Tag: Electric Vehicles EV

Hyundai IONIQ 5 launch in India: Check expected date, price, features and specifications

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Korean automaker Hyundai is likely to launch its first all-electric IONIQ 5 in the Indian market. The crossover-utility vehicle (CUV) has been spotted testing several times in the country. Earlier, Hyundai had hinted that the IONIQ 5 will arrive in the second half of this year, but the company did not provide a date.

However, the IONIQ 5 is expected to launch around Diwali this year. Some reports also suggest that the launch could happen early next year. Here is all you need to know about the upcoming Hyundai IONIQ 5 EV.

Hyundai IONIQ 5 India trim expected specifications

The IONIQ 5 will be based on the E-GMP platform, which stands for Electric-Global Modular Platform. The KIA EV6 is also based on the E-GMP which is a skateboard platform, unlike some other electric cars that are built on ICE platforms.

ALSO READ: Kia to launch ‘high-performance’ electric model of EV6 GT in India

In the global market, the IONIQ 5 is offered in both all-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive variants.

A dual-motor arrangement is included in the all-wheel-drive model with a motor mounted on both the front and back axles. The arrangement puts out a maximum of 306 horsepower and a maximum torque of 605 Nm.

The other variant is the rear-wheel-drive model, which has a solitary motor on the back axle. The motor generates 350 Nm of maximum torque and a max 169 horsepower. India is likely to get the rear-wheel-drive model as it will be less expensive. Hyundai may launch the all-wheel-drive model as well in future.

Battery and range

The global models of IONIQ 5 come with two battery pack options. The 72.6 kWh battery option provides a 481 km driving range, while the smaller 58 kWh battery provides a 385 km driving range. Hyundai is likely to launch the smaller battery pack option in India.

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Further, the IONIQ 5 is expected to come with a 350-kW fast charger, which can charge the battery from 10 percent to 80 percent in just 18 minutes.

Expected features

The IONIQ 5 is likely to get two 12-inch digital displays, one for the instrument cluster and the other for the entertainment screen. The IONIQ 5 is also likely to offer features such as BlueLink-connected car features, a panoramic sunroof, a sliding centre console, ambient lighting, dual-zone temperature control and more. For safety, the IONIQ 5 will likely have a variety of ADAS safety technologies, including lane-keep assistance, blind-spot recognition, and front collision avoidance assistance.

Expected Price

While the KIA EV6 range starts from Rs 59.95 lakh, Hyundai is expected to price the IONIQ 5 more competitively. The EV hatchback could have a sub Rs 50 lakh starting price (ex-showroom), which may go up to Rs 60 lakh ex-showroom, as per AutoX and Zigwheels.

ALSO READ: Travel in Mumbai for just Rs 9 during Diwali with BEST’s Super Saver offer`

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Hero Electric partners with Jio-BP for 2-wheeler EV charging, battery swapping solutions

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Hero Electric announced a partnership with Jio-bp on Thursday to charge electric two-wheelers. According to the agreement, Hero Electric customers will have access to Jio’s extensive bp charging and swapping network, which is also available to other cars, as per a statement from the electric two-wheeler company.

The companies will offer the best of their worldwide understanding in electrification to the Indian market, the statement added.

The EV charging and exchanging stations will operate under the brand Jio-bp pulse. Customers may use the Jio-bp pulse app to locate local charging stations and power their electric vehicles.

Additionally, Jio-bp is developing an electric mobility ecosystem that will benefit all stakeholders in the EV value chain, with the goal of becoming one of India’s major EV networks.

Hero Electric has a manufacturing facility in Ludhiana from where it manufactures a variety of electric scooters for a wide range of consumers.

Also read: Electric vehicles with or without batteries will be taxed at 5%, clarifies finance ministry

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Hero Electric joins hands with women-only delivery platform Even Cargo

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Hero Electric on Friday said it has joined hands with Even Cargo, the country’s first women-only delivery platform, to strengthen the last-mile delivery segment. The collaboration envisages women playing a crucial role in accelerating electric mobility adoption and increasing penetration in low-income communities.

As part of the tie-up, Hero Electric will aid Even Cargo to create the first-ever women-only delivery EV fleet by bringing over 10,000 women riders on the platform by 2025, further empowering them and creating employment opportunities. The fleet will be allocated across major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad.

“With the EV sector witnessing such swift expansion, numerous startups have chosen various talent competencies foraying into the segment generating widespread opportunities. Such B2B partnerships are all set to change the dynamics of the EV segment, where multiple players will exchange and utilise their expertise and strengths to grow together,” Hero Electric CEO Sohinder Gill said in a statement.

