Haryana, Chhattisgarh unveil new EV policies, eye a share of the manufacturing pie

Indian states of Chhattisgarh and Haryana have released their EV policies with a view to accelerate adoption and manufacturing. Haryana has cleared the provision of subsidies and exemptions up to Rs10 lakh as part of an early bird benefit transfer scheme. For manufacturers, the state is offering 100% reimbursement of stamp duty along with exemptions on electricity duty for 20 years. Manufacturers will also be eligible for reimbursements up to 50% of the net SGST and an employment generation subsidy of Rs48,000 per employee per year for 10 years. The state has also renewed its pledge of converting its state transport bus fleet to 100% non-fossil fuel based by 2030. Targeting research and development in the emergent technology, Haryana has provided multiple grants and subsidies.

The Chhattisgarh government, meanwhile, has offered grants to cover 25% of the upfront costs of setting up manufacturing plants and machinery. The government has also promised the allocation of 500-1,000 acres of land to set up an EV manufacturing park. Consumers will be provided exemptions on registration fees and road taxes in a staggered fashion over the next five years. Capital subsidies of 25% up to a maximum of Rs.10 lakh per station will be provided for the first 300 fast charging stations in the state and 100% reimbursements of SGST for charging and swapping stations has been approved. The state aims for 15% of all new vehicle registrations by 2027 to be electric.

US: 16 states suing US Postal Service over lack of commitment to EVs

The US Postal Service will be sued by 16 states, including Delware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, over its lack of commitment to switching the majority of its fleet to EVs. The lawsuit states that the USPS has committed to converting only 20% of its 165,000 gasoline delivery trucks—that run at an average fuel economy of 8.2mpg — in its future plan, called Next Generation Delivery Vehicles. The service’s union itself is said to be open to the transition, but its decision makers reportedly overestimated the cost of EVs (as replacement vehicles) and massively underpriced the price of gasoline 20 years down the line in its assessment of what vehicles would be the most suitable replacements. 

Also, the lawsuit, jointly being filed by CleanAir Now and Sierra Club, alleges that the 30-year old trucks are bad for the air pollution profile of the routes they service, and that by not investing in EV chargers that could also be used by the general public, the USPS is depriving itself of an additional revenue stream. The service defended itself by saying that the upfront cost of acquiring EVs to convert 95% of its fleet would be too high to be justified over the 20-year lifespan of the vehicles. 

China: CATL unveils 1000-km EV battery

China’s EV manufacturing giant, CATL, unveiled its latest iteration of EV batteries and the new technology will enable an EV to run 1,000 kms on a single charge. Named Qilin, the battery is the third iteration of the manufacturer’s cell-to-pack (CTP) technology and boasts a class-leading energy density of 255Wh/kg, besides improved thermal stability. It can also be fully recharged in 10 minutes under fast charging and is slated to hit commercial production in 2023. 

India signs deal with Australia for critical minerals

India’s Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL) signed a three-year MoU with Northern Australia to source critical minerals that it needs for its solar power and EV industries. Worth AUD 5.8million, the deal comes at a time when the supplies of lithium and other minerals from Ukraine’s Donbas region, important to the global energy industry, have been constrained over Russia’s military invasion of the country. India’s new deal will require an initial investment of USD 6 million (from both sides) for due diligence and to identify the best spots for extraction. 

US: Mississippi posts highest uptake of alternative vehicles since 2014, Florida posts 0% 

A new survey revealed that the US state of Mississippi had posted a 241% growth in its uptake of alternative vehicles — mostly EVs — since 2014, which was the highest of all states. The figure was surprising as the state sits in a region that traditionally favours gasoline cars, much more so than California, Washington or Oregon. The second highest rate of adoption came from Hawaii (116.5%), and Utah posted 97%, with both the states again not being the expected markets for electric vehicles. On the other hand, Florida’s rate of adoption stood at 0%, but the worst performers were South Carolina and South Dakota, where the share of the vehicles had actually shrunk since 2014. 

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