1. EVs account for 25% of total MG sales in 2023.
MG Motor India released its sales report for calendar year 2023 and one thing that caught the eye of auto experts is the share of EV sales. EVs accounted for 25% of MG’s total sales! This is the main reason why MG is rapidly expanding its EV charging network. The company has signed agreements with ChargeZone and Zeon Charging to advance its charging infrastructure.
The company currently has two electric cars in its portfolio: MG ZS EV & MG Comet EV. There are plans to bring atleast two more electric cars soon: MG4 EV and Yep compact SUV.
2. Shares of electric bus manufacturer JBM Auto surge.
Shares of JBM Auto surged to a new high after the company’s management announced it aims to deliver 2000 electric buses in FY24. JBM Auto manufactures e-buses. In a recent statement, the company said that the electric bus market is expected to witness deeper levels of penetration in the next 5-7 years and it expects 40% of all new buses in the country to be electric by 2027-2028.
Last month, Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) announced induction of 100 electric buses. These 100 electric buses represent the first batch out of 921 buses that BMTC will deploy under the central government’s FAME-II scheme. BMTC will be leasing these e-buses from JBM Auto, Tata Motors & Switch Mobility. The National Electric Bus Program (NEBP), that aims to deploy 50,000 electric buses pan-India, and the FAME-III policy structure expected in FY24, is expected to provide a huge push to clean public transportation in India.
3. Tata Motors unveils the Punch EV.
Tata Motors has unveiled the Punch EV, which is based on the company’s all-new EV architecture ‘acti.ev’. The same architecture will be used as the foundation for the automaker’s upcoming electric cars. The Punch.ev will be offered in two battery options: medium range & long range. Technical specifications and prices are yet to be revealed.
A standout feature in the car is the Tata logo in the front which serves as the charging port inlet. Other features include a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, 10.25-inch instrument cluster, two-spoke illuminated steering wheel, 360-degree camera system, sunroof, all-LED lights and six airbags as standard.
Customers can book their Punch EV online or at any Tata Motors showroom for a token amount of Rs 21,000.
4. Tesla’s expected cost-effective approach for India.
Elon Musk’s Tesla will pursue a cost-effective approach for its proposed entry-level car for the price-sensitive Indian market. The company is expected to deploy fast-charging small batteries, a strategy already employed in China, to considerably lower the car cost. This system, however, depends on the availability of a widespread network of fast-chargers to sustain. India's current EV charging infrastructure is still relatively inadequate. During recent talks with the Indian government, company officials highlighted the need for such infrastructure and sought support for charger & battery production.
Tesla is working on an electric car priced at approximately $24,000 (~ Rs 20 lakh), much lower than its cheapest car, the Model 3, which starts at around $40,000 (~ Rs 33 lakh). The Model 3 sports a 57.5 kWh battery which offers a range of 438 km. The India-centric strategy would focus towards smaller batteries, which would require frequent charging at public EV charging stations, similar to refueling at petrol pumps. Tesla is scouting technologies that will reduce charging time and the company has already engaged with Israel-based startup StoreDot to inquire about its extreme fast charging (XFC) EV batteries.
5. Ahmedabad ready to welcome 12 EV charging stations.
A team from Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation recently inspected work going on at 12 EV charging station sites in the city. The civic body and an Ahmedabad-based startup MobiLane have taken a joint initiative to promote green & smart transportation solutions in the city.
MobiLane is setting-up around 70 EV charging stations in Gujarat with Plug-&-Charge feature. The 12 stations in Ahmedabad will be inaugurated later this month.
For complete EV charging solutions, explore the Kazam website.