Also read: Ola Electric app to soon roll out eco mode and lock feature in MoveOS 2

The company will continue to leverage its resources and support more such communities to fasten EV penetration in the country, he added. ”The partnership has enabled us to bring India’s first women-only delivery fleet on electric bikes. We thank Hero Electric for their support in inducting more women riders into the last mile logistics from a single digit to a double-digit percentage by 2025,” Even Cargo COO Karina Bhasin noted.

This association will pave the way for providing women with safe, affordable, and reliable transportation, Bhasin added. Hero Electric has sold over 4.5 lakh electric two-wheelers in the country to date.

Also read: Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India plans entry into electric vehicle segment

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

This Surat-based company gifted e-scooters to its employees on Diwali

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Alliance Group, a Surat-based company which runs a business of embroidery machines, has gifted its 35 employees electric scooters on the occasion of Diwali.

The scooters, which appear to be Okinawa PraisePro, are priced at Rs 79,845 (ex-showroom). The move will help the company’s employees battle inflation and rising fuel prices. It will also contribute towards environmental protection, a company official said. “In view of increasing fuel prices and other factors we’ve decided to gift electric vehicles to our employees,” Alliance Group director Subhash Dawar told ANI.

Also read: HPCL working on plans to increase EV charging stations in partnership with Tata Power

The PraisePro, one of the high-speed Okinawa scooters, comes with a 2.0 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. It is powered by a 72 volt, 1,000 watts brushless DC motor which can generate peak power of 2,500 watts. The vehicle can pick up a top speed of 58km/h.

The e-scooter can be fully recharged using a micro-charger in less than three hours. On a single charge, the e-scooter can go up to 88 km. Okinawa gives a three-year or 30,000-km motor warranty on PraisePro and a three-year battery warranty.

Other thoughtful gifts

Other companies have also given thoughtful gifts to employees to celebrate this Diwali. Panasonic Life Solutions India has given bonuses, gift vouchers and paid leaves to its white-collar employees and factory workers.

This year, employers are giving special leaves around Diwali for employees to unwind and rejuvenate.

Also read: This CEO gifts 2 first-class air tickets to ‘anywhere in the world’ to its staff

Meesho, the e-commerce player is giving a company-wide break from November 4-14, “so that all employees get a well-deserved break right after our busy and frenetic festive sale season.”

PepsiCo India conducted a virtual celebration for its employees and their families and also gave an additional day off.

EVs on a roll

Meanwhile, India has seen a surge in sale of electric vehicles, with 1.18 lakh units being sold in the first half of this fiscal, which is about 90 percent of the total sales the previous fiscal. Till September, 58,264 units of electric two-wheelers and 59,808 units of three-wheelers were sold, according to data compiled by Centre for Energy Finance at Council on Energy, Environment and Water at Centre for Energy Finance (CEEW-CEF).

Also read: Bajaj Auto starts testing of electric three-wheeler, launch in early 2022

“Financial incentives by the central and state government are attracting new EV buyers whereas rising fuel costs are increasing the operational expenditure for ICE vehicle owners.” Rishabh Jain, Programme Lead of CEEW-CEF, said.

The government slashed excise duty on petrol and diesel on the eve of Diwali. The Centre cut petrol prices by Rs 5, while diesel prices were down by Rs 10 across India.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

M&M board gives in-principle approval to consolidation of step-down subsidiary with itself

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Mahindra & Mahindra on Friday said its board has given in-principle approval to consolidation of its step-down arm Mahindra Electric Mobility Ltd with itself, to provide requisite resources and direction to the electric vehicles (EV) business. The consolidation would categorise EV operations into two focussed verticals — last-mile mobility (LMM) and electric vehicle tech centre, the company said in a regulatory filing.

”Simplifying the structure will drive improvements through innovation, execution excellence, efficiencies and economies of scale. Additionally, it will unlock shareholder value,” it said. Under the plan, LMM will be provided complete ownership of the value chain for last-mile mobility solutions to drive growth and execution, it added.

Through the consolidation, the company aims to provide EV tech centre with depth of resources and synergy with M&M’s larger ecosystem of product development capacity in MRV (Mahindra Research Valley), North America and Europe while exploring partnerships and alliances. M&M Executive Director Rajesh Jejurikar said, ”Electric vehicles will be the future of the automotive business. To be future-ready, we believe that EVs should be part of the core and mainstream business.” He further said this intent to consolidate is part of the company’s strategy which aims to electrify various segments that will popularise e-mobility.

M&M said that with the EV business ”at an inflection point and poised to grow exponentially, this realignment will help in providing the requisite resources as well as the direction to realising targeted growth”. M&M said growth in the Indian EV sector has picked up pace in the recent past and is only going to accelerate further.

