New Delhi: The current GST rate structure of passenger vehicles (PVs) in India is outdated and needs to be aligned with the new developments in the auto industry, according to JSW MG Motor India CEO Emeritus Rajeev Chaba.
The government should consider the overall perspective of vehicular emissions, reduction of import bill, sustainable local supply chain and total cost of ownership, while formulating policies on the auto sector, he added. Their’s speculation that hybrid vehicles could be considered for tax incentives ahead of the Union Budget.
New Delhi: In a bid to foster sustainable mobility, EV charging network provider Statiq on Tuesday joined Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in the country.
The collaboration includes the development of a customised app for BPCL and the integration of BPCL’s existing approximately 2,800 chargers into Statiq’s network.
“This collaboration allows us to leverage BPCL’s vast network, providing seamless and convenient charging solutions to a larger number of EV users,” said Akshit Bansal, Founder and CEO of Statiq.
Statiq currently has a network of over 7,000 chargers across 65 cities and the company plans to expand this network to 20,000 chargers by 2025.
The company’s charging stations can accommodate a wide range of EVs, including Tata Nexon, MG EVZS and Tata Tiago EV. With an improving adoption rate, electric car sales in India are likely to reach 1.3-1.5 lakh in the current fiscal year (FY25).
New Delhi: Indian automotive industry will need up to 2 lakh skilled people by 2030 to meet the government’s vision of 30 per cent electric vehicle adoption, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers said on Tuesday.
A total talent investment of Rs 13,552 crore is expected for hiring and training the workforce. “As we look ahead, one of the major constraints the auto industry will face is the dearth of skilled electric vehicle capable manpower,” Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) President Vinod Aggarwal said while addressing a workshop on empowering EV-ready workforce in the Indian auto industry. Aggarwal, who is also MD & CEO, Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicle Ltd, pointed out the need for specialised domain skills in the areas of battery technology, powered electronics and motor design.
“To keep the pace of global trends and make our auto industry a globally competitive industry, there is an urgent need that our workforce be equipped with new skills by upskilling, rescaling and skilling them,” he added. Detailing the gap, SIAM Vice President Shailesh Chandra said, “By 2030, India will need nearly one to two lakh people with specific skills to meet the government’s mission of 30 per cent EV adoption.”
The talent need will be spread across multiple blue-collar and white-collar professionals, ranging from technicians in manufacturing and testing to PhD scientists and engineers in R&D, he added. “The talent requirements will also span across multiple disciplines like electrical and mechanical, chemical and electronics engineering,” added Chandra who is also MD, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd & Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd. According to the ‘SIAM EV Skill Gap Study’ report in order to achieve 100 per cent localisation of EV components, India needs to add 30,000 EV-ready workers per year till 2030, up from a current rate of 15,000 per year.
The report pointed out that 43 per cent of technical competencies between Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and EV have minimal overlap and therefore would require fresh skilling of talent. On the other hand, 27 per cent of technical competencies have a high overlap between ICE and EV and may require re-skilling of existing talent. “The estimated hiring cost would be Rs 7,671 crore, while the training cost would be around Rs 5,881 crore. The total talent investment is expected to be around Rs 13,552 crore,” the report said.
Royal Enfield has finally launched the much-awaited Guerrilla 450 in the Indian market, with prices ranging from Rs 2.39 lakh to Rs 2.54 lakh (ex-showroom). This is the second model based on the Sherpa 450 platform, following the Himalayan.
Guerrilla 450 Overview
The Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 is a roadster with a minimalist retro design. It comes in three versions (Flash, Dash, and Analog) and various colour choices.
The Flash variant is available in Brava Blue and Yellow Ribbon, the Dash variant in Gold Dip and Playa Black, and the Analog variant in Smoke and Playa Black.
Design
It has a clean design without much distractions, no flashy frills, and no unnecessary plastics, aiming to offer a versatile motorcycle suitable for daily use.
The Guerrilla 450 sports a retro roadster design, including a round LED headlight, tear-drop-shaped fuel tank, minimal bodywork, low seat, and comfortable riding stance.
