Battery Smart, a battery-swapping network for electric two and three-wheelers, has successfully completed a milestone of one million paid swaps. Besides, the company has expanded to 10 cities in India, including Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad, and Panipat. 

The company said it is a significant milestone as it validates the growing usage and acceptance of battery swapping as an innovative clean mobility solution that offers a 40 percent reduction in the up-front investment borne by consumers.  

It said with a new battery swapping policy announced as part of Budget 2022-23, battery swapping infrastructure and EV financing are set to receive heightened focus from the government. 

Siddharth Sikka, Co-Founder, Battery Smart, said, “Our unique battery-as-a-service model has empowered us to scale our operations at a rapid pace, growing 20X in the last 6 months. Our intelligent battery assignment technology, real-time data, and automated swap stations enable us to minimize wait times and augment drivers’ earnings by upto 100 percent. 

Pulkit Khurana, Co-Founder, Battery Smart, said, “We are very proud to announce that we have completed 1 million battery swaps, a testament to India’s rapidly growing acceptance to switch to EVs. The fact that these swaps have been completed by our paying customers, like gig workers and e-rikshaw drivers across 120+ different makes of vehicles, strengthens our belief that an interoperable battery swapping network is the most effective solution, especially for commercial two and three-wheelers.”  

Battery Smart’s IoT-enabled batteries on its network and the data generated are being utilised for network planning and ensuring EV users have access to two-minute swaps within a 1 km radius with zero wait time, the release said. With more than 4000 registered drivers on its platform and over 200 Swap Stations live and operational, the company has powered 30 million emission-free km till date, it added. (MT)

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A groundbreaking multi-year pilot program is set to launch in Tokyo this September, deploying over 150 battery-swappable commercial electric vehicles (EVs) and 14 modular battery swapping stations across the city. The ambitious initiative marks a collaboration between Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Ample and Yamato Transport. The aim is to drastically reduce vehicle downtime and accelerate Japan's decarbonisation goals.

The Tokyo project significantly expands on a successful smaller pilot conducted in Kyoto last year. The fleet will include MFTBC's eCanter light-duty trucks and Mitsubishi Motors' Minicab EV, specifically targeting commercial delivery operations. Yamato Transport, Japan's largest shipping and logistics group, will be the first major customer, focusing on last-mile deliveries. Ample, an American battery swapping company, will provide the battery swapping technology and manage the installation and operation of the swapping stations.

This initiative is a direct response to Japan's ambitious climate targets: a 46 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2013 levels by 2030, and carbon neutrality by 2050. With the transportation sector contributing approximately 19 percent of Japan's total CO2 emissions in 2022, electrifying commercial fleets is a critical strategic priority. The project is supported by the Tokyo Metropolitan Environment Public Corporation.

A core objective of the program is to achieve battery swapping times of just five minutes, minimising disruption to commercial operations. Unlike traditional charging, Ample's system is fully automated, allowing drivers to remain in their vehicles. These compact, rapidly deployable stations offer a practical solution for high-utilisation fleets in dense urban environments like Tokyo. Future plans also include utilising these stations to provide grid services, such as storing renewable energy, further bolstering their environmental impact.

This collaboration builds on prior successful partnerships, including a 2024 pilot in Kyoto that involved Yamato Transport, MFTBC and Ample. That demonstration validated the operational benefits of battery swapping and its ability to support diverse vehicle types and brands simultaneously. The Tokyo expansion not only scales up operations but also welcomes Mitsubishi Motors, a pioneer in the commercial EV segment, as an additional automotive partner.

The consortium's ultimate goal is to showcase battery swapping as a viable solution for the demanding real-world needs of commercial EV operators and to establish a robust infrastructure for commercial battery swapping across Japan's largest city. The project remains open to welcoming additional automakers, fleets and logistics operators interested in joining this transformative effort.

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Pune-headquartered alternative fuel commercial vehicles manufacturer Blue Energy Motors has delivered LNG-powered heavy-duty trucks to Inland World Logistics.

These LNG-powered trucks are claimed to offer 30 percent lower CO2 emissions and thus not only contribute to lower tailpipe emissions but also lower operational costs.

With this, Blue Energy Motors has over 800 LNG trucks plying on Indian highways, which have enabled over 50 million kilometres. This translates to almost 14,000 tonnes of CO2 reduction.

