Week 2 (Jan 5 - 11)
In this week's roundup, EVs in Maharashtra cross 20k, Hyundai scales up its LA carsharing service, e2W and e3W makers aren't pleased with FAME while Mahindra outlines its fleet strategy going forward.
Maharashtra e-Vehicles cross 20,000-mark. 2 years after the state EV policy was rolled out, 20000 e-vehicles (2Ws, 3Ws, 4Ws and Buses) have been registered. In terms of state wise numbers Uttar Pradesh is leading the way with 1.39 lakh vehicles followed by Delhi with 76000 EVs.
Hyundai adds 300 electric vehicles to LA car-sharing venture. Launched with 20 Ioniq PHEVs in 2019, MoceanLab is Hyundai’s venture to promote clean mobility services in LA and provide a testing pad for a wide range of mobility services including robo-taxis, shuttles, multimodal, personal and urban air mobility. One of the fist initiatives a carsharing application in partnership with the city transport & transit authorities. The Mocean Carshare is similar to other existing car-sharing services, but unlike others it does not require car keys or other RFID-type cards, meaning the app alone can handle the whole process including opening the door and starting the engine. The initiative is part of Hyundai's midterm plan called "Strategy 2025," designed to shift the firm's business structure to mobility services and mobility devices.
Battery Swapping should come under FAME’s ambit: Piaggio India. The company, which is India’s largest manufacturer of small commercial vehicles, recently made its foray into EVs with Ape E-City, an e-3W with battery swap technology. The swappable battery is sourced from Sun Mobility, who is also setting up a Quick Interchange Station network which allows vehicle owners to ‘Swap and Go’ in a matter of minutes. Powered by a 4.5kWh lithium-ion battery back, the vehicle offers a range of around 70-80km on a full charge. The Ape E-City is produced in the Piaggio Group’s Baramati facility, and is available on the Indian market at a price in line with that of the gas-fuelled model. However the model isn’t elegible for subsidies under the FAME II scheme as it doesnt come with a fixed battery.
Electric 2-wheeler makers learning to survive without subsidy. According to the Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicle, mass market e2W segment has been adversely impacted by FAME II Scheme. With a corpus of Rs 8595 crores for demand incentives, the scheme majorly promoted buses, 3W and 4Ws in the public transport segment while private purchasing of 2Ws was also encouraged. However, 75% localisation and min top speed of 40 Kmph has meant that a bulk of e2Ws has failed to meet the criteria that makes the eligible for the scheme. Hero Electric has also stalled its Rs 700 crore investment to scale up production in India. As per a CRISIL report 95% of the e2Ws being sold in India will not qualify for incentives.
Mahindra outlines its electric mobility roadmap. With cumulative sales of 30000 e-Vehicles, the OEM is charting a clear path focusing on the shared mobility/fleet segment rather than personal mobility. The company recently launched Treo electric three wheeler and plans to augment the 4-wheeler portfolio with eKUV100 and eXUV300 launches in the near future. On the battery front, they have partnered with LG Chemicals, on the R&D side, they have invested Rs 500 Crore to make it more appealing to Indian consumers.
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