From left: Kunal Khattar, Founder, AdvantEdge Founders; Sandeep Divakaran, CEO & Co-founder, Exponent Energy; Arun Vinayak, CEO & Founder, Exponent Energy.

Bengaluru-based energy technology company Exponent Energy has unveiled Exponent One, a comprehensive fintech and asset management initiative designed to overcome a significant obstacle in commercial electric vehicle adoption: the challenge of securing practical and accessible financing. This new venture will be led by Sandeep Divakaran, an experienced professional in financing and mobility who joins as Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer.

Exponent Energy has established a comprehensive energy ecosystem for commercial EVs by tackling critical issues such as rapid charging, dependable battery performance and consistent operational uptime. This work has yielded deep, real-world energy intelligence within the commercial mobility sector. Although EV technology has progressed considerably, widespread adoption remains limited by financing hurdles. Exponent One directly confronts this issue with an advanced underwriting and asset management platform developed specifically for commercial EVs, drawing on the aforementioned energy insights. The primary goal is to achieve financing parity with internal combustion engine vehicles by providing flexible financial products and mitigating risk through assurances and buyback programmes.

By collaborating with established financial institutions, the new venture seeks to enable large-scale EV financing for commercial operators. Its focus will be exclusively on commercial electric vehicles, encompassing three-wheelers, light commercial vehicles, four-wheelers, buses and trucks. Support will extend to both individual driver-owners and fleet operators, covering the entire ownership journey from initial acquisition through lifecycle management to eventual upgrades. Leveraging Exponent’s energy intelligence, the platform employs an AI-driven adaptive financing model that facilitates access to livelihoods. It also integrates embedded insurance to protect against health and asset-related difficulties, while guaranteed buybacks help cultivate a robust secondary market, offering crucial reassurance to vehicle owners and financial partners. Additional features like savings options, supplementary loans and upgrade paths are intended to support drivers in their professional growth.

To accelerate its early deployment and broaden its footprint in key commercial EV centers, Exponent One has secured USD 2 million in pre-seed investment from AdvantEdge Founders, aiming to deliver its adaptive financing solutions to a greater number of driver-owners.

Sandeep said, “Commercial Vehicle driver-owners operate real-world businesses with daily variable earnings and limited buffers, yet lending models are still run on personal credit rails, with fixed monthly assumptions (EMIs). This rigid approach, focuses on only output metrics of timely payments, and hence fails the driver and leads to the ecosystem viewing commercial EV financing as risky. At Exponent One, we believe in something fundamental: if the driver-owner fails, the system fails. Our vision is to enable sustainable micro-entrepreneurship in electric mobility by building financing that adapts to real world earnings and not monthly averages, manages asset risk, provides buffers and gives drivers the confidence to switch and grow with EVs. Our adaptive lending model focuses on input metrics – asset quality, charging patterns, energy consumption – giving us the ability to differentiate between bad luck and bad intent and help support driver-owners through their circle of life.”

Arun Vinayak, Founder and CEO, Exponent Energy, said, “Energy in EVs is an upfront capex problem, hence viable-financing products are needed to transform this higher capex to meaningful opex benefits to the driver-owners. Electric Commercial Vehicles are fundamentally energy assets. Our ability to influence battery life and manage them on a daily basis with real-time energy data gives us an edge in understanding these assets better and in knowing their residual value. EVs are digital, earnings are digital and the energy stack with Exponent is digital, and all these input metrics, layered with innovations in AI tech, enhances our ability to contextually underwrite and support the driver-owners through their circle of life. This is a first of its kind partnership, with energy and financing coming together to provide integrated adaptive finance and asset management solutions. We’re excited to have Sandeep lead this effort to build the financial layer needed to address the commercial EV financing gap. Together, Exponent Energy will power the assets and Exponent One will power the driver-owner.”

Kunal Khattar, Founder, AdvantEdge Founders, said, “Commercial EV scale in India isn't just a technology challenge; it's a data and capital challenge. Lenders must understand how these assets actually earn and age to unlock true scale. At AdvantEdge, we’re backing Exponent One because they’ve replaced ICE-era assumptions with real-time operational intelligence, aligning financing with daily earnings and long-term asset performance. By building a durable financial layer tailored to the EV ownership lifecycle, they are addressing the core risk mismatches that have held this industry back. We believe this is the missing piece that will finally move electric fleets from pilot to mass adoption.”

Tata Power and Tata Passenger Electric Mobility (TPEM) have inaugurated a TATA.ev MegaCharger Hub at the iLabs Centre in Hitech City, Hyderabad, which marks the first-of-its-kind in Telangana.

The hub is designed to support the growing number of electric vehicles in the city, including private cars, commercial fleets and ride-hailing services. Key features include a total of 360 kW charging capacity. It has three 120 kW dispensers capable of charging six vehicles simultaneously, which is accessible 24 hours a day.

This hub is part of the TATA.ev MegaCharger network, which comprises over 750 charging points across India. Users can manage charging sessions via the Tata Power EZ Charge App.