Specifications and features
Engine: 452 cc single-cylinder, liquid-cooled
Power: 39.47 bhp at 8,000 rpm
Torque: 40 Nm at 5,500 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed gearbox with slip and assist clutch
Frame: Steel tubular with the engine as a stressed member
Front Suspension: 43 mm telescopic fork with 140 mm travel
Rear Suspension: Linkage type monoshock with 150 mm travel
Wheels: Alloy wheels, 120/70-17 front and 160/60-17 rear
Brake: 310 mm front disc with twin-piston caliper, 270 mm rear disc
Weigh: 185 kg (kerb weight)
Ground Clearance: 169 mm
Seat Height: 780 mm
The bike features a 4-inch circular TFT screen with Google Maps and media controls (available on top variants). It gets an all LED lighting system and USB Type C charging port.
Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450 is likely to compete with other brand bikes such as Triumph Speed 400, Hero Maverick 440, Honda CB300R, Harley-Davidson X440, and Husqvarna Svartpilen 401.
The bookings for the bike have already commenced from Wednesday, but Royal Enfield will start delivering bikes from August 2024.
Urban mobility is marred by pollution, congestion, and shrinking parking spaces. While electrification of mobility options solves vehicular pollution, newer compact form factors are required to enable comfortable personal mobility. Team EVreporter had a chance to meet Pranav Dandekar, CEO and Co-Founder of Wings EV, and test drive their pre-production micro car ‘Robin’.
Here’s an excerpt from the interaction.
Can you share what inspired the creation of Robin?
The idea stemmed from the increasing shift from scooters to cars due to urban challenges like potholes, pollution, and congestion. However, most cars carry only one or two occupants, contributing significantly to congestion. Electric vehicles tackle pollution but not congestion. We aimed to blend the efficiency of a two-wheeler with the safety and comfort of a small car to address these needs.
Could you give us the basic specifications of this electric vehicle?
Robin is classified as an L7 quadricycle, aligning closely with European standards. It reaches up to 60 km/h, which is ideal for city use, and offers a range of 90 km on a single charge and acceleration of 0-40 kmph in 5 seconds. The charging port is located at the vehicle’s rear, and the charger is mounted under the driver’s seat. It takes around 5 hours to fully charge the vehicle using a standard 16-ampere plug, facilitated by its 1.8 KW onboard charger. Robin is powered by two BLDC hub motors, with a total rated power of 6KW and a combined max torque of 282 Nm.
The dimensions are equivalent to a large motorbike (2250 x 945 x 1560mm) and offer 160mm ground clearance. The driver’s main door is on the right, while the rear passenger door is on the left for curbside access, optimized for urban pick-ups. Additional smaller doors allow flexibility for entry and exit from both sides.
Please tell us about the battery pack used for this vehicle.
Robin is powered by a patented 5.6 KWh LFP battery pack called Wings PowerSlab. The LFP chemistry is thermally more stable compared to NMC, and so it is far better suited for hot Indian conditions. This pack is the world’s thinnest automotive battery pack at 69mm tall.
It is part of Robin’s skateboard construction: it sits under the vehicle floorboard and spans the length and width of the chassis. This construction provides stability by lowering the center of gravity, and also creates a beautifully balanced vehicle with a FAW/RAW weight distribution of 47/53. This battery pack placement improves vehicle stability and handling.
Could you explain what Drive-by-Wire technology, used in this EV, means?
In Robin, the traditional drive shaft is replaced by two independently controlled BLDC hub motors in the rear wheels, which are controlled by software. This drive-bywire technology, akin to systems used in fighter jets, enables active stability control. It allows us to independently control the motors, enhancing vehicle stability comparable to sports cars or high-end vehicles with electronic stability control.
What is the current homologation status and when are you planning to bring it to the market?
After five years of development and seven pre-production prototypes, we recently passed all L7 homologation tests, including safety assessments like the full-frontal crash test.
Now that we are preparing for production, we are setting up our manufacturing facility in Indore and have launched our website to book pre-orders. Deliveries are expected to begin next year. Robin offers three variants—e, s, and x—starting at an introductory price of INR 1,99,000.
New Delhi: The government is working on the FAME III scheme for promotion of electric mobility and it is likely to be implemented in the near future, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy said on Tuesday.
