EV Updates

Global EV Charging Station Market to Reach $93 Billion by 2027: Report

The global Electric Vehicle Charging Station (EVCS) market has been fuelled by a growing awareness of environmental conservation and carbon emission reduction. Hence, it has been estimated that the global EVCS market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20% from 2021 to 2027 and reach $93 billion by 2027, according to a recent report by Noida-based market research firm Astute Analytica.

The report shows that in 2019, the global EVCS market generated a considerable revenue amount of approximately $23 billion,while 819 thousand units of EVCS were sold in 2019 and the numbers are increasing at 17.5% CAGR.

The report sought some key reasons for the market growth as the government has enacted strict regulations to encourage the usage of electric vehicles. Both the supply and demand sides of the economy gain from government subsidies and other perks. For example, the Indian Govt. has invested Rs. 1000 crore for the development of charging infrastructure in the country till now.

One of the biggest challenges the EVCS market faces is the rapid deployment of charging technology, as adopting new technologies such as wireless charging, vehicle to grid (V2G), and vehicle to everything (V2X) charging technology will affect the cost infrastructure as well. According to the analysis, the cost of charging infrastructure components for level 2 commercial chargers ranges from $2,500 to $7,210, while 50kW fast DC charging infrastructure costs between $20,000 and $35,800.

Fast chargers with more than 22 kW of power are growing at the highest CAGR of 27.8% in the forecast period owing to the capability of these chargers to reduce charging time. CCS is the most popular connector protocol since it offers reverse power transfer, inductive charging, and wireless charging capabilities. This connector protocol was valued at $12,640.2 million in 2019, which is about 55% of the market share.

DC (direct current) charging method is growing at a CAGR of 20.3 percent because, it can supply electricity straight to the vehicle's battery, bypassing the internal charger. Moreover, DC fast chargers convert AC power to DC within the charging station and supply DC power directly to the battery, resulting in faster charging.

Furthermore, governments in countries such as Germany, Canada, and France are continually investing to boost the use of EVs for public transportation. North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and South America have been included in the global market's regional study. The Asia Pacific is the leading area with about 80% market share in 2019, most of the credit goes to China.

In addition, China's advanced electrification technology, and government initiatives in Japan and Korea, have boosted the market in the APAC region. Furthermore, China will invest $1.2 billion to expand the country's charging infrastructure. In India, as part of its initial phase of electric vehicle infrastructure development, the Indian government plans to install over 69,000 EV charging stations across the country.

Ola Electric Scooter Prices In States after Subsidies

India's ride-hailing giant Ola has launched its Ola S1 electric scooters on Independence Day 2021. The much-awaited e-scooter comes at Rs 99,999. This price is ex-showroom including FAME II subsidy and excludes state subsidies.

After state subsidy in Delhi, the S1 should cost just Rs 85,099 whereas, in Gujarat, it would cost as low as Rs 79,999. While in Maharashtra it would cost Rs. 84,999 and Rs. 92,999 in Rajasthan, after the subsidies under new policies of respective states. Ola has also tied up with banks and financial institutes for an EMI plan starting at Rs 2,999.

As ola has entered electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing, it claims to build up the largest two-wheeler factory in the world, Ola Futurefactory. And it has produced two variants, Ola S1 and Ola S1 Pro at Rs. 99,999 and Rs. 1,29,999, respectively. The first phase of Futurefactory is near completion and the Ola S1 purchase will start from 8th September 2021 and the deliveries will be starting in October across 1000 cities and towns. Till then, Ola S1 is available for reservation at just Rs. 499.

Speaking at the launch, Chairman & CEO of Ola, Bhavish Aggarwal stated, "We are taking this moment to announce ‘Mission Electric’, a pledge that no petrol twowheeler will be sold in India after 2025. We want 50% of allelectric two-wheelers produced for the world to be made in India. It's time for India to lead the way in electrification and build technologies of the future, here in India for the entire world!."

