to take in 400 kilowatts of energy at a rapid pace. The current technology is constrained in this aspect as this may cause lithium plating, the build up of metallic lithium around the anode, degrading battery life.
To pull this off, the researchers would raise the temperature of the experimental battery to 60 degrees celsius during the charge cycle, and reduce it gradually as it was used.
Scaling up the design and ensuring safety during the temperature elevation as well as the large amounts of energy transfer may take up to a decade, according to experts.
Lack of local battery manufacturing remains pain point for EV companies
While India’s ambitious EV drive continues, the lack of availability of high quality lithium-ion batteries locally remains a concern for EV companies as they are entirely dependent on imports from China. As batteries comprise up to and sometimes above 30 per cent of the cost of an EV, one of the most expensive components in… Continue reading Lack of local battery manufacturing remains pain point for EV companies
Launch of Maruti Suzuki Wagon R EV delayed
https://www.autocarindia.com/car-news/maruti-suzuki-wagon-r-ev-launch-delayed-414657Maruti Suzuki has revealed in a recent press conference that the expected launch date of its electric variant of Wagon R has been pushed beyond its original 2020 timeline. The car is expected to have a 130km range and support for fast-charging and was being tested over the past year.
Maruti Suzuki executives have told the media that the company believes the lack of EV charging infrastructure and high prices are a major impediment. Until these isses are resolved, the company appears to be more committed to introducing hybrid vehicles.
Competitors like Hyundai have already gone ahead and taken the plunge, having released the all-electric Kona earlier this year while Mahindra plans on bringing the XUV300’s fully electric variant next year.