1. India & Japan join hands for affordable EV charging standards

The 2 countries aim to develop EV charging stations based on Japanese charging standards that will reduce installation costs by two-thirds (as reported by Nikkei Asia). The CHAdeMO Association, the organization which overlooks the Japanese charging standard, will work with India’s standards drafting committee. The committee plans to submit the final draft proposal to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) this year itself.

According to reports, the joint proposal lays down specifications for the proposed charging stations that feature a maximum output of 22KW (half the output for charging stations in Japan).

The cost of installation, which currently falls in the range of $15,000-$23,000, will come down significantly to around $10,000.

2. Tata Ace EV launched in India

Tata Motors launched the electric version of its popular small truck Ace. The new Ace EV has been launched exactly 17 yrs after the introduction of the original Ace. The company says that the new electric truck will serve ‘intra-city’ purposes.

Tata Motors claims a certified range of 154 kms. The truck gets an advanced battery cooling system & regenerative braking system to boost the driving range. The Ace EV is likely to be priced at around Rs.7 lakh.

Tata Motors has also tied up with e-commerce & logistics companies like Amazon, Big Basket, Flipkart, etc and will deliver 39,000 Ace EV units to these firms.

3. India’s 1st biogas-powered EV charging station was set up in Mumbai

The country’s first biogas-powered EV charging station was inaugurated on 9th May in Mumbai. The charging station can generate 220 units of energy from household waste. This energy will be used to charge electric vehicles and power street lights. The organic waste will be collected from nearby areas, mostly from bulk generators like hotels and offices.

The charging station is located at Keshavrao road near Haji Ali.

The Municipal Corporation (BMC) is now planning to set up organic waste-powered EV charging stations in each of the 24 administrative wards in Mumbai.

4. EV charging hub, capable of charging 50 cars together, launched in Bangalore.

The public charging hub will cater to electric cars as well as two & three-wheelers.

This hub, set up by Fortum, is located at Forum Neighborhood Mall at Whitefield in the city.

The facility has ten 60KW CCS charging points, four 15KW DC001 charging points, and thirty-six 7.4KW Type-2 AC charging points which allow 50 cars to be charged simultaneously.

5. Toyota Group to invest Rs.4800 crore to make EV parts in India.

Toyota Group companies are planning to invest Rs.4800 crore ($624 million) in Karnataka to make EV parts including powertrain components. Toyota has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Karnataka state govt. This investment is likely to add 3500 new jobs.

The Toyota Group gave out a statement: “Toyota Group would be making an investment of around Rs 4,800 crore. We are doing this in the spirit of 'go green, go local' and our aim is to contribute to the country's mission of faster reduction of carbon emissions and Make In India.”

6. ATUM Charge installs 1st solar-powered EV charging station in Mumbai.

ATUM Charge, an EV charging solutions provider, installed Mumbai’s first solar-powered electric vehicle charging station in Malad (North Mumbai).

The charging station comes with a 5.2KW solar roof. The station comes with 16 universal charging units. The company claims that the charging station’s entire functioning is 100% solar (from power generation to EV charging).

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