The e-scooter comes in ten color variants, along with a range of 181 Kms, acceleration of 0-40 kph in 3.0 seconds, and a top speed of 115 kmph. I

40 Electric Buses from Ashok Leyland Hit Roads of Chandigarh

Amultinational automotive manufacturer from Hinduja Group, Ashok Leyland, has rolled out its electric buses (e-buses) in Chandigarh.

On August 11, the Governor of Chandigarh, VP Singh Bandore flagged off the set of 40 electric buses from Ashok Leyland in its first phase.

According to the firm, Ashok got the order to build electric buses that are equipped with quick charging technology. This 40-buses fleet would save about 6.5 lakh liters of fuel and reduce carbon emissions of about 1,700 tonnes per annum, as per the company's claims.

The charging infrastructure for the fleet would be developed across four locations and would be maintained and operated by the manufacturer, Ashok Leyland itself. While the charging stations are announced to be developed by Switch Mobility, the electric vehicle arm of Ashok Leyland. This would be happening under a partnership with Siemens, a germen automation company. As, in April 2021, Siemens and Switch Mobility signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on delivering efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable e-mobility solutions to various commercial vehicle customers in the country, informed the firm.

Also, in the same month, Ashok Leyland through its subsidiary Switch Mobility has announced its global expansion plans into India and its plan to create 2 subsidiaries. The first, Switch Mobility Automotive, is being formed to carry on the EV strategy in India, which forms part of its global entity. The second is OHM Global Mobility, which will focus on providing Mobility as a Service offering.

While in July, the manufacturing giant has transferred the entire EV business of the group, including UK-subsidiary Optare to Switch Mobility. The company would be entirely responsible for the EV operations of the group with Ashok Leyland concentrating on its core business of dieselpowered (ICE) vehicles along with the work on alternative fuels like CNG, LNG, and hydrogen. As electric bus manufacturing is dominating the conventional fuel buses, Ashok Leyland’s has already invested around $130 million in Switch Mobility for EV manufacturing. On the other hand, its domestic diesel-powered bus manufacturing unit in Andhra Pradesh was commissioned in March but the production volume has been decreasing so fast as there is no need to add a new production line.

Over 5.17 Lakh EVs Registered over Three Years in India Under FAME

The Ministry of Heavy Industries of India declared that India registered a total of 5,17,322 electric vehicles (EVs) over three years under the FAME scheme.

Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme was launched in 2015 to promote the adoption of EVs in the country. At present, Phase-II of the FAME is being implemented for 5 years, starting from April 01, 2019, with total budgetary support of Rs. 10,000 crores.

Minister of State for Heavy Industries Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar provided this information to the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Tuesday. He added that 1,04,806 EVs have been registered in the country during 2021 (till July 19).

However, in 2018, 1,31,554 EVs were registered in India, this number jumped to 1,61,314 during 2019. In 2020, there was a dip in the number of EVs registered at 1,19,648, totaling 5,17,322 as per data provided by the Ministry of Heavy Industries.

The Minister also informed that FAME II focuses on supporting electrification of public & shared transportation and aims to support, through subsidies, 7090 e-Buses, 5 lakh e-3 Wheelers, 55000 e-4 Wheeler Passenger Cars, and 10 lakh e-2 Wheelers. Along with 38 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of e-2W, e-3W & e- 4W have been registered under FAME II Scheme as of 9th August 2021.

Recently, under FAME-II, the demand incentive for e-2W is increased to Rs. 15,000/KWh from Rs. 10,000/KWh with an increase in cap from 20% to 40% of the cost of the vehicle to increase adoption of e-2W. Further, the phase-II of FAMEIndia Scheme is extended for two years after 31st March 2022.

