Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) has launched its first electric scooter in India called the Activa e. It has also launched the QC1 electric vehicle that marks a pivotal moment in particular for the Japanese two-wheeler brand in India. 
With deliveries set to commence from February 2025, the Activa e blends tradition and innovation to sport an LED headlight and tail lamp; an LED DRL as part of its sleek and attractive styling that also includes a dual-tone seat, 12-inch diamond cut alloy wheels, flat footboard and a sturdy grabrail. 
Available in two variants, the Activa e – available in five colours – features a 7.0-inch TFT screen that offers real-time connectivity with Honda RoadSync Duo app that includes (navigation which is operated via toggle switches placed on the handlebar, H-Smart key with Smart Find, Smart Safe, Smart Unlock and Smart Start) and swappable battery tech.   
The swappable battery tech is claimed to be revolutionary such that it allows for a quick and easy recharge. The swappable battery pack – called as Honda Mobile Power Pack e – has been developed and maintained by Honda Power Pack Energy India Pvt Ltd and comes in the form of two units of 1.5 kWh capacity each. It offers a range of 102 km on a full charge. 
The batteries are exchanged with the help of designated Honda Power Pack Exchanger e: (BeX swapping stations) planned across Indian cities and already operational in Bengaluru and Delhi. 
Powering the e-scooter is a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor that helps to deliver 6 kW of peak power and 22 Nm of torque. There are three riding modes – Eco, Standard and Sport. 
The QC1, on the other hand, is a e-scooter that emphasises personal mobility by combining fluidic design and sophisticated engineering. Symbolising elegance through its styling and attributes such as a LED headlight and tail lamp, clear winkers and five vibrant colours, the e-scooter with classy rear-view mirrors, stylish 12-inch front alloy wheel, a sturdy grab rail and an overall eye-catching futuristic look is powered by a 1.5 kWh fixed battery pack that has been rigorously tested to provide an impressive range of 80 km on a single charge. 
Capable of effortlessly charging with a 330-watt off-board home charger (with an auto-cut technology to ensure safe and efficient charging) from zero to 80 percent in four hour and 30 minutes, the e-scooter develops a peak power of 1.8 kWand a maximum torque of 77 Nm. Its top speed is 50 kmph. 
Featuring two riding modes – standard and econ – that help customise the riding experience, the QC1 flaunts a 5.0-inch all-info LCD display, a USB Type-C outlet and a 26-litre under-seat storage box.
Speaking about the Activa e and QC1, Tsutsumu Otani, Managing Director, President and CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, said, “Today is a very significant day as HMSI steps into the electric mobility space. The introduction of ACTIVA e: and QC1 marks a defining step in our commitment to sustainable mobility in India. It is in line with Honda’s global ‘Triple Action to ZERO’ concept to realize carbon neutrality by 2050, which focuses on three areas: carbon neutrality, clean energy, and resource circulation. With our EV roadmap now in the execution phase, HMSI is committed to build one of India’s best EV ecosystems. This is a milestone moment in Honda’s journey to electrification, and with every step forward, we are focused on building a future that is safer, more sustainable & meets the evolving needs of our society.” 
Yogesh Mathur, Director, Sales and Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, averred, “We are ecstatic to mark our entry into the Indian EV market with not just one but two all-new electric vehicles, marking a significant milestone in our journey towards achieving sustainability by providing cleaner mobility solutions. In line with the global direction, we are introducing these new two-wheelers to electrify your dreams. With ACTIVA e:’s swappable battery technology and QC1’s fixed battery set-up along with the industry-leading hassle-free ownership experience, we are striving to meet the diverse needs of our customers. Moreover, to ensure the highest level of safety for our technicians and the vehicle, we are introducing industry-first insulated tools designed specifically for the servicing of electric vehicles. Together, let us ride towards a cleaner future.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

JSW MG Motor India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has announced that it has successfully installed 1,000 community chargers under its MG Charge initiative.

Spanning more than 470 sites across India, the milestone makes JSW MG Motor India the first automaker in the country to establish community-led electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure at this scale. The installations are distributed across residential societies, condominiums, hospitals, corporate campuses, hotels and industrial parks.

Alongside the infrastructure announcement, the company revealed that MG-branded electric vehicles have cumulatively travelled over 2.9 billion green kilometres on Indian roads. This collective mileage has offset approximately 417,000 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Furthermore, JSW MG Motor India has detailed an aggressive product timeline for the remainder of calendar year 2026 (CY2026). The automaker plans to launch three new New Energy Vehicles (NEVs).

This upcoming product push will mark the brand's introduction of plug-in hybrid (PHEV) technology to the Indian market. The company noted that its overarching corporate philosophy views India's transition to sustainable transit as a path that can be successfully driven by balancing multiple complementary technologies.

In alignment with national decarbonisation targets, JSW MG Motor India has systematically upgraded its primary manufacturing plant in Halol, Gujarat. The site has achieved significant efficiency metrics through the deployment of Industry 4.0 digitisation and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions.

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has announced a major expansion of its renewable energy footprint with two dedicated biogas projects on the occasion of World Environment Day.

The company has earmarked a cumulative investment of INR 9.25 billion through FY 2030–31 toward green energy initiatives to systematically curtail its carbon footprint across in-house manufacturing operations.

The automaker is investing INR 1.5 billion specifically into these two newly detailed biogas developments, aligning its corporate operations with the Government of India's ‘Waste-to-Wealth’ mission.

It has commissioned a new 10 TPD Biogas Plant at Kharkhoda, which is scheduled to be commissioned in FY2026–27. At full operational capacity, the plant is projected to mitigate 9,490 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. The generated biogas will offset fossil fuel reliance by servicing approximately 20 percent of the total gas requirement at the Kharkhoda manufacturing site.

Furthermore, earlier this month, Maruti Suzuki India completed an expansion at its Manesar facility, scaling output from an initial 0.2 TPD to 0.7 TPD. The expanded setup is expected to generate roughly 360,000 standard cubic meters of biogas annually, avoiding an estimated 664 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.

The plant leverages anaerobic digestion technology to convert organic and agricultural waste into raw biogas. It uses food waste, napier grass and paddy straw as feedstock, with a technical provision to boost output utilising cattle dung. The output will be directed into paint shop heating processes and factory canteen operations. Fermented Organic Manure (FOM) generated as a byproduct will be routed to internal horticulture or supplied back into the local agricultural ecosystem.

Beyond localised biogas projects, Maruti Suzuki is systematically scaling its solar energy infrastructure to counter liquid natural gas (LNG) volatility and supply constraints. It has progressively expanded its installed solar capacity to 79 MWp across its manufacturing facilities and targets an expansion to 319 MWp of solar-generated renewable energy by FY 2030–31.

The automaker recently replaced natural gas with biogas for approximately 10 percent of the energy requirements at its Hansalpur facility. Supported by SRDI (a wholly owned subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan), this transition ensured uninterrupted operations during active LNG supply bottlenecks.

Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “Maruti Suzuki has been consistently working on initiatives aimed at reducing fossil fuel consumption and oil import dependence. In line with this, we are setting up a new 10 Tonnes Per Day biogas plant at the Kharkhoda facility as well as expanding the existing biogas plant at Manesar facility. At a time when the world is navigating an increasingly uncertain energy landscape, such initiatives assume greater significance. As the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India has called for reducing dependence on fossil fuels, the commissioning of our biogas project comes at an appropriate time. It enables us to contribute, in a modest but meaningful way, to the current national priority alongside several other ongoing efforts.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Hyundai Motor India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has announced a long-term strategic commitment to designate the state of Tamil Nadu as its designated ‘Flagship EV Hub for India’. The announcement includes an exclusive skill development partnership alongside manufacturing and supply chain localisation goals.

As part of this roadmap, Hyundai Motor India has reaffirmed its plan to deploy an investment of over INR 260 billion in Tamil Nadu between 2023 and 2032. This allocation is a component of the company's broader, previously declared INR 450 billion investment blueprint for the Indian market. To date, the Chennai facility has exported more than 3.9 million vehicles to over 150 countries.

The manufacturing hub will scale zero-emission capabilities via immediate product rollouts and component localisation:

• Product Rollout: Hyundai Motor India plans to introduce two new vehicle models from its Chennai facility within the year. This includes the launch of its first mass-market dedicated electric vehicle (EV) to accelerate local adoption.
• Industrial Localisation: The company has established Tamil Nadu’s first battery sub-assembly plant for EV powertrains. Hyundai Motor India is currently expanding local sourcing for power electronics and related primary components to minimise import dependency.
• Charging Network: Hyundai has deployed a direct-current (DC) fast EV charging ecosystem across the state consisting of 39 stations and 78 charging points. The high-capacity network is scheduled for further expansion across major urban centres and transit highways over the next 2 to 3 years.

The company has also aims to increase its localisation rate from the present 82 percent to 90 percent in the next 5-6 years. An additional INR 40 billion in state sourcing value from the current base, which is expected to generate an additional 2,000 jobs in the state.

Hyundai Motor India and the Government of Tamil Nadu (GoTN) have formalised a structured skill development project scheduled to commence active training operations in December 2027. The program aims to increase the global employability of the state's workforce by integrating next-generation manufacturing skills.

The curriculum will leverage partnerships with local Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), polytechnics and engineering colleges to train students in advanced disciplines:

• EV technical architectures and hydrogen mobility systems.
• Industrial robotics, digital automation and AI-enabled manufacturing.
• Smart factory workflows alongside professional workplace communication and language instruction.

Tarun Garg, Managing Director & CEO, Hyundai Motor India, said, “HMIL’s initiatives will strengthen Tamil Nadu’s leadership in sustainable mobility and automotive excellence, while also accelerating skill development to foster a future-ready workforce. We will roll out two new models from the Chennai facility, including our first mass-market dedicated EV within this year, marking a significant step towards accelerating EV adoption and building a strong EV ecosystem. Alongside, advancing EV localization, we are equally focused on developing a future-ready skilled workforce, enabling talent to support future automotive technologies."

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!

Maruti Suzuki India, one of the largest passenger vehicle manufacturers globally, has officially launched India’s first flex-fuel passenger car on the eve of World Environment Day.

The technology is being introduced in the Maruti Suzuki Wagon R, a high-volume model that has previously served as a platform for the company's alternative fuel options, including Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

The vehicle was unveiled in New Delhi in the presence of Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, and Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

The flex-fuel Wagon R is engineered to provide complete fuelling flexibility, enabling consumers to operate the vehicle on any ethanol-to-petrol blend ratio ranging from E20 (20 percent ethanol) up to E100 (100 percent ethanol).

The introduction of ethanol flex-fuel tech represents a broader commitment by India's market leader to scale diversified powertrain architectures. Maruti Suzuki's long-term product strategy incorporates a multi-tiered technology approach to meet carbon reduction goals, including Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), Hybrids, CNG, Compressed Biogas (CBG) and now, flex-fuel configurations.

Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “The ecosystem for ethanol as a fuel in India is in its early stages, and as a market leader, we think it is our responsibility to contribute to make `India Go Flex’. Once it reaches mainstream adoption, Flex-Fuel Vehicles have the potential to cut oil imports, carbon emissions, and local air pollution while enhancing domestic value addition and farmer incomes.”

Nitin Gadkari noted, “Biofuels like ethanol are an important pathway towards reducing crude oil import dependence while strengthening our rural economy. Flex-Fuel Vehicles can create a strong and sustainable demand for ethanol, benefiting our farmers, industry, and the environment together. I appreciate Maruti Suzuki for taking this leadership step and supporting the Government’s vision of clean and self-reliant mobility.”

Comments (0)

ADD COMMENT

Link Copied!