Gogoro & Hero Motocorp partner on electric transportation in India

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November 4, 2022

The latest step taken by Saudi Arabia to achieve its Vision 2030 aim of reducing its reliance on oil and diversifying its economy is the formation of a joint venture between its sovereign wealth fund and Foxconn to produce and sell electric vehicles. According to the statement made on Thursday, the new business, known as Ceer, will use BMW component technology to design, produce, and market a variety of EVs. The electrical architecture of the vehicles is being developed by Foxconn, the massive Taiwanese manufacturing company that produces Apple’s iPhones. According to Saudi Arabia, this will result in a “portfolio of products” in the fields of infotainment, connectivity, and autonomous driving technologies.

The first EV brand in Saudi Arabia, Ceer, according to the Saudi Public Investment Fund, or PIF, will bring in more than $150 million in foreign direct investment and generate up to 30,000 direct and indirect jobs. A significant component of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 strategy is foreign direct investment, or FDI. The nation unveiled a national investment strategy last year with the goal of achieving more than $100 billion in FDI yearly by 2030.

The Ceer brand is anticipated to contribute $8 billion to the kingdom’s GDP by 2034, according to the PIF.

credit: techcrunch

PIF has invested heavily in EVs and other clean technology on its own. 2018 saw the PIF make a $1 billion investment in Lucid Motors, making it the company’s largest shareholder. The PIF, which owns 61% of Lucid, pledged to acquire 50,000 of the company’s EVs in the spring of 2022, with an option to buy a further 50,000 over a ten-year period.

Foxconn has been advancing its presence in the automobile industry, particularly in relation to EVs. Lordstown Motors and Fisker have contracts with Foxconn to develop electric vehicles. Additionally, it collaborated with Taiwanese carmaker Yulon Group to create the Model C, an electric SUV. Foxconn Chairman Liu Young-way stated that he hoped to emulate the company’s success in creating consumer electronics by developing EVs for automakers in October at its third annual Hon Hai Tech Day event.

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Electra EV raises $25 million USD in funding from GEF Capital Partners

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November 4, 2022

Ratan Tata’s electric mobility firm, Electrodrive Powertrain Solution or Electra EV, has received roughly USD 25 million in funding from GEF Capital Partners. Electra EV was founded in 2017 and specialises in the design, development, integration, manufacturing, and supply of EV powertrain systems for both passenger and commercial vehicle markets.

Its products include complete systems with battery packs, e-traction systems, integrated electronics, sub-systems, and components for use in two- and three-wheelers, four-wheelers, and electric vehicle (EV) applications in the agricultural and off-highway markets, among other areas.

In a statement released on Thursday, Electra EV said that it would use the money it had raised to extend its product line to include e3 Wheelers, e4 Wheelers, agricultural applications, and other EV categories in order to better serve both domestic and foreign manufacturers.

According to the statement, Electra EV intends to expand manufacturing capacity in order to handle rising demand as well as further improve its design, testing, and prototyping capabilities.

“This fund raise provides us with both financial wherewithal and a like-minded partner like GEF Capital to help us continuously innovate, and acquire new customers in India and overseas, thereby achieving our vision of transforming the global movement towards cleaner fuels,” said Samir Yajnik, Executive Director at Electra EV.

Private equity fund manager GEF Capital Partners specialises on investing in businesses that try to combat the negative effects of climate change.

“The EV ecosystem is currently at a pivotal stage, and we believe Electra EV’s differentiated proposition of high-end performance, safety, and affordability provides a strong growth opportunity. We are excited to partner with Electra EV in its next phase of growth and development,” GEF Capital’s Managing Partner Sridhar Narayan said in the statement.

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Electric Vehicles makers need to take some additional new Safety Tests starting April 2023

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November 4, 2022

Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (EVs) must comply with a set of safety tests starting in April 2023 in order to be eligible for subsidies under various EV promotion programmes, according to the Ministry of Heavy Industries. The ministry stated in a circular on November 2 that these tests will increase the human safety of the battery used in these cars by mandating inspections at three levels: the battery pack, battery management system (BMS), and the cell.