The third phase of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme will, however, not be featured in the upcoming Union Budget, the Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel told reporters here on the sidelines of an event organised by auto industry body SIAM. “Already preparatory work is going on.
All the several ministries have recommended how to implement the FAME III programme. In future, some months or some future days it is going to be implemented,” he said when asked about the demand from the auto industry on FAME III scheme. Asked if FAME III will be announced in the budget, he replied in the negative. Earlier this year, the heavy industries ministry had announced that subsidies under the second phase of FAME scheme would be eligible for e-vehicles sold till March 31, 2024 or till the time funds are available, whichever is earlier while also enhancing outlay of the programme from Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 11,500 crore.
On the issue of reduction of taxes on hybrid vehicles, Kumaraswamy said it will be discussed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will take a decision on the roadmap ahead, and the finance ministry will work on it. Asked whether his ministry has recommended a reduction of taxes on hybrid vehicles, he said,”Let’s see. Next week budget presentation is there.” To a query on whether American electric carmaker Tesla has communicated to the government about its intention to invest in India under the new EV policy, he said nothing has been discussed yet.
New Delhi: India’s automobile exports clocked a robust 15.5 per cent growth in the April-June quarter of the current financial year compared to the same period in the previous year, according to data compiled by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).
The overseas shipments of vehicles were estimated at 11,92,577 units, up from 10,32,449 units in the same quarter last year.
Exports of passenger vehicles rose by 19 per cent to 1,80,483 units from 1,52,156 units in the previous year.
Market leader Maruti Suzuki India accounted for the highest exports with 69,962 vehicles during the quarter, up from 62,857 units in the same period last year. Maruti’s arch-rival Hyundai Motor India was ranked second with exports of 42,600 units, up from 35,100 units in the same quarter of the previous year.
Two-wheeler exports also posted a double-digit increase of 17 per cent, with overseas shipments of 9,23,148 units in the first quarter, compared to 7,91,316 units in the same period last year. The exports of commercial vehicles rose by 8 per cent during the quarter with shipments estimated at 15,741 units during the quarter up from 14,625 units last year.
However, there was a three per cent decline in three-wheeler exports at 71,281 units during the quarter compared to 73,360 units last year.
New Delhi: Automobile retail sales increased 9 per cent year-on-year in June quarter FY25 with all segments, barring tractors, reporting growth, dealers’ body FADA said on Monday.
Overall retail sales rose to 61,91,225 units in the April-June period from 56,59,060 units in the same quarter of FY24. Passenger vehicle retails increased 2.53 per cent to 9,20,047 units as against 8,97,361 units a year ago. “Despite strong bookings and customer flow, high competition, excess supply and discounting presented challenges for sustained growth in the PV segment,” FADA President Manish Raj Singhania said in a statement. Dealers reported significant impacts from elections, extreme heat and market liquidity issues, he noted. The extreme heat led to 18 per cent drop in showroom walk-ins in May, with inventory levels reaching an all-time high of 62-67 days by the end of June, Singhania said. “Despite improved product availability and substantial discounts aimed at stimulating demand, market sentiment remains subdued due to the extreme heat and delayed monsoons, resulting in 15 per cent fewer walk-ins,” he added. Two-wheeler retails stood at 45,54,255 units in April-June, up 12.56 per cent as compared with 40,46,169 units in the year-ago period.
“The recovery in the two-wheeler segment is promising, largely due to the emerging performance in rural areas, although these are early trends,” Singhania said. The segment also faced significant challenges from extreme heat and the election period, resulting in 13 per cent reduction in walk-ins in the showrooms during May and June, he stated. Three-wheeler sales rose 11.36 per cent to 2,72,691 units in the first quarter from 2,44,878 units in the same period last fiscal. Commercial vehicle retail sales witnessed marginal increase at 2,46,513 units as against 2,44,834 units earlier. “Commercial vehicle segment experienced a slowdown due to the elections and a pause in infrastructure projects.