Anirudh Bhuwalka, CEO, Blue Energy Motors, said, “We are proud to lead India’s clean trucking revolution and partner with visionary companies like Inland who share our commitment to sustainable growth. Our trucks offer a powerful alternative to diesel, with significantly reduced emissions and a lower total cost of ownership. This reflects our commitment to enable cleaner mobility at scale—fleet by fleet, region by region.” 

Praveen Somani, Managing Director, Inland World Logistics, said, “We believe that the future of logistics lies in green mobility, and transitioning to LNG is a crucial step in that direction. Blue Energy Motors stood out for us - not just for their product innovation, but for their clear commitment to making sustainable trucking viable and accessible. These trucks align with our vision of reducing our carbon footprint while ensuring efficiency and performance on long hauls.”

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The Kia EV3 has secured the highest possible ‘Very Good’ grade in Euro NCAP's assisted driving test. The test focused on the model's Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA 2) system, which combines real-time driver monitoring, adaptive cruise control and lane centring.

In the ‘assistance competence’ and ‘safety backup’ categories, the EV3 received scores of 74 and 88 out of 100, respectively. The vehicle achieved the highest rating with a total score of 162 points, making it the first car from both Kia and the Hyundai Motor Group to receive this grade. By aiding the driver in a variety of real-world situations, such as changing lanes, maintaining lane position at different speeds and stopping if the driver becomes unresponsive, the EV3's HDA 2 strikes a balance between a high degree of vehicle assistance and driver involvement, according to Euro NCAP. In addition to providing exceptional safety backup, the model provides ‘very good’ highway assistance.

With the adaptability and affordability to be the primary vehicle in the home, Kia's EV3 is a high-volume electric vehicle designed specifically for the compact SUV market. The 2025 World Car Awards have crowned the vehicle the 2025 World Car of the Year. In the UK, the car has also received other honours, including ‘UK Car of the Year 2025’ at the UK Car of the Year Awards and ‘Best EV Crossover’ at the TopGear.com Electric Awards 2025.

Pablo Martinez Masip, Vice President Product and Marketing of Kia Europe and COO of Kia Connect Europe, said, “This excellent outcome reflects Kia’s commitment to delivering advanced technologies that enhance driver convenience and passenger safety. The EV3’s performance in the Euro NCAP assisted driving test draws attention to the capabilities of Highway Driving Assist 2 and serves as a milestone for Hyundai Motor Group.”

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On World Environment Day, CHARGE ZONE, India’s largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network, unveiled ‘Shwa’, a groundbreaking public art project that redefines EV Supercharging stations as cultural landmarks. By integrating large-scale murals into charging hubs, Shwa blends sustainability, community engagement and creativity, transforming functional spaces into open-air galleries that inspire climate action.

Each mural, created in partnership with both well-known and up-and-coming Indian artists, offers a distinct perspective on a sustainable India that is firmly anchored in regional aesthetics, local tales and messages of optimism for the environment. The project begins with striking murals painted by renowned artist Rahul Kumawat in Karjan, Gujarat, and Suryapet, Telangana. Meaningful interaction with the art and its underlying environmental issues is made possible by the thoughtful placement of these enormous artworks at CHARGE ZONE's Supercharging stations, where visitors usually spend longer time.

Each artwork has a discrete QR code that connects to the recently built Shwa website (shwa.chargezone.co.in), adding an interactive element. With its high-resolution photos, artist biographies and the backstories of each piece of art, this digital platform functions as a living archive. In order to make the sustainability discussion more widely available, the website also emphasises themes of climate resilience and local history while offering downloadable media materials.

Kartikey Hariyani, Founder & CEO, CHARGE ZONE, said, “EV charging stations are a gateway to the future of mobility and with Shwa, we’re using them to tell stories that matter. We’re starting with just three murals across our Supercharging stations, but in the next six months, we aim to bring this experience to 10–12 more sites. Over the next five to six years, our ambition is to create a few hundred such installations across the country. This is not just about infrastructure, it's about sparking emotional connection and climate consciousness through art that speaks to everyone. I am thankful to our young team of millennials and GenZ for conceptualising and seeding the process from idea to execution.”

Devbrat Hariyani, Project Shwa Head, CHARGE ZONE, said, “Infrastructure should serve more than just function, it should inspire. With Shwa, we’re creating spaces where culture, community and climate intersect. These murals are invitations to slow down, to think and to feel. Over time, as hundreds of these works bloom along our highways, we hope to create an evolving living archive that’s open to everyone.”

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