Astro Motors, an emerging electric vehicle (EV) company, announced on Monday that its EV three-wheeler, Astro NAVYA, has set the record of reaching the world’s highest motorable road at Umling La Pass, located in Ladakh, at 19,024 feet. The EV company claims that Astro NAVYA is designed to cater to various geographical needs within India, from cold and steep mountain lands in Ladakh to the extreme heat of Delhi. The EV three-wheeler cargo vehicle is powered by a 10.2 kwh battery, with a payload capacity of 630 kg and a top speed of 50 kmph. Furthermore, according to Astro Motors, Astro NAVYA was driven by India’s first female BEST licensed driver, Pratiksha Das, backed by a team from Astro Motors. 

Sharing his views, Vitan Jagada, Founder, Astro Motors, said, “We are extremely thrilled about achieving this milestone, and are happy to present a product that has demonstrated its capability at the highest level. Even the high altitude of the Ladakh region, with thinner air and temperatures sub-zero at 1 pm, did not impact the performance of the vehicle. So this is very encouraging, as the drive was carried out with a full payload. We are the only company to have successfully mated a manual gearbox to an electric motor, and synchronised the same to maximise the performance and made it available for the public. We are on a mission to create trust in electric vehicles for people to transition from ICE vehicles, with complete peace of mind, and this is the first step in our journey.”

Further sharing his thoughts, Kunal Chandra, Co-founder, Astro Motors, said, “Our first offering falls under the cargo three-wheeler L5 segment, and has been engineered to overcome the challenges being faced by end-users and complete with ICE vehicles. Currently, electric vehicle sales comprise of 2 percent of all automobile sales, up from less than 1 percent last year. The government has set a target to increase this to 30 percent by 2030, opening up a $206 billion opportunity. As per the current data, the adoption of three-wheeler EVs has seen a YOY growth of 101.32 percent. And with the help of the government-backed FAME Policy, there is a lot of incentive for people to switch to electric, as the entire infrastructure required to support the migration to EVs is coming online PAN India. At Astro Motors, we are focused on catering to various segments of the market and also plan to expand our territorial reach globally.”

Adding to this, Hardik Dhanak, Co-founder of Astro Motors and the industrial designer who played a key role in designing Astro NAVYA, said, “We identified the challenges that were being faced by the fleet operators who were deploying electric three-wheelers and worked towards bridging the gap by out-of-the-box thinking, and engineered the product to meet the clients’ need and expectation. A cargo vehicle is constantly on the move in different conditions, like bad roads, uncertain weather etc. So, keeping all factors in mind, we achieved the final design and ran multiple tests for clients across the country. We tested Astro NAVYA on the toughest roads, under harshest weather conditions and roughest driving patterns. So the final frontier of conquering the highest motorable road in the world, without any difficulties or breakdowns, was a milestone achievement for us. Now, we are extremely confident about our upcoming designs for future product launches. We are working towards making these extreme drives possible for individual buyers as well, by providing unique solutions for their unique requirements.”

Digital lending platform Revfin has strengthened its management with the appointment of three senior executives as part of its FY2026 strategy, targeting INR 7.5 billion in disbursements and 5x growth over the past two years. The company also expects to cross INR 20 billion in cumulative disbursements since inception.

The new appointments include Abhinandan Narayan, Chief Business Officer – New Business, Monish Vohra, COO – Operations & Collections and Anirudh Gupta, Chief Finance & Strategy Officer. The appointments the company shared aligns with its focus on ‘People, Process, Profitability.’

Furthermore, Revfin has outlined its ambition to finance 24,000 EVs in FY2026. Till date, it claims to have financed over 85,000 EVs across 25 states, with 75 percent of borrowers from marginalised communities. Cumulatively, its driver partners have covered 1.6 billion electric miles and earned over USD 400 million.

In FY2025, the company grew its L5 EV loan book by 1,700 percent, supported by a partnership with Bajaj Auto and expanded collaborations with logistics firms. The L5 segment remains a key focus as a replacement for ICE vehicles in urban transport.