Vehicles manufactured and marketed under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles or Fame programme as well as those produced under the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for automobiles must meet the testing requirements. Additionally, batteries made in accordance with the PLI for advanced chemistry cells will be subject to the additional testing (ACC).

The letter stated that there would be six new tests for cells, including temperature cycling and altitude simulation. In a temperature cycling test, the lithium ion cell’s response is evaluated when the chamber temperature is raised and maintained at a high level. On the other hand, altitude simulation is a test to see if the Electric Vehicles batteries don’t blow up or catch fire when kept at a certain temperature and absolute pressure.

At the battery pack level, there are a total of five new tests, and there are eleven new tests for the battery management system. The circular states that these additional tests also involve falling or letting battery packs fall freely to check that lithium ion batteries do not blow up or catch fire when subjected to a variety of potential abuses as per international standard IEC-62133-2.

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MoEVing successfully raises $2.5 million from its JSW Ventures

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November 4, 2022

Commercial electric mobility Technology platform MoEVing raised $2.5 million from JSW Ventures. With this investment, venture capital firm JSW Ventures officially enters the electric vehicle (EV) market. MoEVing, which was founded in 2021, runs 1,500 electric vehicles—including 2- and 3-wheelers—across 15 cities. Over 30 multi-modal charging facilities have been established nationwide by it.

“India has the potential to become an EV-first country. The push to EVs will mean a complete rethinking of the transportation ecosystem, which in many places has to be built ground-up. MoEVing is working to do that in the commercial EV space as we strongly believe that EV adoption will be driven by commercial transportation, especially in the first/last mile delivery space,” Vikash Mishra, co-founder & CEO at MoEVing said.

The money generated will be used primarily to improve its driver partners’ access to electric mobility platforms. It will also be applied to city expansion. MoEVing has so far raised up to $10 million with the most recent round.

“MoEVing’s full-stack platform approach is unique and has global relevance to support the acceleration of EV adoption across sectors. Our investment recognizes the opportunity for MoEVing to grow exponentially by capitalizing on the early EV wave as Indian businesses transition their supply chain to electric mobility,” Sachin Tagra, Partner at JSW Ventures, said.

A pre-series A through series A+ venture capital firm specialising in platform and SaaS investments, JSW Ventures is a part of the group by the same name. India is poised to see a $1 billion private equity investment in electric vehicles this year alone. By 2070, the Indian government likewise wants to reach the “Net Zero” carbon emissions goal.

According to the McKinsey India report 2022 on “Decarbonising India,” India is the third largest emitter in the world, producing 2.9 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide annually, or 4.9% of annual worldwide emissions. Almost all of these pollutants are contributed by the automotive industry.

“Favourable unit economics, positively evolving regulatory framework and the deepening efforts by companies in India to meet the targeted green goals is driving stronger demand and adoption of commercial EVs,” MoEVing stated. The Gurgaon-based company aims to decrease 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide by the end of this financial year.

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Gogoro enters fleet segment in India with Zypp Electric, Will Offer e-Scooters For The Common Man

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Avik Roy

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November 4, 2022

Gogoro enters fleet segment in India with Zypp Electric, Will Offer e-Scooters For The Common Man

Gogoro Inc, a global technology leader in battery swapping ecosystems that enable sustainable mobility solutions for cities, today announced a strategic B2B initiative and partnership with Zypp Electric, India’s leading EV-as-a-Service platform. Together, the companies are focused on accelerating the urban shift of logistics fleets and last mile deliveries to electric using battery swapping.

Gogoro and Zypp plan to launch their B2B pilot in Delhi next month. It will focus on last-mile delivery fleets and will include Gogoro Network GoStations, Gogoro Smart Batteries and Gogoro Smarscooters.

