Electric Vehicles This Week: Porsche Taycan, Canada Tests Out First Eplane And More

As the Electric Vehicle (EV) market is heating up with multiple launches, developing an environmentally friendly, affordable, capable and efficient charging infrastructure is equally important. Addressing the need, scientists at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, are working on indigenously producing graphene to charge the Indian fleet.

So far, the team of scientists has created 1gm of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), a modified version of graphene, in the lab. The rGO is said to be 100 times cheaper than the commercial rGO available in the market. The scientist claims to make the material at INR 700, whereas the international companies produce the same element for INR 70 K.

The team of scientists from IISER has got funding from the department of science and technology. The team adds that they are working to create the supercapacitors, in partnership with SPEL Technologies Pvt Ltd, for the project and to evolve India-specific applications.

Chart of the week: Rise of EV

EV News From India

TVS Plans To Use Solar, Wind Power For EV Charging Stations

This week, motorcycle manufacturer TVS Motors announced that it will be investing INR 6 Cr in clean energy generation through solar and wind power for its EV charging infrastructure in the financial year 20, ending March 2020. The investment to implement clean energy in its vehicles is a part of TVS Motor’s ‘Group Captive Mode’ initiative. The company will also invest in developing new technologies that cut down on emissions.

Porsche To Launch EV Taycan In India By 2020

German automobile giant Porsche has announced the launch of its all-electric car Taycan for India users. The vehicle will be launched in July 2020 for $370K (INR 2.61 Cr) for the ultra-rich Indians. Outside India, Taycan’s base price would be $100K, costing around $150,900 in total.

Delhi Govt Begins Work On Installing 75 EV Charging Stations In City

State-run Energy Efficiency Service Ltd (EESL), in collaboration with South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), set up the first EV public charging station in South Delhi. The duo plans to set up 75 such charging stations across South Delhi to not only boost EVs but also make them more convenient for the users.

Indian Institutes Tie Up With UK University To Boost EV Research

Tamil Nadu-based Vellore Institute of Technology and PSG College of Technology have partnered with Loughborough University in England to make lithium-ion batteries last longer in the Indian temperature. The ideal temperature for Lithium-ion batteries is 25-degree celsius, but the temperature in India frequently rises above 30-degree Celsius.

B:Live Launches Ebikes For Rajasthan Travellers

Goa-based electric vehicle startup B:Live has partnered with the government of Rajasthan to launch its ebike tourism service Jaipur and Jodhpur. The company is starting its services with 15 bikes each in Jaipur and Jodhpur.

Google Maps To Enable Route Tracking For E-Buses In UP

The government of Uttar Pradesh has decided to map the real-time updates of 130 routes in 14 cities to make travelling through ebuses more convenient for the users. The government will be deploying buses in cities like Varanasi, Jhansi, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj, Agra, and Lucknow.

Startup Of The Week: B:Live

Founded in 2017 by Samarth Kholkar and Sandeep Mukherjee, B:Live offers curated tours on its smart ebikes, in collaboration with multiple state governments, to encourage the early adoption of EVs in tourist destinations. B:Live started its operations in Goa last year and has recently expanded its services to two cities in Rajasthan — Jaipur and Jodhpur. The company wants to further expand its presence in Rajasthan by including more cities.

Currently, the ebikes operate in five states across India — Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, and Puducherry. It usually caters to guests from premium hospitality chains like Taj, Club Mahindra, Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, Novotel, Radisson, among others. The platform has also got support from the Ministry of Tourism and state governments of the state it operates in.

In September 2019, B:Live raised INR 4 Cr ($563.18K) from DNA Entertainment Networks. With the funding, the company plans to expand its services to 10 new locations in the next 12 months and 30 locations by 2023.

EV News From Around The World

Canada Tests First Electric Plane

Australia-based electric motor manufacturer for electric aircraft Magnix and Canada-based seaplane airline Harbour Air tested out the world’s first electric seaplane, DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver, in Canada. With the success of the pilot operation, Harbour Air plans to electrify its entire fleet gradually.

Ebikes To Be The Top Selling EV Of Next Decade

According to a report by Deloitte, ebikes will outnumber the sales of electric vehicles around the world. The report expects that 130 Mn ebikes will be sold globally between 2020 and 2030.

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