Sameer Aggarwal, Founder & CEO, Revfin, said, “The last financial year was a volatile one for the EV industry, but the excitement and energy within the sector remain undiminished. At Revfin, we are deeply convinced that intracity and small commercial vehicles must – and will – transition 100 percent to electric within the next three years. The opportunity is here and now. It’s time to set bold targets and pursue hypergrowth over the next two years. At this critical juncture, the right leadership becomes essential to realizing our ambitions. With the strong momentum we’ve already built, we’re confident the journey ahead will be even more rewarding. We’ve entered 2025 with a sharp focus on what truly matters: People, Processes, and Profitability. These latest leadership hires are a natural extension of that focus and our commitment to scale with purpose.”

Ahmedabad-based clean energy company Matter has launched its flagship electric motorcycle – the Aera, in Bengaluru at an introductory price of IRN 179,000 for the first 500 customers, post which it will be available at INR 188,000. The company has started taking pre-registrations for the e-motorcycle at INR 1,999.

Furthermore, the company has also announced that its first Experience Hub will come up at BTM Layout, which will showcase its tech prowess and philosophy firsthand.

The Matter Aera is claimed to be the world's first electric motorcycle with manual gears – 4-speed transmission, 3 ride modes that delivers 12 unique ride combinations. It features a 7-inch Smart Touchscreen Dashboard, onboard charger and liquid cooled powertrain. The e-motorcycle has a claimed IDC range of up to 172km, a zero to 40 kmph in 2.8 seconds, dual disc brakes with ABS, telescopic front fork and dual rear suspension.

Mohal Lalbhai, Founder & Group CEO, Matter Energy, said, “There’s no better city to lead this journey than Bengaluru—where innovation isn’t just an idea, it’s a way of life. Every lane, every rider here resonates with purpose and progress. The Aera isn’t just a bike – it’s the 22nd Century motorbike. It delivers the thrill of a rocket and the practicality your pocket loves. With our in-house developed Hypershift manual gearbox, liquid-cooled powertrain, and connected tech, AERA brings together performance, emotion, and sustainability like never before.”

The Kia EV3 has won the prestigious ‘2025 World Car of the Year’ award at the globally renowned 2025 World Car Awards ceremony, held during the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS).

A jury of 96 distinguished worldwide automotive journalists from 30 nations assessed the 2025 World Car Awards. With the EV3's triumph, Kia has now won six World Car Awards since 2020. The EV3 has a dramatic, forward-thinking design and a creative, useful interior that makes the most of available space, comfort and utility. The EV3 can charge from 10 to 80 percent in 31 minutes and has a segment-leading range of up to 375 miles (around 603 kilometres). While Kia's AI Assistant, advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) and Over-the-Air (OTA) upgrades improve the ownership experience with cutting-edge technology, the vehicle's creative interior design maximizes room, comfort and accessibility.

Ho Sung Song, President and CEO, Kia, said, “It is an immense honour for everyone at Kia that the EV3 has been awarded the 2025 World Car of the Year title. This award highlights Kia’s global leadership in providing design-led, technologically advanced, sustainable mobility solutions and how the EV3’s class-leading attributes redefine the user experience for customers worldwide.”

The Hyundai INSTER sub-compact EV has won the prestigious 2025 World Electric Vehicle award at the globally renowned 2025 World Car Awards ceremony, held during the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS).

With this recognition, Hyundai Motor Company has dominated one or more World Car Awards categories for the fourth year in a row. Hyundai Motor's commitment to developing EV technology and sustainability is highlighted by the 2025 World Electric Vehicle award, which also acknowledges INSTER's exceptional value in the EV market. The finalists were chosen by a sealed-ballot jury consisting of 96 international automotive journalists from 30 different countries. On 16 April 2025, the winners were revealed at the 2025 NYIAS. With its unique design, remarkable driving range and state-of-the-art technology, INSTER is the market leader in the sub-compact EV sector. A 10- to 80-percent charge can be made in around 30 minutes thanks to INSTER's quick charging technology, and the 49-kWh long-range variant has a range of up to 370 kilometres.

José Muñoz, President and CEO, Hyundai Motor Company, said, “The Hyundai INSTER has been a winner with customers since we introduced it. It’s very gratifying that the experts on the prestigious World Car Awards jurors feel the same way. The combination of compelling design, range, enjoyable driving characteristics, intuitive infotainment and technology that customers appreciate is emblematic of Hyundai’s approach of delivering exceptional value to our customers. The fact that our global portfolio is successful both commercially and critically speaks to the hard-working people throughout the Hyundai value chain who are delivering some of the best vehicles on the road today. Thank you to all the jurors for your service to this great industry.”