1. Central Government sanctions 1576 EV charging stations under the FAME-II scheme.

Ministry of Heavy Industries sanctioned 1576 EV charging stations across 16 highways & 9 expressways under FAME-II. A budget provision of Rs.1000 crore has been announced for a period of 5 yrs (2019-20 to 2023-24).

There will be at least 1 charging station every 25 km on both sides of the highway and 1 charging station for long-range & heavy-duty EVs every 100 km on both sides of the highway. For cities, at least 1 charging station will be set up in a grid of 3 km x 3 km.

The 9 expressways chosen are Mumbai-Pune, Ahmedabad-Vadodara, Delhi-Agra Yamuna, Bangalore-Mysore, Bangalore-Chennai, Surat-Mumbai, Agra-Lucknow, Delhi-Srinagar, and Delhi-Kolkata.

2. Andhra Pradesh to get 266 EV charging stations.

The central government has sanctioned 266 EV charging stations for Andhra Pradesh under FAME-II scheme. Out of these 266, Vijayawada city will get 92, followed by 71 in Vishakhapatnam, 68 in Tirupati and 35 in Kakinada.

The neighboring state of Telangana has been sanctioned 138 charging stations, out of which 118 would come up in the capital city Hyderabad and 10 each in Karimnagar & Warangal.

3. Tata Motors planning to launch 10 new electric cars.

Tata Motors, which leads the e-car segment in India, is planning to come up with 10 new offerings in the segment. The company will invest Rs.15,000 crore in the EV segment in the next 5 yrs.

Tata Motors had raised USD 1 billion in funding from private equity major TPG for its EV division, valuing the business at USD 9.1 billion.

Currently, the Nexon EV has been ruling the EV space in the country. The upcoming e-cars are likely to include the Altroz EV, Punch EV, a new Coupe SUV EV & Sierra EV. The company is gearing up to launch a long-range Nexon EV with the updated Ziptron EV powertrain. The new model will feature a 40kWh battery pack (instead of the existing 30.2kWh unit) delivering a range of 400km on a single charge. It’s likely to arrive by mid-2022.

4. Skoda gives a sneak-peek of its EV plans for India.

Skoda Auto, which is witnessing a good phase in its business, is considering bringing an electric car in India. With models like Kushaq, Slavia & Kodiaq doing well in the domestic market, the company is planning to enter the EV market very soon.

Skoda is doing a pilot study for the Enyaq electric SUV in India. It is expected to launch this year with a price tag of around Rs.60 lakh. It will be fully imported.

Skoda-Volkswagen Auto group is also considering a small electric car for the Indian market.

5. Maharashtra government to organize an EV & alternative fuel conclave in Pune.

To promote green mobility, Maharashtra will be organizing India’s largest EV conclave in Pune. It will be held from April 2 to 5. A massive EV rally will take place on 3rd April. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) & Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) will be stakeholders in the event.

The conclave will be held annually to engage Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), customers, potential investors, and other stakeholders in the EV ecosystem.

The conclave has already registered the participation of prominent industry players like Tata Motors, Volkswagen, Piaggio, Mahindra & Skoda.