1. Volkswagen reveals its first electric car for the Indian market.

Volkswagen India has unveiled its first electric car for the domestic market in the form of electric SUV ‘Volkswagen ID.4 GTX’. Outside India, the ID.4 comes with a 77.4 kWh battery pack which gives an impressive range of 500 km. The car supports DC fast-charging and can be charged up to 80% in just 36 minutes. The electric SUV can accelerate from 0-100 km/hr in 6.2 seconds.

The ID.4 GTX gets a touchscreen infotainment system, a smaller screen for the driver, automatic climate control, panoramic sunroof, wireless phone charger and seven airbags. It is likely to come as a completely built-up unit (CBU) and expected price is Rs 45 lakh. When launched, the car will compete with Hyundai Ioniq 5 & Kia EV6.

2. Indian Army and Air Force to get EVs and EV chargers.

India’s Ministry of Defence has issued a 'Request for Proposal (RFP)' to procure 439 light electric vehicles and 35 EV fast-chargers. The procured EVs will be divided between Army & the Air Force, which will get 415 & 24 EVs respectively. The EV fast-chargers will also be divided between the army and air force, with each getting 29 & 6 chargers respectively. The procurement will be under the ‘Indian-IDDM’ category, which involves a minimum indigenous content of 50%. The proposal mentions orders for light electric vehicles in a 4-wheel, 5-door configuration, capable of accommodating 5 people with storage space in the back. The performance specifications mentioned include a top speed of not less than 120 km/hr and the ability to climb a gradient of 15 degrees in fully laden/loaded condition.

3. Multibrand EV retailer BLive introduces Green Hospitality Program.

Multibrand EV platform BLive has launched a ‘Green Hospitality Program (GHP)’, to promote clean mobility in the hospitality sector. It aims to deliver a unique eco-friendly experience to guests inside a hotel/resort, by providing EVs for all internal transportation.

BLive will provide a one-stop solution for hospitality companies to help them buy, rent or lease EVs in a seamless manner. The company will deploy EVs on a ‘lease-to-own’ model and provide service & maintenance for the same.

Under the Green Hospitality Program, BLive will provide its partners a gamut of EV options including electric cycles, electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, four-wheelers, with EV charging stations on their properties. In the first stage of this program, BLive has partnered with JW Marriott & Novotel. Till date, the company has provided 5 e-cycles to Marriott, EV charging facilities at Novotel and electric three-wheelers to a couple of resorts in Goa.

BLive plans to include 200 hotels/resorts in this program over the next 2 years.

4. Sheraton Hyderabad embraces an all-electric fleet.

Sheraton Hyderabad has introduced an all-electric fleet for guest transportation & other operational needs. The hotel has also installed two EV charging stations on its property, with each station capable of accommodating two electric cars at the same time. Sheraton Hyderabad has also installed rooftop solar panels to channel renewable energy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

5. Tata Power to set up 20 EV charging stations in Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu).

Tata Power has joined hands with Coimbatore Municipal Corporation to install 20 public EV charging stations in the city. With the addition of these 20 charging stations, the total number of EV charging stations installed by Tata Power in Tamil Nadu would go up to 116.

Users will be able to access these charging stations via the Tata Power EZ Charge app which helps in locating the nearest charging station, remote monitoring the charging process & e-payments.

For complete EV charging solutions, explore the Kazam website.