1. Draft of revised Karnataka EV Policy (2023-28) introduced.
The Karnataka state government has introduced a revised draft of its 2023-28 EV Policy which aims at attracting investments worth Rs 50,000 crore and creation of 1 lakh jobs. The draft also mentions incentives for cell components, strong hybrid vehicles, battery recycling facilities & EV testing-cum-certification infrastructure. It mentions plans to establish ‘model EV cities’ in Kalaburagi (formerly known as Gulbarga), Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad & Mysuru. The state government will also work with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to install EV charging stations at ten toll plazas between Bengaluru & Pune.
In 2017, Karnataka became the first state in India to launch an EV Policy.
2. Iconic British car company Lotus launches electric SUV in India.
British carmaker Lotus has launched its first car 'Eletre' in India. Prices of the high-performance electric SUV start from Rs 2.55 crore. The Eletre sports a massive 112 kWh battery pack which gives a range of 600 km.
Features include a 15.1 inch foldable touchscreen infotainment system and a 15-speaker Dolby Atmos system. The Lotus Eletre SUV comes with a five-seat setup but a four-seater version is also available as an option.
After the Eletre EV, Lotus is planning to bring the Emira sportscar to India in 2024.
3. EV charging company Servotech in news.
A recent stock exchange filing by Servotech Power Systems shows an allotment of 15 lakh company shares to Mauritius-based AG Dynamic Funds after the company received a bid from the FII. Servotech’s share allotment committee has allotted 15 lakh company shares at Rs 82 a piece. This amounts to an investment of Rs 12.30 crore from AG Dynamic. Apart from this, Forbes EMF and Minerva Ventures Fund have also been alloted 15 lakh company shares each at Rs 82 a piece.
Servotech was recently in news for formation of a wholly owned subsidiary ‘Servotech EV Infra’. Henceforth, the parent company will manufacture & supply EV chargers to the subsidiary which will do business as a Charge Point Operator (CPO). The formation of the subsidiary helps define the distinct roles of the two businesses and their individual interests.
4. Upcoming Maruti Suzuki electric car spotted testing.
Earlier in 2023, Suzuki announced news of its first electric car being co-developed with alliance partner Toyota. Later, Maruti Suzuki introduced the ‘eVX’, a pre-production concept of the earlier announced EV, at the 2023 Auto Expo in Greater Noida.
Recently, a near-production variant of the car made was exhibited at the Japan Mobillity Show in Tokyo.
A few months back, eVX test mules were spotted in Poland (Europe) conducting trial runs. Now for the first time, a test mule of the upcoming electric SUV was spotted on Indian roads in Gurugram (Haryana). Maruti’s first electric car in India, the eVX will feature a 60 kW battery pack that is likely to offer a range of around 500 km. Industry experts expect it to be priced between Rs 16 and 21 lakh. The car will compete with Tata Nexon EV, MG ZS EV, Hyundai Kona Electric and Mahindra XUV400 EV.
5. Amazon deploys electric vehicles in its India delivery fleet.
Amazon has introduced light commercial electric vehicles in its last-mile fleet in India. Now, Amazon India’s Delivery Service Partners (DSPs) will be able to lease specially customized electric three-wheelers. The India fleet was launched on Diwali. More commercial electric three & four-wheelers will be added to the fleet by 2025.
Amazon will not only facilitate in the leasing of the electric three-wheelers but also extend further assistance to its DSPs in maintenance, charging and parking of the EVs. These vehicles come integrated with telematics & safety tech, which will enable real-time performance monitoring.
Initially, Amazon has deployed Mahindra Zor Grand EVs, which have been customized for the e-commerce giant. The Mahindra Zor Grand electric loader gives a range of 100 km, has a top speed of 50 km/hr and has a rear-view camera for reverse assistance & cargo safety.
The company has now deployed 6000 EVs across 400 cities in India! It is expected to expand to 10,000 vehicles by 2025.
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