Tag: electric vehicles

Volvo Cars Could Go 100 Percent Electric in India by 2025, Sold 1,800 Units in 2022

Swedish luxury carmaker Volvo Cars could go fully electric in India by around 2025, much ahead of its global target of becoming a full electric car company by 2030, a senior company official said on Tuesday.

The company, which will launch the electric version of its SUV C40 in the fourth quarter of 2023, will keep launching one electric vehicle every year in the country going forward.

Volvo Cars‘ Head of Commercial Operations, Rest of Asia Pacific region Nick Connor said by virtue of being a niche player, the company can afford to become a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) only manufacturer much sooner than its competitors.

“I think we will accelerate. We can’t do it this year, maybe in 2025. We said we will be 50 percent electric (globally) by then, we could say well in India, we’re going to be 100 percent electric. We’ve already said in Australia, for example, that by 2026, we’re going to be 100 percent electric,” he told reporters here in an interaction.

Connor, who was Managing Director of Volvo Cars Australia operations before his current role, was responding to a query on the plans for the company’s electrification journey in India.

“We’ve seen a much quicker acceleration towards battery electric vehicles than we ever thought (in Australia). It has taken us by surprise. I think that could well happen here (in India) because we’re not a mass manufacturer, we have the luxury of being able to differentiate ourselves from the market,” he asserted.

The challenge, however, is that the pure BEV luxury segment is very small at the moment and is not enough for the company to be viable in the marketplace, he said, adding, for some time the company would have to continue to sell petrol cars and mild hybrids.

“As the market develops, we will accelerate the move to BEV. The tipping point for us will come quite early,” Connor added.

Volvo Cars’ current India portfolio comprises fully electric XC40 Recharge, SUVs XC90, XC60 and XC40 along with sedan S90.

On the significance of the Indian market, he said, “India is a very important focus market for our region. We see it as probably the fastest growing market in the region, with the greatest, longest term potential.” Volvo Cars witnessed a strong demand for its XC40 BEV which was launched towards the back end of last year, in India, he said, adding, sales last year were constrained only by supply and demand was many times more than supply in India and around the rest of the world.

“We will launch C40 BEV, a pure electric vehicle in quarter four of this year.  We’ve already seen a very high demand for that car in markets where we’ve already launched it. We anticipate similar levels of demand for C40 BEV as we’d have for XC40 BEV in India,” Connor said.

Both the XC40 BEV and the C40 BEV would be imported as completely knocked down units and assembled at the company’s Bengaluru plant.

“I think it’s very important for us that we produce as many cars here locally as we can to meet local demand,” he added.

In terms of sales of EVs to the company’s total sales in India, he said, “We haven’t set hard and fast targets for India or indeed any other market because of production uncertainties. But I think if the global percentage is 11 percent (last year), or (18 percent in Q4 of 2022), we’d want to be at a similar level for India, or maybe even a little bit stronger.” Last year, the company had sold around 1,800 units in India and expects to record its best sales, bettering the previous highest of 2,600 units sold in 2018. 

 

Samsung’s Galaxy S23 series of smartphones was launched earlier this week and the South Korean firm’s high-end handsets have seen a few upgrades across all three models. What about the increase in pricing? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Hyundai Set to Launch $5.5 Billion US EV Plant as Inflation Reduction Act Dims Sales Outlook

Hyundai will break ground on a $5.54 billion (roughly Rs. 45,500 crore) electric vehicle (EV) and battery plant in the US on Tuesday, as South Korea’s biggest automaker grapples with an uncertain outlook for its EV sales in its top market. Hyundai plans to begin commercial production in the first half of 2025 in the massive plant in Bryan County, west of Savannah, which will have an annual capacity of 300,000 units.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, a Republican, and its two US senators, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, both Democrats, plan to attend the event. Kemp and Warnock are up for re-election next month.

Hyundai’s groundbreaking comes amid anger from Korea and the European Union over US electric vehicle tax policy.

The Inflation Reduction Act signed by US President Joe Biden in August requires EVs to be assembled in North America in order to qualify for US tax credits. Hyundai and its affiliate Kia as well as major European automakers were excluded from the EV subsidies as they do not yet make the vehicles there.

The law made about 70 percent of EVs immediately ineligible for the tax credits of up to $7,500 (roughly Rs. 6.2 lakh) per vehicle.

Sales of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 crossover SUV in the US slumped around 14 percent in September from the previous month, hit by the new US law.