The ministry enlisted some initiatives taken up by the Government of India for the promotion of EVs in the country –1. The Government on May 12, 2021, approved a Production

Linked Incentive (PLI)

scheme for manufacturing of Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) in the country to bring down prices of batteries in the country. 2. on EVs has been reduced from 12% to 5%; GST on chargers/ charging stations for EVs has been reduced from 18% to 5%. 3. Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) announced that batteryoperated vehicles will be given green license plates and be exempted from permit requirements. 4. MoRTH issued a notification advising states to waive road tax on EVs, which in turn will help reduce the initial cost of

EVs.

Ather Energy Offers its Patented Fast-charging Tech to Rival EV Makers

Bengaluru-headquartered EV manufacturer Ather Energy will soon offer its proprietary charging connector to other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for their twowheelers, aiming to pave the way for an interoperable two-wheeler fast charging platform for the country.

This would not only reduce range anxiety by allowing all scooters to access Ather Energy’s 200+ fast chargers, but also allow more OEMs to build products on a common standard thus lowering infrastructure investments, said the company in a statement.

A robust charging infrastructure drives accelerated adoption of electric twowheelers. Ather believes that in order to maximize usage and efficiency of charging infrastructure, there needs to be common connectors that can be used across products. The company has invested in building a fast-charging network since its inception by providing normal speed charge options to all electric two-wheelers and four-wheelers free of cost. The firm says that opening up Ather Energy’s connector technology will promote the use of a common connector, allowing all EV owners to use any fast charging solution across the country. This is expected to enable the entire ecosystem to work together to fasttrack EV adoption in India. While there are global standards for electric four-wheelers like the CHADEMO, CCS, etc. there are is a lack of connector standards available customized for two-wheeler fast charging, except in China. Two-wheeler fast charging requirements are unique. The shape and size of the vehicle makes it infeasible to adopt a four-wheeler charging connector. Similarly, the same connector would be used for normal as well as fast charging. Indian road environment, temperature, and moisture require a standard designed for Indian conditions with adequate field tests for safety and equipment life.

Ather's device has a combo of AC and DC charging with the same connector. This connector size has been designed to be suitable for integration into two-wheelers and three-wheelers with the ability of CAN 2.0 communication with control and proximity pilot. It is designed for production at low costs, which allows it to be used in mass segment vehicles, added the company. "Electric two-wheelers are now going mainstream with the big push through FAME 2 by the government. Consumers need a fast-charging network in public locations to make this shift and that’s exactly what we are doing to build this category," said Tarun Mehta, Co-founder & CEO, Ather Energy.

Simple Energy To Produce 1 Million E-scooter Units Annually at TN Plant

Bengaluru-based electric two-wheeler (E2W) maker Simple Energy has announced setting up its new production plant at Hosur, Tamil Nadu.

Simple Energy's Hosur production plant will be developed around 200,000 sq ft and have a production capacity of up to 1 million units annually. The production plant is also expected to create 1,000 jobs, according to the company.

The e-mobility startup claims that it plans to invest over Rs. 350 crore in the next two years to increase its footprint across India. Also, the firm announced that the work for setting up the factory has begun and the production is expected to commence by the end of this year.

Also, the E2W maker is ready to launch its hi-tech sporty electric scooter titled ‘Simple One’ on Independence Day 2021. The Simple One will be available in different cities in different phases, starting with Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad followed by other cities in the coming months.

This Independence Day, let’s celebrate for a bold. smart. innovative future. #Bethechange #Simpleone

Watch us live on 15th August 2021 | 5:00pm IST - https://t. co/iTu0vQ3Jny — Simple Energy (@ SimpleEnergyEV) July 23, 2021

Speaking of the launch, “This is a huge milestone for Simple Energy. Although we aim to lead electric mobility in the country, we will now be able to cater to a larger audience faster than ever. We look forward to the launch on August 15, to embark on this remarkable initiative,” says Mr. Suhas Rajkumar, founder & CEO of Simple Energy.

According to the product specification, the Simple One will have a 4.8 kWh lithiumion battery, a range of 240km in eco mode, a top speed of 100kph, and 0-50kph acceleration in 3.6 seconds.

