August 2020: Monthly Electric Vehicle News Roundup

1. Subsidy scheme under Delhi Electric Vehicles Policy

Last month, the Delhi government’s EV policy was unveiled. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that it aimed at registering about five lakh electric vehicles in the city in the next five years. A demonstration of software under the policy to disburse the subsidy was made by private bank officials at a meeting on Wednesday with Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, a senior government official said. Under its EV scheme, the government of Delhi will provide incentives of up to INR 30,000 for two-wheelers, cars, e-rickshaws, and carriers of goods, while a subsidy of INR 1.5 lakh will be given for the purchase of electric vehicles.

2. Magnis is taking the next step 

Magnis Energy Technologies took the next step towards selling an electric vehicle battery, which is claimed to be able to recharge a car in six minutes. Now it is taking the next step to market the battery, announcing its partner Charge CCCV will start testing optimized batteries. Magnis Energy Technologies is planning to install the batteries at a proposed “gigafactory” near Townsville, Queensland, as well as at a New York, US plant. Magni’s chairman Frank Poullas said interest in the new CCCV batteries is rising over the new production.

3. Stalled Byton Electric Vehicle Company 

Stalled Chinese electric vehicle startup Byton Ltd. expects shareholders including the Nanjing city government to provide a 2 billion Yuan ($292 million) financial lifeline, said people familiar with the matter. The funds may allow the company to restart operations following a nearly three-month suspension caused by debt woes that worsened in the midst of the pandemic. A preliminary agreement was made by the Nanjing city government to spend $150 million, and state-owned automaker FAW Group plans to inject $50 million, a Byton employee has said.

4. Tesla bug lets other electric cars 

Non-Tesla electric car owners were surprised to find out that they can charge on the new V3 Superchargers in Europe, where Tesla now uses the popular CCS model, theoretically for free. Although, it seems to be a bug and not a feature.

Tesla updated its main charging style to CCS, with the introduction of the Model 3 and its Supercharger V3 in Europe.

Although most other electric cars on the road use the same design and connector, this didn’t mean that Tesla’s vast Supercharger network could be used by other EVs. Tesla vehicles have yet to do a “handshake” program with the Supercharger before charging can start.

5. Lucid Air launched World’s fastest charging electric vehicle

Lucid aims to create a halo car for the entire industry with the Lucid Air, one that reveals the developments that are possible by pushing the boundaries of EV technology and efficiency to new levels. The company says that the Air electric sedan can achieve a quarter-mile time consistently in less than 10 seconds. Oh, and Lucid Air driving range — an estimated EPA range of up to 517 miles is claimed to be delivered on a single charge. That is for a single charge of 832 km.

6. Uber plans to turn to ‘100%’ electric cars by 2030

Uber announced on Tuesday that by 2030 in the US, Canada, and Europe, and by 2040 for the rest of the world, “100 percent” of trips will take place in electric vehicles. But instead of directly paying drivers to exchange their gas-burning cars for electric vehicles, the company would place an extra charge on trips taken in an electric vehicle to persuade drivers to make the switch. For Uber users, electric cars are about to become significantly more costly, which Uber sees as the requisite expense to help accelerate the transition to a zero-emission fleet. Uber will also spend $800 million of his own money to help “hundreds of thousands of drivers in the United States, Canada, and Europe make the transition to battery EVs by 2025.”

7.”Netflix for EVs:” AGL provides electric vehicles, home rental charges

AGL officially unveiled the first-of-its-kind service for Australia – branded by AGL as the “Netflix of electric vehicles” – on Wednesday, as the first order of business for the brand-new innovation arm of the gen-trailer, AGL Next, and coinciding with World EV Day. To carry it out – beginning with a customer-limited pilot program within 50 km of Sydney or Melbourne – AGL is collaborating with JET Charge, an existing Melbourne-based car subscription service, Carbar, and EV charging equipment supplier.

8. Queensland adds 13 charging stations to Super Highway for Electric Vehicles

The government of Palaszczuk declared that 13 new charging stations along the QESH would increase to 31 charging points between Coolangatta and Cairns and Toowoomba west. In Springwood, Ipswich, North Lakes, Forest Glen, Gympie, Gunalda (Curra), Gin Gin, Mt Larcom, Proserpine, Ayr, Cardwell, Innisfail, and Port Douglas will be installed new EV charging points. One of those sites was identified as a potential location in Proserpine earlier this year, alongside another site at Ingham in Hinchinbrook Shire.  According to the Queensland Government, the $2.5 million projects to install 13 new EV charging points are already well underway with civil works already being completed at most sites.

9. Flipkart promises 100 % electric vehicle transformation by 2030

E-commerce marketplace Flipkart said it would turn its entire fleet into electric vehicles (EVs) by joining the non-profit Climate Groups Global Electric Mobility Project, EV100, in the next decade. The ‘EV100 initiative brings together forward-looking businesses that are committed to speeding up the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and make electric transport the new standard by 2030. This will be accomplished by placing criteria in service contracts, building charging infrastructure near its 1,400 supply chain premises, implementing awareness programs, and encouraging managers to use electric vehicles.

10. Two-seater Ami electric car Citroen pitches at TikTok development

The tiny two-seater Citroen Ami vehicle of the French automaker is powered by a modest 6-kilowatt electric motor, and can be driven by someone as young as 14 and no driving license is necessary under French legislation. The car has a top speed of 45 km (27 miles) per hour, its bodywork is plastic and its interior is no-frills. But it has features that are likely to cater to tech-savvy teens and is on sale in a large chain of French electronics stores alongside smartphones and video game consoles. In France, it will cost 6,000 euros ($7,100) to purchase the most basic edition. Citroen said it has received 1,000 orders from customers in France for the vehicle so far.

11. Amazon hands over the largest electric vehicle order to date to Mercedes-Benz

The deal demonstrates how businesses are paying growing attention to ways to decarbonize transport including purchasing more commercial vehicles with zero emissions. The demand for electric last-mile delivery vehicles, in particular, is starting to expand rapidly as logistics companies like FedEx and Amazon, as well as retailers like IKEA, are setting and aiming to reach climate targets. The world’s largest automakers have been surprisingly slow in constructing and selling electric trucks and buses, citing a lack of consumer appetite and technology not ready for prime time. That’s left an opportunity for companies like Rivian, which has a contract to sell 100,000 Amazon electric trucks.

12. TVS Motor Company invests approximately 30 cr in start-up electric vehicles

TVS Motor Company has invested an additional approximately INR 30 crores in Ultraviolette Automotive Pvt Ltd, an electric vehicle start-up. The fresh investment from the Chennai-based company is part of the latest funding round (Series B) for Ultraviolette Automotive, TVS Motor Co said in a regulatory filing. Three years ago, Ultraviolette Automotive announced plans to build an electric high-performance motorcycle – the F77. Last year it introduced the electric bike’s pre-production edition in November.

13. Ola Co-founder of Electric Car Company bets EVage

EVage Companies Pvt. in a round led by Ola Electric Mobility Pvt, Ltd, which runs an electric vehicle and mobility technology company, raised capital. Anand Shah, co-founder and senior advisor of Ltd. In 2014 Inderveer Singh founded EVage. The company says the first electric delivery van is being built. It will make use of the capital it has raised to build these vehicles and offer initial orders to clients. The company says its team includes specialists in fields such as aerospace, automobile design, and battery manufacturing, and is focused on addressing the mobility needs and needs of the logistics sector in India. At its research and development centre in Mohali, Punjab, it currently employs roughly 30 staff.

14. Cobe unveils pairs of tree-like electric car charging stations in Denmark

Cobe’s architecture studio has announced two electric car charging stations in Denmark with wooden structures planned to create a “restful and zen-like atmosphere.” Completed as the first of a network of 48 charging stations constructed along Scandinavian highways, the structures were crafted from natural materials to create an experience distinct from conventional petrol stations. The charging stations in Fredericia and Knudshoved cities in central Denmark were both designed using the same modular, timber-like structure. In Fredericia, the shelter covering the charging station was made of 12 linked trees supporting a large roof, while in Knudshoved the pumps are covered by two separate trees.

15. Envirostream of Lithium Australia to begin recycling of old electric car batteries

Envirostream Australia, which owns 90% of Lithium Australia (LIA), has announced that it will begin recycling batteries for electric vehicles (EV). A transition to electric mobility will help reduce transportation-related carbon emissions and thus climate change, but there is concern about what happens to the lithium-ion batteries that power them once they are spent. According to industry analysts, the global battery recycling market is expected to rise by 6 percent to $A31.5 billion by 2025 as end-of-life (EOL) EV battery packs are increasingly disassembled to recover valuable metals such as cobalt, nickel, and lithium. Envirostream Australia says it is in a position to become a first mover in the growing sector, with recycling to begin in the coming weeks, with a series of active EV battery recycling trials now under its belt.

16. Minnesota officials launch a $2.6 million fund for battery installs for electric cars

For-profit companies, non-profit organisations and government agencies that earn grants through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency programme can use them to pay up to 80 per cent of charger installation costs. The programme is seeking plans for projects supporting highways in Greater Minnesota. Grants allocated through the programme have a limit of $70,000, the MPCA said, and there should be enough to install 38 new charging stations. MPCA Commissioner Laura Bishop said in a news release Thursday that officials called the initiative a further step towards their goal of charging 20 per cent of light-duty cars with electricity by 2030.

17. Delhi Govt Gives Rs 1.5 Lakh Cashback To Buy Electric Vehicles, Bicycles In 48 Hours

Delhi Govt will provide incentives up to Rs 1.5 lakh for everyone who wants to purchase an electric vehicle in one of the biggest ever subsidy schemes launched to support and encourage green mobility. All are eligible for this subsidy, and it will roll out next week. Under the new electric vehicle policy of Delhi Govt, any Delhite who wants to purchase a new electric vehicle will be subsidised by Govt for the same. Rs 30.000 subsidy will be given for the purchase of 2-wheelers, autorickshaw and carriers of goods electric. Rs 1.5 lakh subsidy for the purchase of an electric 4-wheeler will be given. The Delhi Govt has approved this EV subsidy scheme, and the roll-out is expected to commence next week.

18. A new supply of electric lorries to hit the market

The companies declared their intention to merge in June, shortly after Nikola’s reverse merger with VectoIQ, also a special purpose acquisition business or SPAC, was made public. If the transaction is finalized, the merged firm will be known as Hyliion Holdings Corp. and will be traded under the ticker HYLN on the New York Stock Exchange. Hyliion will earn $560 million from the acquisition, which will be used to facilitate the promotion of the goods. In June Hyliion reported a preorder of 1,000 trucks from Agility, a logistics firm, which is also taking an equity stake in the business.