India electric vehicle (EV) market trends
New product launches
Greenvolt Mantis electric bike to launch on 22 December: Portable battery chargeable in 2.5 hours
EV startup Greenvolt Mobility has announced that it will be launching its first ‘#Nochallan’ electric bike Mantis in major cities in India. For the pre-booked customers, Mantis is going to be priced at Rs 34,999 and after activation of dealerships, the price is going to be Rs 37,999. To ride a Mantis electric bike, one does not require a driving license, a PUC or registration. It is powered by a proprietary < 250-watt motor and controller. While Mantis has been designed and developed fully in house by Greenvolt, the removable lithium-ion battery is sourced from Waaree Energies Limited.
Tata to Unveil Nexon Electric SUV in India on 19 December
In around ten days from now, Tata Motors will finally unveil its electric variant of the Nexon SUV in the country. A few months back, Tata confirmed the Nexon EV is expected to be priced between Rs 15 lakh to Rs 17 lakhs, making it cheaper than the MG ZS EV and the Hyundai Kona. The electric SUV is expected to come with a range of about 300 km per charge, which should address most range-anxiety issues for daily driving needs.
Futuro-E Could Be Maruti’s Electric Car At 2020 Auto Expo
Maruti Suzuki has trademarked the name ‘Futuro-E’. This has set rumour mills buzzing, with the likeliest of explanations being that a concept by that name will be showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo. The WagonR EV’s launch has been delayed due to the lack of infrastructure. The Maruti EV is expected to be priced between Rs 10 lakh to Rs 12 lakh.
Piaggio Ape Electrik Electric 3-Wheeler Launch Date Announced
Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd (PVPL) India has announced the launch of its first electric three-wheeler, the Piaggio Ape Electrik. Slated to be launched on December 18, 2019, the new electric three-wheeler will be the first electric commercial vehicle from the company in India, and the company says it will “revolutionise last-mile mobility in India”. Like most existing Ape models, the upcoming Piaggio Ape Electrik is also likely to cater to both goods and passenger carrier segments and is likely to come with Lithium-Ion batteries.
Okinawa Oki100 electric motorcycle expected launch, design, price and specifications revealed
Okinawa’s new electric motorcycle has been codenamed Oki100 and it has been in development from the last two years. The motorcycle will start rolling off the production lines in a month or two. The Oki100 will be priced below Rs 1 lakh. This will make it the most affordable electric motorcycle in the market. The Oki100 is also the company’s first 100 per cent localised product. The motorcycle will have a detachable (swappable) Li-ion battery, with the range pegged at 150km. Okinawa has restricted the top speed of the bike to 100kmph.
MG Motor May Launch Sub-10 Lakh Electric Car in India
Following the launch of its ZS EV electric vehicle in India this week, Chinese-owned British automotive brand, MG Motor, has announced plans to possibly launch an ‘affordable’ electric car, priced under Rs. 10 lakh, in India. According to The Times of India (ToI), the company is also planning to have a robust e-vehicle eco-system and, has started a feasibility study to set up a battery assembly plant in Gujarat to power its electric vehicles.
Hyundai’s fuel cell EV India launch, Toyota Mirai demo & more
Hyundai Motor India Ltd said it was evaluating launching fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV, powered by hydrogen) and started feasibility study in India on the same. Parent company Hyundai Motors had launched the Nexo FCEV in China and other mature markets last year, and has announced $17-billion investments over the next six years towards FCEVs, which are claimed to be free from any greenhouse gas emissions.
Expansion plans
BYD to expand e-bus manufacturing in India, open bookings for electric MPVs
Chinese auto and electronics major BYD is planning to double its bus manufacturing capacity in India and will open bookings for its electric multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) product — T3 — soon, to tap the emerging electric vehicle (EV) market.
Lithium Urban To Procure Buses, SUVs To Expand Into New Segments
Lithium Urban is planning to buy around 20 electric buses from China’s BYD. The company is also looking to acquire 100 ZS electric SUV from MG Motor India. The company is also planning to mark its presence in the logistics segment.
UP government clears proposal for operation of 700 electric buses across 14 cities
The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday cleared a proposal for operation of electric buses as part of the public transport system in 14 cities across the state. UP Cabinet Minister Sidharth Nath Singh told reporters here that the electric buses will be inducted to boost sustainable means of transport.
As a temporary relief to pollution, 500 electric cabs to hit Delhi roads
Delhi-based startup Prakriti E-Mobility Private Limited has stated its plans to launch a fleet of electric vehicle cabs to combat the air pollution in its city. The company plans to introduce 500 electric vehicles in the first phase, which is expected to rise to 5,000 within the next two years.
Charging infrastructure
Delta To Strengthen Manufacturing To Tap India’s EV Charging Market
EV charger company Delta Electronics claimed it will be investing $500 Mn in the Indian market by 2026. Delta is working with automakers such as MG Motor. Its manufacturing facilities at Rudrapur and Hosur will be backed by a 125-acre Krishnagiri plant
Investments
Electric utility vehicle startup PiBeam raises Rs 5 Cr from GAIL (India)
Pi Beam, a startup engaged in building sustainable and affordable micro-mobility electric vehicles, has raised a bridge round of Rs 5 crore from GAIL (India) Ltd. Pi Beam builds connected e-vehicles, for two-, three-, and four-wheeler offerings for last-mile logistics, and shared and owned passenger movement. The startup has stated that Pi Beam is also the first Indian company to offer pedal-assisted electric trikes for logistics and passenger movement.