Gogoro partners Zypp Electric for battery swapping pilot

Zypp Electric is India’s leading EV-as-a-Service platform. The company’s mission focuses on decarbonizing last-mile deliveries in India with an ecosystem of electric vehicles and EV-based technology. The company handles daily deliveries for everything, from local merchants to e-commerce giants, using its fleet of over 7,000 EVs.

India, like many Asian countries, relies heavily on fast and efficient two-wheeled vehicles, including scooters and motorcycles, that can weave through gridlocked traffic and take routes that are inaccessible to larger four-wheeled vehicles.

With the electric scooter and motorcycle market booming in India, Gogoro and Zypp are set to take full advantage of Gogoro’s battery swapping as an effective tool to keep those EVs on the road instead of parked at a charging station. In the international market, Gogoro has partnered with over 10 OEMs including Yamaha and Suzuki Taiwan for its battery swapping modular technology for electric two-vehicles.

The company has partnered with Foxconn to localise battery technology in the country for their swapping network. However, it is also evaluating plans to expand this partnership to electric vehicle manufacturing. “We are teaming up our technology with Foxconn’s manufacturing investments to localise battery technology in India,” the CEO said.

According to Kaushik Burman, General Manager of India for Gogoro, the partnership with Zypp is a first step in validating and demonstrating Gogoro’s proven leadership in battery swapping while also learning from local businesses and riders. “Gogoro is a founding member of the Indian battery swapping association (IBSA) and we are collaborating with multiple industry partners and regulatory authorities to contribute to a better India. “Gogoro has been working to secure all of the relevant certifications for its batteries and battery swapping stations,” Burman added.

For starters, both companies will run a pilot programme across Gurugram, Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Bengaluru where Zypp will use Gogoro’s 2 Series e-scoot and also its renowned battery-swapping technology. In terms of styling the e-scoot looks properly modern and unmistakably electric. There are no sharp lines and creases like on traditional sporty scooters, but the smooth flowing lines do remind us of the Ola S1, especially from the side profile.

Electric Scooter sales shoot up in India during October 2022

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November 3, 2022

TotalEnergies introduces their EV Fluid Line of Hybrid Vehicles in India

According to information found on the government website Vahan, sales of electric two-wheelers reached an all-time high in October 2022 with over 75,000 units sold. Multiple new product launches, increased production capacity with many OEMs, and holiday season demand are all responsible for the significant increase in sales. With 52,975 units sold in October 2021 compared to this year’s September and August numbers of 51,213 units each, there has been a rise of 30%.
For the second consecutive month, Ola Electric once again claimed first place.

The electric scooter manufacturer claims to have sold 20,000 units of the S1 and S1 Pro, a record since the products were initially introduced in August 2021. However, based on data from the Vahan portal, which tracks car registrations, Ola Electric may have sold 15,065 units. In any case, the company’s sales appear to be outpacing the competition.

In October 2022, Ather Energy sold 8,213 units, representing a 122% increase year over year. According to the corporation, markets like Kerala, Maharashtra, and Karnataka have significant consumer demand. Another significant achievement for the business was the installation of more than 500 Ather fast charging grids throughout the nation and the Diwali delivery of 250 Ather 450X units in Bengaluru in a single day.

Ampere, an electric two-wheeler maker owned by Greaves Cotton, came in third in terms of sales in October after selling 9,173 units.

Hero Electric sold 8,348 units in October, hardly increasing sales from September. 8,018 items were sold by the business in the month before. Okinawa Autotech reported that in October 2022, it sold a record 17,531 retail units. The company’s electric scooters, both high-speed and low-speed, are included in the sales total. The demand for Okinawa’s electric scooters, such as the Praisepro, IPraise+, Okhi-90, Ridge+, LITE, R30, and Dual, is credited with driving up sales.

