1. Delhi municipal body to increase EV charging network.
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) will expand its EV charging network and begin battery swapping services at some of the stations. Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Ltd (REIL) and Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd (KELTRON) have reached out to the NDMC for installing these public EV charging stations. NDMC Vice-Chairman gave a statement: “We will ask the PSUs to survey and put forward their plans. We will then analyze them and select the best plan to take the matter forward.”
2. Ola Electric opens 500th showroom in India.
Ola Electric recently opened its 500th ‘experience centre’ in the country at Srinagar (J&K). The company now has India’s largest direct-to-consumer (D2C) auto retail network.
Ola Electric has adopted a distinctive D2C model which allows direct sales to customers without the involvement of dealerships. By doing away with intermediaries, the company’s network prevents additional costs associated with dealerships, thus bringing down the price of the electric scooters. Ola Electric now has presence in 300 cities. The company has achieved this feat in less than eight months since opening its first experience centre in Pune. Ola now aims to increase the number of outlets to 1000.
In April 2023, Ola Electric recorded its highest-ever monthly sales and stood at the top of the electric two-wheeler sales table for the 8th consecutive month.
3. TVS Motors divulge EV plans.
TVS Motors will invest Rs 700 crore to introduce new products in its EV and ICE portfolio. As part of its EV push, the company is planning to launch a gamut of EV products including electric three-wheelers and is evaluating potential export markets. The company is studying its existing products and finalizing opportunities with respect to new vehicles in both EV & ICE segments. Experts predict that TVS Motors will go the Mahindra way and will roll-out an extensive electric portfolio soon.
TVS is positive about outperforming the industry, both in domestic & overseas markets. The company’s upcoming electric three-wheelers, in the passenger & cargo segments, are likely to be launched in the next quarter.
4. Delhi Government working on new EV Policy.
The Delhi Government has started working on ‘Delhi EV Policy 2.0’ for the next three years. The 2020 Delhi EV Policy expires in August 2023. Officials claim that 86% of the policy targets have been achieved so far. The revised policy is expected to include areas that have not been explored till now including setting-up private EV charging stations, electrification of commercial heavy vehicle fleets, increasing electric car sales, etc.
At present, 11% of all new vehicles registered in Delhi are EVs. EV adoption is higher in categories like electric three-wheeler cargo vehicles & electric cabs with 62% & 45% market share respectively.
5. Telangana begins intercity electric bus service.
Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) has launched 10 electric buses on the busy Hyderabad-Vijayawada route. TSRTC will operate 50 electric buses between the two cities. The remaining will be green-flagged in a phased manner by the end of 2023. These buses have been named ‘E-Garuda’. These buses are 12-meter long, 41-seater AC buses with vehicle tracking feature. The E-Garuda has a range of 325 km.
The corporation is also planning to ply 10 double-decker electric buses in Greater Hyderabad area soon.
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