Minister’s 5,000 cr plan, Merc chief says 2030 target rushed, UPS books 125 Tesla trucks

Eyeing an all-EV fleet by 2030, Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari has said the Centre plans to invest Rs 5,000 crore in electric buses and bus ports across the country. The state government of Delhi is also planning a policy shift away from fossil fuels and is keen to induct e-buses. The Centre has also been urged to subsidise e-buses and the power that will be used to charge them.

Smart EV charging stations for India

India is likely to get nearly 150 smart EV charging stations over the next year, as Fortum India launched Delhi’s first smart EV charging station. It will be powered by electricity from NTPC, the largest power generator in the country. The chargers will be able to identify EV owners using radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology.

All-EV by 2030 ‘not viable’, e-cars ‘won’t be cheaper than petrol vehicles’

Meanwhile Mercedes-Benz and Maruti Suzuki (India’s largest car manufacturer) aren’t very optimistic about India’s 2030 all-EV target. R C Bhargava, CEO of Maruti Suzuki, has said electric cars won’t be cheaper than fossil fuel cars “for a long time” unless the government promotes mass-adoption of EVs, and that the Indian car market will grow to around 9-10 million units annually by 2030, of which “only around 40% will be electric”.

Mercedes-Benz India MD Roland Folger has said the 2030 target looks rushed, and that over the next two decades the whole world will be driving hydrogen cars, and not electric cars.

BMW hits 100,000 EV target for 2017, aims 500,000 by 2019

German carmaker BMW aims to more than double the number of electric and hybrid vehicles it has sold to 500,000 by the end of 2019. It has hit its target of selling 100,000 fully electric cars this year. Meanwhile, Toyota plans to market over 10 EV models in the early 2020s.

Move over lithium-ion, solid state batteries ‘safer, cheaper’

Honda Motor is considering developing all solid-state batteries for EVs. Toyota and Volkswagen are also developing all solid-state batteries, which offer more capacity and better safety than conventional lithium-ion batteries by replacing their liquid electrolyte with a solid, conductive material.

EV shift: Good old spark plug to go solid-state battery way

Sensing the imminent end of gasoline engines, NGK – the world’s biggest maker of spark plugs – is turning its focus to electric vehicles and planning to make next-generation solid state batteries.

China dumping subsidised e-bikes in EU?

The European Commission is investigating whether Chinese manufacturers of e-bicycles imported into the EU have benefitted from excessive state subsidies. The investigation is yet another addition to existing enquiries into dumping of Chinese e-bikes into Europe.

Over 120 electric cars models, anyone buying?

Experts say ‘panic & promise’ is driving automakers to unleash a barrage of more than 120 electric car models that no one seems to want yet. There will be more than 100 different battery-powered vehicles out in five years, seemingly ‘despite little demand’.

Grocery retailer books 125 Tesla semi-trucks, largest public pre-order yet

United Parcel Service (UPS) is buying 125 of Tesla’s all-electric Semi-trucks. At nearly $200,000 for each truck, the order amounts to about $25million in Tesla’s coffers.

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