Concern over Hyundai’s US EV sales under the new regulations was cited by analysts when the company announced quarterly results on Monday and also contributed to its shares falling.

Biden has expressed a willingness to continue talks with South Korea over recent US legislation that denies subsidies to most foreign EV makers, South Korea said earlier this month.

Biden gave the assurance in a letter to South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who had asked the US president last month for help to allay Seoul’s concerns that the new US rules would hurt South Korea’s automakers.

As a result of the August law, only about 20 EVs qualify for subsidies under the new rules, among them models from Ford and BMW.

Apple launched the iPad Pro (2022) and the iPad (2022) alongside the new Apple TV this week. We discuss the company’s latest products, along with our review of the iPhone 14 Pro on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Indian Army to Procure Electric Vehicles for Select Units to Reduce Carbon Emissions

The Indian Army decided to procure electric vehicles (EV) for select units and formations in sync with the government’s overall policy of reducing the carbon emissions, officials said on Wednesday.

As per the plan, around 25 percent light vehicles, 38 percent buses and 48 percent motorcycles in select units will be replaced with EVs in a time-bound manner.

Various factors unique to the Indian Army’s employability, remote locations of employment and operational commitments were considered before finalising the roadmap for induction of EVs, the officials said.

“The Indian Army has put into plan a roadmap to induct EVs wherever possible, considering the operational commitments which will significantly reduce carbon emissions dependency on fossil fuels,” said an official.

In order to support a viable EV ecosystem in the Army units, necessary support infrastructure, including charging points for EVs, will be put in place.

“These EV charging stations will have at least one fast charger and two to three slow chargers. Electric circuit cables, transformers with adequate load bearing capability based on anticipated number of EVs per station will be put into place,” the official said.

The Army is also planning setting up of solar panel-driven charging stations, which are also planned in a phased manner.

“The Army is also procuring EVs through the capital route. As per plans, the existing shortage of buses will be fulfilled by procuring electric buses for select peace establishments for initial exploitation,” said the official.

An initial tender for procurement of 60 buses along with 24 fast chargers will soon be floated, he said.

“Considering the pace of greener initiatives being adopted by the government, efforts to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels, it is necessary to adapt to the changing environment,” said another official.

In April, the Indian Army had organised a demonstration of available EVs to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh where EV manufacturers such as Tata Motors, Perfect Metal Industries (PMI) and Revolt Motors showcased their EVs and briefed about the enhancement in technology. 

 

Buying an affordable 5G smartphone today usually means you will end up paying a “5G tax”. What does that mean for those looking to get access to 5G networks as soon as they launch? Find out on this week’s episode. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Rivian Recalls Nearly All Electric Vehicles Over Loose Fastener That May Affect Steering

Electric truck and SUV maker Rivian Automotive said Friday it is recalling almost all the vehicles it has delivered to customers in order to tighten a loose fastener that could potentially affect drivers’ ability to steer.

The company, which was founded in 2009, said it is recalling about 13,000 vehicles because a fastener connecting the vehicles’ front upper-control arm and steering knuckle may not be torqued enough.

There have been seven reports potentially related to the issue, but no injuries have been reported, Rivian said.

“If you experience excessive noise, vibration or harshness from the front suspension, or a change in steering performance or feel, you should call immediately,” Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe wrote in a letter to vehicle owners.

The company based in Irvine, California, said the fix would only take a few minutes, and it expects to have finished the repairs on all of them in about 30 days, with customer collaboration.

Rivian is aiming to take advantage of a growing appetite among consumers and investors for electric vehicles. It is among a long line of companies, both new and old, trying to peel away market share from Tesla.

It went public last year, and its market value quickly soared past that of Ford and General Motors to become the second-most valuable US automaker behind Tesla. But that is no longer the case: The company’s stock is down 67 percent so far this year.

Last month, Rivian said it was partnering with Mercedes-Benz to build a factory in Europe that will produce electric vans for both companies.

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Government Provides More Time to Battery Manufacturers to Comply With Additional Safety Norms

The government has deferred the implementation of additional provisions in the battery safety standards, which were to begin from October 1, to give manufacturers more time to comply with new norms, according to an official statement.

The statement said now additional provisions in the battery safety standards will be implemented in two phases — first phase from December 1 and second phase from March 31, 2023.

Concerned over cases of fire incidents observed in electric two-wheelers, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) on September 1 introduced additional safety provisions in the battery safety standards, which were to come into effect from October 1.

The amendments include additional safety requirements related to battery cells, on-board charger, design of battery pack, and thermal propagation due to internal cell short-circuit leading to fire.