The company is focussed on the entire EV ecosystem, including last-mile connectivity, fleet mobility, personal mobility and R&D which will fuel growth through technology and innovation, it added.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Pandemic likely to delay penetration of electric vehicles: Ind-Ra

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The coronavirus pandemic is expected to delay the penetration of electric vehicles in India, as low affordability and the government’s priority on reviving existing conventional automobile industry shift the focus away from EVs in the interim, according to rating firm Ind-Ra.

The passenger vehicles (PVs) segment of e-mobility will face a double whammy, as consumers would be wary to buy a costlier EV than an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle, while original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) would refrain from incurring high Capex, India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) said in a statement.

”Low affordability and the government’s priorities on reviving the otherwise suffering auto industry could shift the focus away from EVs in the interim,” it added. Reduced affordability and lower economic activities due to the pandemic could result in the automobile industry recording a decline in sales of over 20 percent year-on-year for the second consecutive year in FY21, the agency said.

This is likely to impact the sales of EVs, which are costlier than an ICE vehicle. Two-wheelers have benefitted from rural demand and shift to personal mobility, and the segment could be the least impacted with regard to electrification due to better pricing and model choices, it noted. ”However, three-wheelers and buses, which have seen higher electrification in 2019, are among the most affected segments in FY21 and hence could see a delay in electrification,” Ind-Ra said.

Growth in buses may take a back seat as orders for city buses are largely from state transport undertakings, and state governments are already grappling with a falling GDP, it added. On the other hand, two-wheelers (2W), especially scooters, could see an upside due to the lower pricing delta between an EV and ICE and several models available to consumers. Though the EV penetration is likely to be faster in scooters, buses and three-wheelers (3W) in the medium term (defined as three to five years), PVs may take longer, the agency said.

”Ind-Ra also believes that underlying challenges in the adoption of EVs such as higher battery cost and reliance on imports would prevail in the medium term, and robust government policies would remain key for the development of EVs in the country,” it added. In terms of investments by automotive firms on EVs, Ind-Ra said, ”Amid the current slowdown, OEMs are unlikely to incur aggressive Capex over the electric platform. Segment-wise, PVs and CVs have seen e-vehicle launches by conventional OEMs; and hence are unlikely to see material progress in FY21-FY22”.

Stating that government measures remain key, it said that while the government has laid out Rs, 10,000 crore outlay over FY20-22 for faster EV adoption under the FAME-II policy, capping of subsidies at a specific vehicle price, which is Rs 15 lakh for an e-PV, limits the scope of EVs in the premium car segment. In case of e-two-wheelers, the FAME-II scheme has a stricter requirement for speed, range and energy, which excludes the majority of the models present in the Indian markets, Ind-Ra said.

”Moreover, the majority of e-2W and 2-3W run on the lead-acid battery while the subsidies are limited to EVs using lithium-ion battery. Though e-2Ws are gradually transitioning to lithium-ion batteries, e-3Ws may take longer due to cost viability,” it added. Ind-Ra believes that robust government support is imperative, as could be seen globally, for achieving the target of 30 per cent electrification by 2030.

”For example, China (over 50 percent of the global electric fleet) witnessed a subsidy programme of over USD 60 billion during 2009-2019. The Indian subsidy programme of Rs 100 billion (equivalent to USD 1.4 billion) is much smaller than China’s,” it said. Moreover, the incentives are capped at 20 percent of the vehicle cost in India compared to 30-50 percent in the initial years in China, and 35 percent in the United Kingdom. Thus, it becomes essential for the government to lay down more comprehensive policies, enhance incentives and ensure robust implementation of existing policies to increase EV adoption, it said.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Centre may ask vehicle makers to pay for pollution on failing to meet EV deadline, says report

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The government may ask 2- and 3-wheeler makers to pay up for causing vehicular pollution if they fail to meet the deadline to produce electric vehicles, Livemint reported.

The move, the report said, comes after the manufacturers failed to meet the deadline to submit their plans to convert a part of their internal combustion engine (ICE)-driven two-wheelers and all three-wheelers into electric. The manufacturers have sought four months for the same.

The government is considering a policy proposal to ban all ICE-driven two-wheelers under 150cc by 2025, and three-wheelers by 2023. Nearly 80 percent of the vehicles sold in the country are two- or three-wheelers, the report said.

As part of this, the Niti Aayog had asked executives of two- and three-wheeler makers to make a plan ready for the next five years for EV transition, and submit it within two weeks. However, the deadline was not met prompting the government to move with a stricter action, as per the report.

In case the companies do not meet the deadline, the centre is considering to impose “polluter pays” — a principal under which the victim of pollution has to be compensated while the manufacturer also has to pay for the cost of environmental degradation, a senior government official said, as mentioned in the report.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow