Greaves Cotton unveiled its new, ‘Made in India’ product offerings across two-wheelers and three-wheelers – including the e2w Ampere Primus – at the ongoing Auto Expo 2023 in Greater Noida, India today. Significantly, the engineering company announced that it will leverage its decades of engineering expertise to manufacture powertrains as it aims to lead last-mile passenger and cargo mobility through a complete EV ecosystem stack.

Since its foray into sustainable mobility, Greaves claims that it has committed a capital investment of INR 15 billion to boost India’s EV ecosystem to include –

• Feature-rich electric Ampere two-wheelers – Ampere Primus, the high-speed B2C e-scooter targeted at modern millennials, along with Ampere NXG and Ampere NXU.

• Futuristic Greaves electric three-wheelers – Greaves ELP, the passenger electric three-wheeler; Greaves ELC, the cargo electric three-wheeler; and Greaves Aero Vision, a futuristic cargo concept embodying performance and efficiency.

• Powertrain to power the EV Industry – To introduce motor-controllers and integration software to meet the emerging needs of the EV ecosystem.

• Growth of Greaves Finance and Greaves Retail – Shared initiatives undertaken with multi-brand retail stores, offering 15+ EVs, 50+ models, EV service and spares, in addition to EV financing for EV adoption across India.

Commenting on Greaves Cotton’s transition into a transformational catalyst for India’s EV ecosystem, Nagesh Basavanhalli, Executive Vice Chairman of Greaves Cotton, said, “Greaves Cotton is in the process of transitioning from a metal-based, manufacturing engineering company to an electric, electronic and mechatronics-based mobility technology company that is solving the 21st century challenges in clean and affordable last-mile mobility. The products and technology we have unveiled here today bear testimony to our purposeful stride towards emerging as India’s most complete EV ecosystem player. Each product, inspired by the Arctic Tern epitomises its sustainable spirit, aerodynamic efficiency for mobility and intelligent design. We are committed to help India transition to electric mobility while setting a new benchmark of scale, sophistication and diversity in the EV landscape. 2023 marks a new growth phase for us, as we provide holistic, end-to-end solutions and empower lives.”

Further announcing the Group’s foray in the electric powertrain business, Dr Arup Basu, Managing Director of Greaves Cotton, said, “The electric powertrain business is a natural progression for us, given our sound engineering legacy. For decades, we have been making in India and meeting the needs of our customers. With our in-depth knowledge of vehicle duty cycle expertise, we will meet the evolving needs in the mobility segment with the unveiling of electric powertrain technologies. It is exciting to be in this space with our EV technology stack.”

With technology as a key differentiator, the e-powertrain suite will be characterised by cutting-edge design, engineering, materials chemistry, weight and aesthetics that will be customised to the needs of OEM customers, states the engineering company. Each product will continue to represent the company’s ‘Make in India’ commitment, with a high level of localisation and components obtained domestically.

Targeted at modern millennial commuters and young families, Ampere Primus is poised to meet the needs of customers looking for higher speed, enhanced styling and better technology, according to Greaves. It is also open for bookings across India. The key highlights of the vehicle include –

• Performance: Top speed of 77 kmph, 0-40 kmph < 5 sec, efficient high torque 4 kW mid-mount motor and a true range of 100+ km on a full charge. Primus can be driven in four modes – Eco, City, Power and Reverse modes, for optimum rideability.

• Safety: 3 Kwh LFP battery technology with smart BMS that is phase 1, AIS 156 compliant.

• Durability: Longer battery life with LFP chemistry.

• Smart: Bluetooth connectivity and navigation with phone app for convenience.

• Comfort: Longer legroom, wider seats, better driveability.

• Style: Elegant styling with four metallic matt colours, including Himalayan White, Royal Orange, Havelock Blue and Buck Black.

In addition to the Primus, the company unveiled five additional new product concepts to meet consumer needs across segments and price points. These include –

• Ampere NXG, a sophisticated electric scooter with IoT connectivity for the discerning customers in the passenger mobility space.
• Ampere NXU, a robust and connected B2B electric scooter for multiple commercial applications, for the gig economy. It can also be a personal use vehicle for the family.

Additionally, Greaves unveiled three-wheelers for passenger and cargo mobility –

• Greaves ELP: An electric passenger three-wheeler that will empower auto drivers with disruptive cost savings.
• Greaves ELC: An electric cargo three-wheeler that will meet the growing demand in moving cargo, at a much lower cost to serve.
• Greaves Aero Vision: A futuristic cargo concept that will ensure that the needs of efficiency and performance are met in the evolving cargo mobility segment.

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Greenway Mobility, an Indian EV manufacturing company, has launched two electric three-wheelers, Chhota Otto and Chhota Bull, under its flagship E-Vi brand.

The Chhota Otto has folding seats to free up passenger room for freight transportation and separate suspensions on all three wheels for improved comfort and stability. The Chhota Bull, on the other hand, is built for last-mile delivery in difficult terrain. It has a huge 400-kilogramme payload capacity, hydraulic brakes and IoT-enabled fleet management for efficiency and real-time tracking. Both the Chhota Otto and Chhota Bull are priced at INR 200,000 and will be available in the market by the 4th quarter of FY24.

In keeping with its core objective of dominating the electric three-wheeler market by December 2025, Greenway Mobility has embarked on an ambitious expansion project with the launch of E-Vi, aiming to open more than 100 dealerships in key Indian markets by the end of this year. Additionally, the company is getting ready to introduce Rydan, a fast passenger electric rickshaw designed to offer affordable green mobility options in both urban and rural regions of the nation. In addition to making considerable R&D efforts to add electric bikes, trikes and tiny electric automobiles to its lineup, the firm is open to forming strategic alliances with distributors and partners.

Siddharth Patel, Founder, Greenway Mobility and an IIT Bombay and Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management alumnus, said, “India needs mobility solutions that are not only sustainable but also robust and reliable enough to meet the demands of both bustling cities and rural landscapes. Through E-Vi, our aim extends beyond electrifying India’s three-wheeler mobility, creating a robust distribution channel with strategic partners to ensure unprecedented growth, driven by quality and excellence. We are establishing strategic industry collaboration to supplement this entire ecosystem to benefit the end use – addressing concerns like accessibility, nationwide service network, affordable financing options, swappable batteries and charging networks.”

Asserting that the E-Vi will transform how three-wheeler mobility is perceived in India, Harsh Raval, Founder, Greenway Mobility, said, “At Greenway Mobility, we have engineered every aspect of E-Vi vehicles to ensure they excel where others falter. Our goal is to provide vehicles that drivers can trust – vehicles that empower them to do more, go farther and achieve greater success. Maintaining quality is of utmost importance to us and we are sourcing components from only the top Indian suppliers. With our growing portfolio of electric vehicles, we are shaping the future of mobility.”

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.