“To strengthen the safety parameters for the testing of the batteries used in electric vehicles, Amendment-2, which was effective from October 1, 2022, was issued to both the Automotive Industry Standards (AIS)-156 and AIS-038.”

“For the OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) to be better equipped to comply/implement the provisions prescribed under the standards AIS-156 and AIS 038, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to implement the Amendment 3 of the said AIS in two phases,” the MoRTH said in a statement.

In April this year, cases of electric two-wheelers of manufacturers such as Ola Electric, Okinawa Autotech and PureEV catching fire were reported. It prompted the government to form a probe panel.

The MoRTH had constituted an expert committee, chaired by ARCl Hyderabad director Tata Narsingh Rao, with Centre for Fire, Explosive & Environment Safety (CFEES) scientist M K Jain, Indian Institute of Science Principal Research Scientist Subba Reddy and IIT Madras professor Devendra Jalihal as members, to recommend additional safety requirements in the existing battery safety standards notified under CMV Rules.

Taking the EV fire accidents into consideration, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari in April warned companies of penalties, if they were found to be negligent, and said they would be ordered to recall the defective vehicles.

Subsequently, Ola Electric recalled 1,441 units of its electric two-wheelers. Okinawa also announced the recall of 3,215 units of its Praise Pro electric scooter to fix any issue related to batteries. Similarly, Pure EV recalled 2,000 units of its ETrance+ and EPluto 7G models.

Buying an affordable 5G smartphone today usually means you will end up paying a “5G tax”. What does that mean for those looking to get access to 5G networks as soon as they launch? Find out on this week’s episode. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Mobile Phones Should Replace Printed Tickets, India Should Embrace New EV Technology: Union Minister Gadkari

Emphasising on the need to adapt to new technology and innovations, Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari suggested on Wednesday that a time was coming when tickets issued to passengers should be phased out and mobile phones used in their place.

“We need to accept the new technology of electric vehicles and that we should try to end the use of tickets and instead use mobiles for tickets,” Gadkari said. He was speaking at Catalyst 2022, StratNewsGlobal’s first annual event.

In his speech, Gadkari also emphasised that lithium battery production in the country should be encouraged. He said the cost of production of these batteries was not an issue as it would come down once manufacturers scaled up the production level.

“The cost of production of lithium batteries can be reduced if the manufacturer increases the volume of outputs,” said the minister.

On luxury buses, he said that the buses that link big cities like Delhi and Mumbai can be electric and double-deckers. He said that the government through Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) had put out a Rs. 5,550-crore tender to procure 5,580 electric buses and this includes 130 double-deckers.

“The automobile industry is one of the important sectors in our country.” The minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a dream to make India a $5-trillion (nearly Rs. 4,00,04,000 crore) economy and make the country self-dependent or Atmanirbhar Bharat.

“It is our responsibility to how we reduce the imports and increase our exports,” he added.

For that reason, we need to plan new appropriate policies for the future and this is how the automobile sector is a very important sector for the economy, the minister said.

Gadkari said the automobile is giving new economic growth to the country. “That is why we need to have a long-term visionary policy. Our mission in the ministry is to make the automobile segment a Rs. 15-trillion (nearly Rs. 12,00,11,900 crore) sector in five years. The ancillary industry is also well-developed.”

He also praised the start-ups in the country, saying, “It is really a game-changer that there are 400 start-ups which are manufacturing electric two-wheelers and making good products. Hero, Bajaj and TVS are exporting 50 percent of their production.”

Gadkari said he has full confidence that 8 lakh to 10 lakh electric buses can be produced in the country and added that the government had issued tender for 5,550 electric buses and the rate came at Rs. 39 per km for non-AC buses and Rs. 41 per km for AC buses. “The running cost for diesel buses of BEST was at Rs. 115 per km.”

 

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Apple in Top 3 Brands Considered for Quality Without Actual Car on Sale, Vehicle Owners’ Survey Shows

Apple is said to be working on a self-driving car, and several news reports have previously tipped the company to be developing technology towards that goal. While the Cupertino company is probably several years away from launching an autonomous vehicle — it is yet to officially announce plans for such a product, a recent survey shows that a sizable number of users in the US are already keen to purchase a vehicle from the manufacturer of the iPhone, iPad, Macs, Apple Watch, and other consumer electronics. 

According to a recent survey of new vehicle owners in the US, Apple was the third highest brand considered by customers when asked how they feel about the quality of over forty-five automotive brands. Strategic Vision’s new vehicle experience study (NVES) polled over 2 lakh vehicle owners and tracked variables such as smartphone brand use and EV development measures. 

The NVES survey revealed that Apple, which does not even have a car to sell to customers, was in third place with 26 percent of customers stating they would ‘definitely consider’ a vehicle from the Cupertino firm in the future. In fact, Apple beat established brands Ford (21 percent) and Tesla (20 percent) in the survey. Apple was placed after Toyota (38 percent) and Honda (32 percent), which were in first and second place, respectively.   

While Apple was in third place in terms of user consideration for a vehicle, the company beat the other brands handily when respondents were asked about their impression of the quality of the brand, with 24 percent ticking the box “I love it”, according to the survey. 

However, unlike other brands, the survey found that 34 percent of new vehicle buyers polled said that they “Don’t know enough about” what an Apple vehicle might be like, with no word from the company on plans for an autonomous electric vehicle to date.

Bloomberg previously reported that Apple had hired Luigi Taraborrelli, a 20-year veteran of Italian carmaker Lamborghini, indicating that the company could be working on a vehicle. Taraborrelli was brought on as one of the most senior managers on Apple’s EV team and is expected to give the company’s efforts a boost after years of delays and upheaval, according to the report. 

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Mercedes-Benz to Launch Three EVs in 2022, Aims to Capture Indian Luxury EV Segment: Report

Mercedes-Benz is reportedly set to launch three new electric vehicle (EV) models in the country this year, as the company aims to capture the luxury EV segment. The firm also has plans to set up a network of fast-charging stations for EVs across the country and wants to be the first to assemble a luxury EV in India according to a report. The company is poised to take advantage of rival Tesla, whose CEO Elon Musk is currently at loggerheads with the government over high import taxes for its vehicles. 

The Stuttgart-based carmaker aims to increase its sales of EVs in India to 25 percent, according to a report by Reuters. Mercedes-Benz plans to launch three new EV models in the country this year, starting with an electric version of its new AMG EQS 53, and the S-Class EQS sedan, as per the report. While the former will be imported, the latter will be assembled in the country, as per the report, which states that the form will also import a people carrier. 

Mercedes-Benz will also set up 140 charging stations across the country with fast charging claimed to charge the battery up to 80 peercent in 40 minutes, company head Martin Schwenk told Reuters, adding the firm could consider locally manufacturing EV batteries in the country if sales increased to the ‘thousands’. 

The Mercedes-Benz AMG EQS 53 is India’s most expensive EV priced at Rs. 2.45 crore, and offers a range of 580 kms per charge, as per the report. However, the company’s locally assembled EV could be launched at a lower price, thanks to the 5 percent tax on EVs made in the country.

Tesla, which has halted its plans to launch its EVs in the country due to an CEO Elon Musk’s impasse with the government over the 100 percent tax on imported EVs, may have a long road ahead to catch up with Mercedes-Benz, according to the report.

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Switch Mobility Unveils EiV22, Country’s First Electric Double-Decker Air-Conditioned Bus: Details

Switch Mobility, the electric vehicle division of Hinduja Group’s flagship Ashok Leyland, unveiled its EiV22 double-decker electric bus on Thursday. The introduction of these 66-seater buses will help Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) switch its current fleet of double decker buses to electric as it looks to make commuting green by 2028.

Mumbai is the only city in the country which has twin-deck buses in operations. Switch Mobility’s parent company Ashok Leyland first rolled out double-decker buses in 1967. Switch Mobility has already rolled out electric double-decker buses in the UK, the company said.

“Ashok Leyland was a pioneer among Indian manufacturers when it first launched the double-decker in 1967 in Mumbai and Switch is carrying forward that legacy. With our strong expertise in double-deckers, both in India and UK and with over 100 Switch electric double-deckers in service on UK roads, we reinforce our commitment to create this form factor (design) for India and the globe,” said Dheeraj Hinduja, Chairman, Switch Mobility.

Today there is no double-decker market in India, which is going to change because cities are growing and getting congested, said Mahesh Babu, Chief Executive Officer, Switch Mobility India, and COO at Switch, said.

“Everybody is looking at the pilot happening in Mumbai. If Mumbai is successful, I believe this will open up a whole market,” Babu told PTI.

The electric double-decker AC bus EiV22 is powered by a 231 kWh capacity battery pack with dual gun charging system, which allows the bus to have a range up to 250 kilometres for intra-city transport, according to the company.

