1. Porsche launches its second electric car in India.
Porsche has launched its 2nd electric car in India, the Macan EV. The Porsche Macan EV is a 5-seater electric SUV which is available internationally in two variants: Macan 4 & Macan Turbo. In India, Porsche will offer just the Macan Turbo variant, priced at Rs 1.65 crore.
The Macan Turbo features a 95 kWh battery which gives a range of 591 km. The car can accelerate from 0-100 km/hr in just 3.3 seconds and the top speed is 260 km/hr. Inside, it comes with a 12.6-inch instrument cluster, a 10.9-inch infotainment system and an optional 10.9-inch touchscreen for the rear passengers. The foundation of the Porsche Macan is the ‘Premium Platform Electric’ (PPE) architecture, which is a collaborative undertaking between Porsche & Audi. In future, this platform will be used in upcoming electric cars like the Audi Q6 e-tron (expected in 2025) & Cayenne EV (expected in 2026).
The Macan EV is Porsche’s 2nd electric car in India after the Taycan. Bookings for the Macan Turbo have started and deliveries are expected to begin in the second half of 2024.
2. Hero MotoCorp-owned startup Surge introduces a unique EV.
Hero MotoCorp's EV startup Surge recently introduced a one-of-a-kind electric vehicle. Named the Surge S32, this unique modular electric three-wheeler can smoothly convert into an electric scooter. The S32 is Surge’s first product. It started trending on social media when industralist Harsh Goenka shared a tweet of the same.
Initially, the S32 comes across as an electric three-wheeled cargo vehicle with regular features like a front passenger cabin, windshield, wipers, headlights & turn indicators. But this is where the surprise starts. The three-wheeler can transition to a two-wheeler with the press of a button. The front windshield lifts vertically and an electric scooter emerges.
Another advanced feature of the vehicle is that it divides its battery between the three-wheeler & the scooter. There is an 11kWh battery for the three-wheeler & a 3.5kWh battery for the electric scooter. The three-wheeler has a top speed of 50 km/hr & the scooter has a top speed of 60 km/hr. The three-wheeler has a 500kg load-carrying capacity.
3. Ola launches e-bike taxi service in Delhi and Hyderabad.
Ola has launched e-bike taxi services in Delhi and Hyderabad. Ola e-bike services are priced at Rs 25 for 5 km, Rs 50 for 10 km and Rs 75 for 15 km.
In September last year, Ola had launched a pilot program of the same in Bengaluru. The pilot was deemed a success by the company. Now, the company plans to deploy more electric two-wheelers across Bengaluru, Delhi & Hyderabad in the next two months and gradually scale up its e-bike taxi service across the country by the end of 2024. Ola stated that the Bengaluru e-bike taxi pilot program proved its 'sustainable value proposition' for the consumer, driver & company. For the consumer, it offered lower prices. For the driver, it offered higher earnings. And for the company, it opened a new category. Now Ola is looking at mass deployments across the 3 cities: Bangalore, Delhi & Hyderabad. The company has also set-up an EV charging network in Bengaluru to service its electric two-wheeler fleet. It will build charging networks in all the cities it expands to.
The company is also attracting e-bike riders by promising them earnings of up to Rs 70,000/month. Ola is also renting out electric scooters in lieu of a security deposit of Rs 5000 to those who want to register as e-bike taxi riders. The charges for renting an e-bike depend on the number of bookings made. For fewer than 10 bookings, its Rs 300/day; for 10-14 bookings, its Rs 100/day and for 15-19 bookings, its Rs 50/day. And there are no rental charges for 20 or more bookings.
4. Electric variant of Jeep Compass in works.
Automobile company Jeep is working on the next generation of the Compass SUV and it will come to India soon. Along with petrol & diesel engine options, the company will also bring an electric variant as well. This will be Jeep’s 1st electric car in India.
Jeep is owned by Stellantis, a multinational automobile group. Stellantis had unveiled the STLA-M architecture last year, which will form the foundation of the electric variant of Compass.
Another group company, Citroen, is also expected to use this architecture for future models in India.
5. Tata Motors gives an update on the much-anticipated Altroz EV.
Tata Motors has officially confirmed that the Altroz EV will be launched in 2025. Shailesh Chandra, MD (Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles), gave a statement at the launch event of Tata Punch EV that Altroz EV is scheduled to arrive next year. He also revealed that after Punch, Curvv will come, followed by Harrier. Next year, the Sierra and Altroz will arrive.
The Altroz EV was first showcased by Tata Motors at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show and then, at the 2020 Auto Expo in Greater Noida. It is expected to feature a new front grille, a new teal blue colour & electric blue highlights all across the body. It will be based on the 'acti.ev' architecture which underpins the recently launched Punch EV.
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