Electric Mobility News

Ionity aims to install 400 high-speed charging stations across Europe by the end of next year in a bid to combat concerns about the range of electric vehicles, which is still considered a key factor limiting demand.

Last week, Tesla co-founder Elon Musk tweeted that he will be bringing over the Tesla Model S to the holy grail of motorsport - The Nurburgring circuit in Germany. It was thought of as a challenge to the recently unveiled Porsche Taycan Turbo, the iconic German automaker's first-ever fully electric sports car. Setting a benchmark time at the Nurburgring is what most manufacturers swear by, and what better way to welcome the Taycan than throw up a challenge. It now seems the stakes have moved a notch higher as Musk may have just found a "decent driver" to pilot the Model S at the iconic track. Responding to Musk's tweet was former Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg, who has offered his services to take the Model S around the Nurburgring.

Porsche is making a leather-free version of its new Taycan electric sports car in the latest attempt by a German automaker to play up green credentials as environmental activists lobby for a boycott of the industry. Last month, a climate activist group smashed up 40 luxury vehicles and called for a boycott of this month's Frankfurt Auto Show because it celebrates an "outmoded climate and environment destroying transportation system."

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has recently added the country's first inter-city air-conditioned electric bus to its fleet. Maharashtra is the first Indian state to get this service, and like some of its other bus services like Shivneri, Ashwamedh, and Shivshahi, the new 43-seater electric bus will be called Shivai.

Asian cities are switching to electric vehicles in a bid to tackle worsening air quality, cut climate changing emissions, and expand their public transport networks, climate experts said on Friday.

Gurugram-based Okinawa Autotech has introduced the new PraisePro electric scooter in the country, positioned below the flagship iPraise in the company's stable. The new Okinawa PraisePro is priced at Rs. 71,990 (ex-showroom, India), which makes it substantially cheaper than the flagship offering and more affordable in comparison. The manufacturer says that the PraisePro e-scooter promises a low running cost of 20 paise/km, which makes it substantially cheaper to run than a conventional ICE scooter. The new offering will lock horns against a number of 125 cc scooters including the Honda Grazia, TVS NTorq 125, Suzuki Access 125 and the likes.

The Evolet Hawk will be the full-faired electric sportbike from Rissala Electric Motors, a new start-up in the electric mobility space. The Evolet Hawk is expected to be launched sometime in the first half of 2020.

Prior to GST, hybrid vehicles were taxed 30.3 percent (12.5 percent excise duty, 12.5 percent value-added tax, 2 percent central sales tax and 1 percent national calamity contingent duty). Under GST, it attracts 28 percent tax and 15 percent cess like big petrol and diesel luxury cars.