“The Switch EiV 22 is designed and developed to meet Indian conditions. Mumbai and double-deckers are synonymous with public transport, and we are certain that EiV 22 will transform the public transport space in terms of sustainability and footprint,” said Babu.

Switch has secured the order for 200 buses from BEST, which it plans to deliver by next financial year in tranches and is open to “participate” if the autonomous body comes up with another tender, he said.

“We already have an order for 200 electric double-decker AC buses from BEST. We will deliver 50 of these buses this financial year. Many more cities are discussing with us for these buses,” he said, noting that the company expects to deliver 150-250 electric double decker AC buses next year.

In April this year, Switch Mobility announced an investment of GBP 300 million to develop a range of electric buses and light commercial vehicles in India and the UK.

Switch India expects to get a major chunk of this investment in the initial phase considering the pace at which electrification of the vehicles in the country and also the volumes which are much higher compared to the UK and Spain.

But it will also depend on the market, how it grows, he added.

According to him, the latest double-decker bus offers 86 per cent more capacity compared to a single-deck, which has been made possible by increasing the weight of the bus by 18 per cent.

Moreover, it takes 41 per cent less space in comparison to a regular single-floor or decker and therefore can offset 32 cars on the road, and can lead to substantial reduction, he said.

“The Group has a clear vision to support economies in delivering their net zero objectives through renewable energy, finance and zero emission transportation. We are confident that our new zero emission double-decker bus will deliver a cleaner and more sustainable future, reinforcing our commitment for India and the globe,” said Ashok Hinduja, Chairman, Hinduja Group of Companies (India).

Switch had in March announced its entry into continental Europe with a greenfield facility in Spain.

For India, Babu said, the company is looking at a dedicated facility but not in the near future as it is using the multiple assets of the company.

“We are using these facilities to scale up. In parallel we are looking for a dedicated facility for Switch. It is not decided [by when]. If we decide now, it [the 9th facility] will take two years to come up,” he said.

Babu, however, said that the company has a capacity to produce 2,500 buses, which it will be able to ramp up to 5,000 in a short span of six months.

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CATL to Set Up $7.6 Billion Hungary Battery Plant to Supply BMW, Mercedes Amid Growing Demand

China’s CATL said on Friday it would build a EUR 7.3 billion (roughly Rs. 59,600 crore) battery plant in Hungary, Europe’s largest so far, as the world’s biggest electric vehicle battery maker gears up to meet growing demand from global automakers.

CATL said that construction of the 100 GWh (gigawatt hours) plant in the eastern Hungarian city of Debrecen, its biggest overseas investment, would start this year after receiving approvals, and should last no more than 64 months.

Once built, it is set to be Europe’s largest battery cell plant and CATL’s second in the region, making battery cells and modules for carmakers including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Stellantis and Volkswagen.

The expansion comes as European automakers accelerate a transition to electric vehicles in their home markets, prompting surging demand for batteries from local suppliers and causing a run on supply deals to avoid production bottlenecks.

Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Tesla have all announced or started to implement major battery expansion plans in Europe to secure access to vital cells and raw materials and support their electrification strategies.

CATL’s investment will mark “a giant leap in CATL’s global expansion”, the company’s founder and chairman Zeng Yuqun said in a statement.

The Chinese company is also pressing ahead with plans for battery production in North America by 2026 for clients including Ford Motor, Reuters reported earlier, despite tensions between Beijing and Washington.

The investment is also key for Hungary, which is becoming a major hub for electric vehicles and batteries in Europe.

Debrecen is home to a plant being built by BMW, while Volkswagen’s Audi brand has a factory in western Hungary’s Gyor and Mercedes-Benz operates one in Kecskemet, in the central part of the country.

BMW declined to comment but said it plans to release some battery related information in early September. VW and Stellantis did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mercedes-Benz said in a separate statement it would be the first partner to receive battery cells from CATL’s Hungarian plant, and that its order marked the highest initial order volume for the site.

“This new state-of-the art European CATL plant in Hungary is another milestone for the scale-up of our EV production together with our key partners,” Mercedes-Benz management board member Markus Schaefer said.

CATL previously said it would start supplying cylindrical cells to BMW from 2025 for its new series of electric vehicles.

The Chinese company also said it is also examining the possibility of joining forces with local partners to establish facilities for battery materials in Europe.

As of end of 2021, CATL had an annual battery production capacity of 170.39 GWh, with 140 GWh capacity under construction. The company said previously it aims to install a total of 670 GWh annual capacity by 2025.

© Thomson Reuters 2022

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