Hero Electric To Invest ₹ 700 Crore In Punjab
Hero Electric will be investing ₹ 700 crore in its Ludhiana facility in Punjab to strengthen its dealer network and increase the localisation levels along with investing in R&D and product portfolio. The electric two-wheeler maker has also tied up with the Government of Punjab to develop the EV infrastructure in the state and will be working in conjunction with the state government to attract existing and potential EV makers to further invest in the state.
Other interesting reads
Hero MotoCorp & Hyundai to Hike Prices from January in India
Two-wheeler market leader Hero MotoCorp and Hyundai have also confirmed that prices of its two and four wheelers selling in India will be hiked with the start of 2020
Electric Revolution: The Startups Driving India’s EV Ambition
India’s transport and mobility landscape has changed so dramatically in the past few years that it’s hard to imagine that this revolution is just the beginning. While the introduction of technology changed how Indians commuted to work and for their daily tasks, the infrastructure boost in terms of highways and ports have transformed shipping and intercity transport.
The year of electric vehicles – 2019: From India’s first electric SUV to Porsche, Aston Martin EVs
Electric vehicles are on the rise – in India and globally, but this wasn’t the reality even until last year. The year 2019 saw tremendous progress in the electrification of cars with all major auto manufacturers the world over now focussing on it.
Was 2019 a year of cheer for electric vehicle industry in India?
On many levels 2019 can be considered as a year of positive developments and synchronisation for India’s evolving electric vehicle industry. Throughout the year, the growth mode of industry kept multiplying with each passing day, be it in terms of government support and policies, influx of investments, introduction of new business or regulations.
100% Confident: In Nitin Gadkari’s Push for Electric Vehicle Adoption, a Promise of Crores of Jobs
Touting India’s huge potential in taking the lead in electric mobility, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said the adoption of electric vehicles would help reduce the government’s import bill substantially which in turn will help create “crores of jobs” in the country.’’One of the biggest challenges for us is imports. Our import bill for crude oil alone is Rs 7 lakh crore,” Gadkari said in a video message for the News18 Tech and Auto Awards, adding that if the switch from petrol and diesel vehicles can save Rs 2 lakh crore in import costs, that money would create employment.
What are hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and why they make more sense than EVs in India
With the current environmental degradation, it has become imperative that India starts moving towards alternative fuel technologies. Though all the focus right now is on BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles), there are several other forms of alternative fuel technologies which can be used, depending upon the travelling distance. At a recent event organised by Toyota Kirloskar Motors, in Delhi, the brand showcased its entire line-up of electric vehicles, which apart from the all-electric EQ, strong-hybrid Camry and Aqua, also had the Mirai, a fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV). Though much has been talked about BEVs, PHEVs (Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle) and strong hybrids, the idea of a fuel-cell electric vehicle continues to be misunderstood and considered not feasible.
Is India Ready For The First Generation Of Electric Vehicles?
Amid several possible solutions, many governments, including India’s, are betting big on the revolutionary electric vehicles (EV) market. India’s Niti Aayog proposes to push for full conversion to EVs from internal combustion engine (ICE) three-wheelers by 2023, and two-wheelers (for engines with or below 150 cc capacity) by 2025. Interestingly, even as auto giants including Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motors India, Tata Motors, Hero MotoCorp, TVS Motor and others are still struggling to adopt to EVs, many startups are quickly manoeuvring towards the EV goal of Indian government.
Global trends
Hyundai commits $17 billion to add electric, driverless cars
Hyundai Motor Co. will spend $17 billion over the next six years on new technology to help make the switch to electric and autonomous vehicles. Autonomous driving will soak up $1.3 billion of the total, Hyundai said. Hyundai said its goal is to electrify most new models by 2030 in key markets such as Korea, U.S., China, and Europe, with emerging markets such as India and Brazil following suit by 2035
Europe Gains Ground in Global Race to Sell Electric Cars
Europe is poised to lead global growth in electric-car sales next year as governments across the region offer consumers ever-sweeter incentives toward the purchase of new vehicles. With car manufacturers already facing the stark choice of either selling emissions-free vehicles or paying stiff EU penalties on polluting models, 2020 is shaping up as do or die for the industry. In Europe, sales of pure electric and plug-in hybrid passenger cars are expected to grow 35% in the first nine months of 2020, a rate far higher than China and North America, according to BloombergNEF.
China’s electric car sales slump, squeezing automakers
China accounts for half of electric vehicle sales worldwide, making any change in its market critical for the global industry. An industry shakeout lies ahead as novice Chinese producers that rushed into the market are forced to merge or close. Development costs are so high that global competitors including Volkswagen and Ford are teaming up to split the burden. In China, about 70% of the 1.2 million electric or gasoline-electric hybrid models sold over the past year went to government and company fleets. Almost 500,000 bought by consumers were in cities that offer incentives such as being exempt from registration fees or license plate waiting lists. Few real consumers buy EVs except when forced by regulations.