Electric Vehicles This Week: AP Govt’s Electric Bus Tender, Mahindra-Ford JV And More

Earlier this week, the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) issued a tender to procure 350 air-conditioned electric buses. This comes under phase II of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) India programme.

The buses are expected to be procured on a gross cost contract (GCC) basis. The bidders will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the buses. The scope of work will also include the procurement and installation of an 11 KV substation, charging stations, related equipment, and maintenance.

APSRTC will provide demand incentives as per the FAME India guidelines and contract the buses for 12 years. The last date for the submission of bids for this tender is October 14, 2019. 

Chart of the week: Global Passenger EV Sales Forecast

EV News From India 

Mahindra And Ford JV To Focus On Electric Vehicles Manufacturing

Indian automobile major Mahindra and Mahindra is forming a joint venture with the American manufacturer Ford Motor. As part of this partnership, Mahindra will take over Ford’s entire India business, along with owning a 51% controlling stake. One of the focus areas for the venture will be electric vehicles. “Ford and Mahindra will collaborate to develop vehicles to support the growth of sustainable mobility across emerging markets,” the companies said in a joint press statement.

Gemopai Electric Launched A New Electric Bike 

Gemopai Electric has recently launched a new daily commute focused electric bike model —  Astrid Lite. Priced at INR 79.9K, Astrid Lite comes with three drive modes – Sports, City and Economy promising a range of 75 kms to 90kms and the capacity to double the distance travelled from 150 kms -180 kms with an extra battery. It is powered by a removable lithium-ion battery of 1.7 KW. The scooter has a motor with a rated power of 2400W which at its peak performs at 4000W. The battery weighs around 8.5 kg and can be easily taken out and charged indoors. 

Startup Of The Week: BPM Power 

Kerala-based BPM Power is an electric vehicle infrastructure development startup founded in March 2019. The company offerings range from EV charging station setup, installation, maintenance, services and more. 

In addition to setting up EV charging stations across Kerala, the company has also developed a mobile application called ChargeMOD. This app enables EV drivers to browse locate and make online payments at all BPM charging stations across the country.

BPM Power offers a subscription-based pricing model for EV drivers and partner based model for clients. Moreover, BPM Power is creating a business opportunity for individuals and SMEs to set up charging stations and earn a steady revenue through its unique ABCC (Any Body Can Charge) program. BPM Power is currently running its pilot with 24 charging stations across Calicut and plans to soon expand to Trivandrum and Cochin. 

EV News From Around The World

America, Norway Replace Fuel Pumps With EV Charging Points

In the United States, a fuel station in Takoma Park, Maryland has transitioned to an exclusive electric car charging station. This American service station was operational as a diesel and petrol station since 1958.  In Norway, the first fuel station to turn electric is a Circle K in Oslo.

Tesla Eyes Mass Production With New Factory In China 

Elon Musk-led company has aimed to produce around 1K Model 3s per week at its China factory by the end of 2019. The goal behind this target is to increase company sales in China and also to avoid high import tariffs imposed on American cars. Further, the electric vehicle manufacturer had aimed to achieve the annualized 500K vehicles production rate by the end of this year.