In April, elections dampened sentiment, causing delays in expansion plans. Additionally, limited financing options and regional challenges, such as water scarcity, further impacted performance,” Singhania said. Tractor retail sales declined 12.44 per cent to 1,97,719 units from 2,25,818 units a year ago. The industry body said it remains committed to advocating for prudent inventory control, improved financing options and strategic planning to ensure the auto retail sector’s resilience and sustained growth. Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) represents over 15,000 automobile dealerships with over 30,000 sales outlets across the country.
New Delhi, July 16: In a bid to foster sustainable mobility, EV charging network provider Statiq on Tuesday joined Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in the country.
The collaboration includes the development of a customised app for BPCL and the integration of BPCL’s existing approximately 2,800 chargers into Statiq’s network.
“This collaboration allows us to leverage BPCL’s vast network, providing seamless and convenient charging solutions to a larger number of EV users,” said Akshit Bansal, Founder and CEO of Statiq.
Statiq currently has a network of over 7,000 chargers across 65 cities and the company plans to expand this network to 20,000 chargers by 2025.
The company’s charging stations can accommodate a wide range of EVs, including Tata Nexon, MG EVZS and Tata Tiago EV.
With an improving adoption rate, electric car sales in India are likely to reach 1.3-1.5 lakh in the current fiscal year (FY25).
The country may roll out the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) 3 scheme to encourage the sale of electric vehicles in the upcoming budget, according to the latest report by homegrown financial conglomerate Pantomath Group.
Electric two, three and four-wheelers are expected to be supported under the FAME scheme, which could receive a budgetary allocation of about Rs 10,000 crore, the report mentioned.
BluSmart, an EV ride-hailing service and EV charging infrastructure network in India and South Asia, announced the completion of a Pre-Series B funding round, securing USD 24 million (INR 200 Crores). New investors included responsAbility Investments AG, Sumant Sinha, MS Dhoni Family Office, existing investors, and BluSmart founders. The funding will support BluSmart’s expansion and development of EV charging infrastructure in major Indian cities.
As per the company statement, BluSmart has grown its EV fleet from 70 EVs in January 2019 to 7,500 EVs in Delhi NCR and Bangalore. The company has completed over 500 million electric kilometers and 16 million electric trips, reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 40 million kilograms. BluSmart has over 4 million app downloads with a 4.9/5 rating on iOS and Android. It has created economic opportunities for around 9,800 driver partners. BluSmart Charge operates 50 EV charging hubs across 2 million sq. ft. The ‘BluSmart Charge app’, launched for public access, aims to offer a reliable charging experience. BluSmart’s revenue run rate has recently crossed INR 550 Crores (USD 65 million).
Punit Goyal, Co-Founder, BluSmart, said, “BluSmart is building an integrated energy-infrastructure, mobility and technology company to take the full advantage of the EV revolution. Our latest fundraise of USD 24 million is an important step in our journey to scale the eMobility fleet and EV Charging Infrastructure.”
Sameer Tirkar, Head of Climate Infrastructure Investments APAC at responsAbility Investments AG, said, “We are happy to continue our partnership with BluSmart through our second round of funding. BluSmart has been able to lead the way in building from the grounds up an entire EV ecosystem to disrupt the conventional modes of commute without compromising on reliability and convenience. We believe in their vision and capabilities in creating positive environmental and social impact by reducing carbon emissions in urban transportation.”
Sumant Sinha, founder of India’s leading decarbonisation solutions company, and an iconic global leader in the Renewable Energy sector, commented, “The future of mobility is electric, and eMobility is a crucial step in making the shift to cleaner, emissions-free transportation. India’s growing economy and favourable policies provide ample impetus to this transition. I am excited to partner with BluSmart in their growth journey.”
Expressing excitement about investing in BluSmart, Cricket icon and former Indian Captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (MS Dhoni Family Office), said, “Investing in BluSmart’s sustainable business model is not just about supporting a company; it’s about being part of a movement that shapes the future of mobility. In a world where innovation drives sustainable choices, I am excited to back BluSmart’s pioneering efforts in reshaping urban transportation.”
BluSmart aims for a 100% emission-free future, aligning with India’s goals for cleaner transport. It has secured USD 200 million in EV asset financing from Development Financial Institutions (DFIs).