Tata Power currently operates a network of over 6,500 public charging points across more than 700 cities and towns. The company has also installed over 230,000 home chargers in collaboration with various automotive manufacturers.

The inauguration event was attended by Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary to the Government of Telangana and Gopalakrishnan VC, Director of the Automotive and EV Sector for the Government of Karnataka, alongside representatives from Tata Power and Tata Motors.

Hindustan Zinc has deployed a 250 Metric Tonne capacity electric crane at its Zinc Smelter in Debari, Rajasthan. The hybrid machine operates on diesel and electricity and is part of a strategy to reduce emissions across the company's industrial infrastructure.

The crane replaces a diesel-operated model that consumed 93,600 litres of fuel per year. The company expects this transition to avoid approximately 250.8 tonnes of CO2 in annual emissions.

Arun Misra, CEO, Hindustan Zinc, said, “At Hindustan Zinc, sustainability is deeply embedded in how we operate, innovate and grow. The deployment of India’s first 250 MT electric crane is another example of our resolve to adopt clean technology and redefine how core industry transitions to low-carbon solutions. This initiative reflects our efforts to foster a culture of sustainability while laying the foundation for a greener and more resilient industrial ecosystem.”

The deployment follows a series of green initiatives introduced by Hindustan Zinc, which include deploying underground battery electric vehicles (BEVs), inducting a fleet of 250 LNG trucks for concentrate transport, use of 40 electric bulkers & electric passenger buses and launch of four electric loaders at the Rampura Agucha Mine.

Deepak Garg, Managing Director, SANY India, said, “Hindustan Zinc has consistently demonstrated industry leadership in adopting technologies that redefine sustainable mining. At Sany, we are honoured to partner with the company in deploying India’s first 250-tonne diesel-electric hybrid all-terrain crane, a solution designed to improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions and support more responsible industrial operations. This milestone reflects our shared commitment to advancing innovation that delivers both operational excellence and meaningful environmental impact.”

Hindustan Zinc aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. The company has increased renewable energy in its power mix to 18 percent and is targeting a 50 percent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions from its 2020 baseline.

American electric vehicle start-up Slate has announced that its base truck model will be priced at USD 24,950, with deliveries expected to begin in Q4 of CY2026.

The platform allows owners to configure the vehicle as a pickup or an SUV, with options for the Squareback and Fastback models starting at USD 29,950. The EV features a modular design with a reported range of 205 miles (329km). The towing capacity is rated at 2,000 lb (907 kg), with a payload capacity of 1,550 lb (703 kg).

The EV design includes tactile controls and lacks a touchscreen. Owners can personalise their vehicles using over 200 accessories available through the Slate Marketplace.

Slate has engineered the modular EV to facilitate maintenance by the owner, with support provided via the Slate U guide. The vehicle includes a 10-year/110,000-mile (177,027 km) battery and powertrain warranty. Repair services are available through a network of 3,000 RepairPal shops and service centres.

Peter Faricy, CEO, Slate, said, “More than 180,000 reservation holders have told us they’re ready for a vehicle that’s affordable, reliable and built around their lives. Slate gives customers the freedom to buy only what they need today and personalise their vehicle as their needs change tomorrow. We’re excited to start seeing Slates on roads across America later this year.”

Established in 2022, Slate assembles its vehicles in Warsaw, Indiana. The company plans to invest USD 400 million in its factory, with projections to create 2,000 jobs. Customers can preorder the vehicle on the company website for USD 300. The company uses a direct-to-consumer sales model.

Delhivery and Bajaj Auto have signed an agreement to deploy electric three-wheelers across Delhivery's last-mile delivery network. The partnership begins with the deployment of 200 Bajaj RIKI eCarts (model C4005) in the first phase, with a second phase planned for 2026–2027 that aims to reach a total of approximately 1,500 electric vehicles.

The initiative aims to improve operational efficiency in both metropolitan areas and Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. The Bajaj RIKI eCart (C4005) offers a claimed range of over 100 km per charge. The vehicle features an electric powertrain and a two-speed automatic transmission. Delhivery plans to pair the vehicles with its automated route optimisation software to increase drop-offs per trip and reduce operating costs per kilometre. The EVs are designed with ergonomic seating to protect riders from weather conditions and reduce physical fatigue.

Prashant Gazipur, Chief Operating Officer, In-City Operations at Delhivery, said, "Our collaboration with Bajaj Auto addresses the economic well-being of our delivery partners while advancing both our environmental goals and those of our clients. By combining our intelligent routing systems with highly efficient cargo EVs, we are creating a more profitable model for our riders and offering our clients a cleaner, lower-carbon supply chain."

Samardeep Subandh, President, Intra-City Business, Bajaj Auto, added, "This partnership with Delhivery has the potential of transforming last-mile cargo transport, with Delhivery’s scale and technology and Bajaj Auto’s expertise in 3-wheeler electric mobility. The Bajaj Riki C4005 offers 100+ kms of range on a single charge, excellent reliability and durability along with better comfort and ergonomics for drivers."

The deployment is part of Delhivery’s broader strategy to reduce its Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions and meet its environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets.