Clean Electric, a startup working on XFC battery technology for electric vehicles, has unveiled what it claims is its revolutionary rapid recharging battery technology that can fully charge electric vehicles in under 12-minutes (claimed). 

This groundbreaking advancement represents a major leap forward, with EV charging times ranging from 60 minutes to 120 minutes. Its proprietary battery technology uses universal CCS 2 DC charging standards, ensuring compatibility across all EV model form-factors, positioning it as a game-changer for the entire industry. 

The fireproof batteries had been tested for 3700 rapid charge cycles with only 11 percent degradation in the overall range. The energy storage solution firm manufactures the batteries at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Pune, the plant is well-equipped to produce up to 1,200 battery packs per month.

The groundbreaking technology by Clean Electric, is said to have been under development for 4-years and is backed by 4 granted patents both domestic and US. Its battery architectures had several industry-first technologies, such as direct contact liquid cooling (DCLC) for e-four-wheeler and large battery systems, self-contained adaptive active liquid cooling (SCALC) for e-two-wheelers and e-three-wheeler battery systems and DCLC with Integrated cell to pack (CTP) battery architecture, which will allow intrinsically safe batteries, mitigating thermal runaway risk, and enable RAPID Charging with higher packaging efficiency to boost EV range without added degradation. 

The start-up is currently working with EV OEMs in e-car, e-two-wheeler, e-three-wheeler, e-LCV, and established startups to address major roadblocks to enable mass adoption. Some of the poignant issues include EVs catching fire, anxiety from long charging times (minimum 1 hour), and the limited range (200-300km) of current EVs. 

Clean Electric recently held a live demonstration in Pune, showcasing a 2.2 kWh e-two-wheeler battery & 12.5 kWh e-three-wheeler, charging from 0-80 percent State of Charge (SOC) in just 10 minutes at a constant of 5C charge rate using BIS-approved Type 6, Bharat DC-001 and globally accepted CCS 2 DC public charger, making it the world’s fastest- charging production electric vehicle. 

The start-up was founded by Akash Gupta, Abhinav Roy & Ankit Joshi in 2020 to develop, manufacture, and supply advanced energy storage solutions for EVs and grid applications. It has built advanced liquid-cooled battery solutions for two-, three-wheelers, e-cars and grid storage. 

Ankit Joshi, Chief Product Officer, Clean Electric said, “This is a revolutionary moment for all of us at Clean Electric, our proprietary 12-minute charging technology sets a new global standard that will drive the EV industry forward. Committed to sustainability, we strive to democratize RAPID Charging for EVs coupled with long battery life, reducing environmental impact and shaping the future of electric vehicles. Clean Electric plans to introduce Gen 3 batteries next fiscal year, enabling affordable, high-energy density batteries to take rapid charging to the masses.”

Akash Gupta, Co-Founder, Clean Electric stated, “We support Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari’s audacious vision to stop the production of new fossil fuel based combustion engine vehicle by 2034, I firmly believe Clean Electric will be the strongest catalyst in the EV-ecosystem to enable shift to renewable energy powered electric vehicle, also we need to add ‘Design in India’ to the narrative of ‘Make in India’ and make India technology powerhouse globally for other country to follow India’s footsteps/ successful scalable models/ solutions to benefit human mankind.”

Clean Electric has raised seed funding of $2.2 million (INR 183.2 million) in October 2022 led by Kalaari Capital. 

Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has placed an extra order for 148 electric buses from Tata Motors, the biggest commercial vehicle manufacturer in India. This purchase comes after BMTC placed an earlier order for 921 electric buses, the majority of which have been delivered and are operating effectively with an uptime of more than 95 percent.

The Tata Starbus EV 12-metre low-floor electric buses will be supplied, operated and maintained for a term of 12 years by TML Smart City Mobility Solutions Ltd, a completely owned subsidiary of Tata Motors. With its best-in-class features and outstanding design, the Tata Starbus EV offers a pleasant and environmentally friendly commute. These zero-emission electric buses are built on cutting-edge battery technologies and next-generation design to provide a convenient, safe and comfortable intra-city journey around Bengaluru.

Ramachandran R, IAS, MD, BMTC, said, "We are happy to further strengthen our partnership with Tata Motors with these additional 148 electric buses for our fleet modernisation. The performance of the existing Tata electric buses has been exceptional, aligning perfectly with our commitment to sustainable and efficient public transportation. The larger e-bus fleet will significantly enhance our capacity to provide eco-friendly, comfortable and reliable services to the citizens of Bengaluru."

Asim Kumar Mukhopadhyay, CEO and MD, TML Smart City Mobility Solutions Limited, said, "We are honoured by BMTC's continued trust in our e-mobility solutions. This additional order of 148 buses is a testament to the proven success of our Starbus EVs and the operational excellence delivered in Bengaluru's urban environment. We remain committed to delivering innovative solutions that benefit both the community and the environment."

Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL), the country's largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has shared the teaser image for its first electric vehicle product - the e Vitara.

Set to be unveiled at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025, the e Vitara will be made in India for the world. It was recently unveiled by Suzuki Motor Corporation at Milan, Italy.

Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “The e Vitara is a testament of our unwavering commitment to sustainable mobility and technological innovation. With decades of automotive expertise, we have combined advanced electric technology with a customer-first approach to deliver something truly transformative. At Maruti Suzuki, we have always believed that to promote EV adoption, we need to create a holistic ecosystem that simplifies customers' battery electric vehicle ownership journey.”

“A critical barrier to the adoption of EVs is the lack of accessible charging. To tackle this issue, we are committed to introduce a reliable and comprehensive EV ecosystem alongside the e Vitara. This will include home charging solutions as well as a nationwide network of fast chargers available at Maruti Suzuki dealerships and service touchpoints. Our goal is to make EVs accessible, convenient, and appealing to a broader set of customers, and this is exactly what we have set out to achieve with the e Vitara,” he added.

​​Vadodara-headquartered electric vehicle company WardWizard Innovations & Mobility recently launched its new range of EV offerings, which it expects to give a new charge to its retail sales.

It was on 13 December 2024 the Joy e-rik V1 (L5) and Joy Bandhu (L3) electric three-wheelers in the passenger category and Joy Sahayak + Cargo (L5) and Joy Eco Loader (L3) in the electric three-wheeler cargo space were launched by the EV maker, thus marking its entry into the fast-growing electric three-wheeler space.

The Joy e-rik V1, priced at INR 385,000 (ex-showroom), comes with 10.24 kW li-ion battery, 50 kmph max speed and 140 km claimed range on a full charge. It can be charged in 4.5-5 hours using the 50 Amp charger.

The Joy Bandhu priced at INR 134,000, uses a 7.2 kW lead-acid battery, has a claimed range of 120 km and top speed limited to 25 kmph.

On the other hand, the Joy Sahayak + Cargo, priced at INR 424,000, is targeted for payload capacity of 650 kg + driver, max speed of 50 kmph, up to 130 km range on a single charge. It uses a 10.2 kW LFP li-ion battery and can be charged in four hours using 50 Amp charger. The Joy Eco Loader, on the other hand, comes with a payload capacity of 310 kg + driver and is priced at INR 130,000.

At present, electric three-wheeler sales in India are averaging 56,674 units a month (CY 2024) as compared to 47,204 units last year. What’s also driving the sales is the government incentives like the Centre’s PM E-Drive scheme that provides demand incentives to support purchase of 316,000 e-three-wheelers including e-rickshaws. They are entitled to a subsidy of INR 25,000 in the first year and INR 12,500 in the second year. For the L5 category (cargo e-three-wheelers), the incentive is INR 50,000 per unit in the first year and INR 25,000 the next.

For the Vadodara-based EV maker, the idea to enter the electric three-wheeler space is on the back of the growing demand for greener last-mile delivery as well as last-mile mobility connectivity options.

Interestingly, it has already onboarded 27 dealerships that will focus on selling electric three-wheelers. Furthermore, it will also provide preference for its around 900 existing dealer and network partners to sell its new offerings.

For FY2025, WardWizard Innovations & Mobility estimates to sell around 50,000 units of electric vehicles across electric two-wheelers (low speed and high speed) and three-wheelers (L3 & L5) in India. It estimates that the sales will grow by 22-24 percent YoY in FY2026.

While it has recently entered the e-three-wheeler space, the company expects the new products to have around 30-35 percent share in its overall sales starting from FY2026.

On the other hand, reducing its reliance on low-speed electric two-wheeler category, the company also introduced a new high-speed e-scooter ‘Nemo’. Priced at INR 99,000 (ex-showroom), it comes with a 40 Ah NMC li-ion battery and a 1,500W DC brushless hub motor that gives it a max speed of 65 kmph. It has a claimed range of 130 km on a single charge in Eco mode. The e-scooter uses a digital speedometer, 5-inch full-colour TF display and projector LED headlight. The company has targeted a modest 2,000 units sales for Nemo in the next three months.

The EV maker currently has an installed capacity to produce 73,000 electric two-wheelers, 7,300 L5 electric three-wheelers and 18,250 L3 electric three-wheelers per annum. The company claims that apart from some plastic components and cells being imported, everything has been localised.

It further aims to start manufacturing its own batteries in the next one year in Vadodara, for which the pilots are underway.

Ahmedabad-based electric mobility start-up Matter was recently awarded the 10th CII Industrial IP Award 2024 at the CII Annual Summit on Technology, Intellectual Property, and Industry-Academia Partnership, held on 12th and 13th December in New Delhi.

The recognition was on the back of the company’s robust portfolio of over 300 patent applications and 58 granted patents in areas such as powertrain cooling, gearbox technologies, charging infrastructure, and manufacturing automation.

The EV maker is the first to launch a geared e-motorcycle called ‘Aera’, which it expects will play a key role in driving higher adoption of green vehicles in the motorcycle space.

Kumar Prasad, Founder and CTO, Matter, said, "Innovation has always been at the heart of Matter’s vision. This award reaffirms our commitment to redefining the electric mobility sector with pioneering research and development. We are proud to contribute to India’s vibrant IP ecosystem and continue driving technological advancements for a sustainable future."