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Jeep Classic debut their Electric SUV concept design

Nitin Gadkari says EVs will become as affordable as petrol vehicles next year

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Avik Roy

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November 3, 2022

Nitin Gadkari says EVs will become as affordable as petrol vehicles next year

The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has some good news for people who have been waiting for EVs to become cheaper. As per the minister, electric vehicles will cost almost the same as their petrol counterparts by 2023. Gadkari shared the prediction while speaking at an event on Tuesday. The minister also spoke about the government’s intentions to ravamp the state of buses across India.

‘EVs to be as AFFORDABLE as petrol vehicles by 2023′ says Nitin Gadkari

Fuel demand in India hit highest levels in four months driven by the festive spirit in October, even as prices remained stagnant despite a drop in crude rates. As OPEC+ decided to cut output, oil from Russia outsold fuel from Saudi Arabia and Iraq to make it India’s biggest supplier in the past month. Although commercial LPG prices have been slashed by Rs 115, prices of petrol and diesel in Indian cities have remained unchanged, despite expectations of relief from Indian Oil.

Union Minister says EVs will become as affordable as petrol vehicles next year

With fossil fuels in focus, India’s road transport minister Nitin Gadkari has claimed that electric vehicles will be as affordable as petrol vehicles by next year. Electric Vehicles have already been adopted at Delhi airport to curb the severe air pollution which has been tormenting the national capital for days. Although states such as Haryana are working on generating revenues for farmers through ethanol from stubble to be mixed with petrol, stubble burning this year has added to Delhi’s air woes.

“For this, we need electrolysers. They are used in separating Hydrogen from Oxygen. India has the maximum electrolysers in the world,” Gadkari said. On a lighter note, Gadkari said that even his wife didn’t believe that a car can be run from the water energy. “That’s why, I decided to travel in a hydrogen car,” Gadkari said.

Sharing some additional data on the state of electric vehicle sales in the country, Gadkari said that the Electric Vehicle business in India soared by 800% with an estimated 17 lakh electric vehicles reportedly registered so far this year. Speaking about the electrification of the country’s buses, the minister said that it wants to ensure all diesel buses are converted into electric models. This would also help India move towards its goal of net zero emissions.

The Union Minister further spoke about hydrogen-powered vehicles, something that companies like Toyota are developing. However, it’s unclear whether these vehicles will gain more traction than upcoming electric cars. Meanwhile, companies like Ola are expected to launch electric cars over the next couple of years. While the government and various private enterprises are ramping up charging infrastructure, it’ll still be a while before electric cars can truly replace petrol cars.

TotalEnergies introduces their EV Fluid Line of Hybrid Vehicles in India

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November 1, 2022

On Tuesday, TotalEnergies Marketing India Private Limited (TEMIPL) announced the introduction of its new EV Fluid line of electric and hybrid vehicles, as well as electric bikes, in India.

“The new product ranges – Quartz EV Fluid for cars and Hi-Perf EV Fluid for bikes – have been developed specifically for drivetrain reducers, e-motors, e-transmissions and batteries in electric and hybrid vehicles,” the company said in a press release.

The specially formulated EV fluids have good compatibility with copper coils and the new polymer materials used in EVs, as well as improved electrical qualities against short circuits and static electricity. Additionally, they are created with superior anti-wear qualities, strong heat resistance, ultra-low viscosity for gear and bearing protection, and ideal temperature control with effective cooling.

TotalEnergies’ EV fluids are the product of a significant investment in research and development, partnership with automakers globally, and use of Formula E races as a testing ground for their EV fluids to help enhance vehicle performance, increase autonomy, and lengthen their lifespan.

With an emphasis on environmentally friendly and sustainable transportation options, India is accelerating EV adoption nationwide. The Indian electric car market is therefore anticipated to experience exponential growth during the following five years.

Rahman added that with this launch, TEMIPL brings its global experience and technical expertise to the Indian market. “Our products have been especially developed to meet the cooling, insulating and lubrication needs of all types of electric and hybrid vehicles to ensure that they remain in peak condition throughout their lifetime.”

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LML opens bookings for ’Star’ electric scooter

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Avik Roy

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November 1, 2022