1. BluSmart places an order of 500 MG ZS EVs.
BluSmart, India’s largest electric cab service provider, has placed an order of 500 MG ZS EVs. BluSmart's partnership with MG India comes at a time when the company is expanding its operations in Delhi-NCR & Bengaluru. These 500 electric SUVs will be a part of BluSmart’s premium fleet.
The MG ZS EV sports a 50.3 kWh battery pack which gives a range of 461 km. Features include rain-sensing wipers, panoramic sunroof, full digital cluster with embedded touchscreen, parking camera with sensor & tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS).
Recently, MG Motor India has partnered with Lohum Cleantech to reuse & repurpose EV batteries.
2. Data showing state-wise power consumption by EV charging stations released.
EVs which were charged in charging stations across India consumed 204.99 MU (million units) of power in FY23. State-wise data from power distribution companies (DISCOMs) has been collected and released for the 1st time ever by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). This data is only from EV charging stations and does not include home charging units. As per the data, Delhi consumed the maximum amount of power. A total of 115.317 MU of power was consumed by EVs in the capital city.
After Delhi, comes Maharashtra with a total consumption of 57.282 MU. Gujarat came third with a total of 25.07 MU.
3. ChargeZone announces achievement of a major milestone and funding plans.
Charge Zone has installed more than 1500 charging stations across 33 cities, covering more than 15,000 km of highway across India.
Along with this milestone, the company also announced plans to raise $125 million (Rs 1030 crore) as part of its Series A2 funding round. These funds will mainly be deployed to accelerate the next phase of expansion of its EV charging network along national & state highways. The company states that highways and urban charging has emerged as its fastest-growing and most profitable business verticals over the last three quarters. With the next phase of expansion underway, ChargeZone aims to raise a fresh round of investments to achieve its target of 5000 fast-chargers on national & state highways by 2025. At present, 80% of their charging stations are Company Owned Company Operated (COCO) while the remaining 20% are under a Dealer Owned Company Operated (DOCO) scheme.
4. Honda planning an electric version of the newly-launched Elevate SUV.
Honda India recently unveiled the Elevate SUV. The company plans to introduce an electric variant of the same within the next three years. At present, the Elevate comes with just one engine option, a 1.5-litre petrol engine. The company has also confirmed that the Elevate won’t get Honda City’s strong-hybrid tech. The decision to not offer a hybrid version of the Elevate is mainly due to cost constraints.
Auto experts expect the Elevate EV to be priced around Rs 20 lakh when launched. It will compete with the MG ZS EV. SUVs and compact SUVs have emerged as the biggest segment in India’s passenger vehicle market and Honda has timed its entry just at the right time.
5. EV charging startup 82Volt raises funds.
Bengaluru-based EV charging startup '82Volt' has closed its seed funding round and raised Rs 5 crore from undisclosed angel investors. The company provides a range of AC & DC charging solutions as well as software solutions. The company aims to expand its team, its geographical reach and to provide end-to-end charging solutions that includes fast and slow charging, CMS and energy storage solutions.
For complete EV charging solutions, explore the Kazam website.