The other key features include a mid-drive motor along with a removable battery and futuristic design. It will also come with features like a touchscreen, onboard navigation, and Bluetooth, among others. However, the exact pricing has not been revealed yet, the e-scooter is expected to be under a range of Rs. 110,000 to Rs. 120,000.

For Tamil Nadu, this is yet another major manufacturing win, after Ola Electrics 10 million capacity plant.

Mumbai Gets 35 electric Buses as Tata Motors Starts Delivery of 340 Bus Order

Tata Motors, has delivered 35 state-ofthe-art Starbus electric buses (e-bus) as a part of the larger order of 340 electric buses to Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST). BEST is a civic transport and electricity provider public body based in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Tata Motors has undertaken to build, deploy, maintain and operate the complete charging infrastructure along with the buses. The company will deliver the rest of the order in a phased manner, as per the schedule. The procurement of the buses by BEST have been enabled under the government of India’s FAME II initiative, and the delivery is a part of the first-ever Gross Cost Contract (GCC) by BEST.

The 12-meter long, 35-seater Tata Starbus AC e-buses are equipped with advanced features for the comfort of the driver and the passengers like: ‘Lift Mechanism’ that extends an automated ramp for easy ingress and egress of specially-abled passengers, along with ergonomic seats, roomy interiors, utility provisions like charging ports and wide entry and exit passages.

The full-electric buses come with Intelligent Transport System (ITS), telematics system, regenerative braking system, amongst other features. The buses have been tested and validated by Tata Motors across varied terrains and conditions and are engineered to deliver a high standard of performance.

Tata Motors claims to be the leading provider of transportation and mobility solutions to the country, including batteryelectric, hybrid, CNG, LNG, and hydrogen fuel cell technology. The company has received an order of 15 hydrogen fuel cell buses from Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. It has supplied 525 electric buses across several states, which have cumulatively clocked more than 15 million kilometers.

These 35 e-buses were flagged off by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr. Uddhav Thackeray, along with dignitaries from the Maharashtra state government, BEST, and Tata Motors, at an event at Mahim, Mumbai.

Hyundai Partners with UL for Safe Deployment of Second Life BESS

The South Korean multinational automotive manufacturer, Hyundai Motor Company has partnered with the global safety science leader, UL for the safe deployment and use of second-life battery energy storage systems (SLBESS).

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed during a ceremony at UL's offices in Seoul, South Korea on July 23, formalized the relationship between the two companies. UL and Hyundai will collaborate on SLBESS initiatives, including safety testing and assessment, a North America demonstration project, and evaluation process development. the idea of using used automotive EV batteries for storage requirements is not a new one, and has in fact been cited as one way to reduce storage costs for stationary energy requirements.

Additionally, UL and Hyundai will harness their collective worldwide presence to help extend the reach of their collaboration globally with the intent to help further SLBESS marketplace adoption.

Speaking of the SLBESS, "Reusing batteries in secondary applications is a promising strategy to help combat climate change and carbon emissions," said Sajeev Jesudas, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at UL. "We are excited about our collaboration with Hyundai and how we are joining together to consider second-life battery applications as well as their safety and performance potential."

The concept of giving a second life to electric vehicle (EV) batteries consists of reusing the old batteries, which could still be used on less-demanding grid-connected energy storage applications. As the EV market continues to grow, there is an increased emphasis on repurposing batteries used in EVs.

Concurrent with the desire to repurpose EV batteries, there is an escalating demand globally for efficient renewable energy resources. Innovative energy storage solutions are expected to become a key component of the electricity grid, boosting reliability and helping to integrate renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar.

Speaking of the partnership, "We look forward to enhancing the safety and reliability of second-life battery energy storage systems through our collaboration with UL, the global safety science leader," said Youngcho Chi, president & chief innovation officer of Hyundai Motor Group.