Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has released an official statement saying that it would rebrand its new electric origin SUV as 'BE 6' in the wake of a legal battle with InterGlobe Aviation, the owner of IndiGo Airlines, over the trademark 'BE 6e'. The company, however, clarified that it will strongly contest IndiGo's claim in court.

IndiGo has sued Mahindra for using the '6E' branding, saying it is recognised as IndiGo’s call sign. Mahindra, however, claims the allegation is unfounded and intends to contest it in court. Indigo's complaint to BE 6e is incongruous with their own prior actions, the statement adds, noting that Tata Motors had protested to InterGlobe's use of the IndiGo mark in the past, but InterGlobe still uses the mark in a separate sector and company.

In order to symbolise its ‘born electric’ platform, Mahindra has registered the ‘BE’ mark under the same class as its trademark application for the ‘BE 6e’ under class 12 (vehicles). Mahindra maintains that ‘BE 6e’ is essentially different from IndiGo's ‘6E’, removing any possibility of misinterpretation brought on by the different industries and style. According to the company statement, the SUV was renamed because the company did not want to lose sight of its goal of making electric vehicles more widely used in India.

Mahindra is still determined to challenge IndiGo's claim and protect its ownership of the ‘BE 6e’ brand name in spite of the rebranding. According to the statement, IndiGo's claim, if left uncontested, may create a precedent that would hinder other businesses in a variety of industries by monopolising alphanumeric two-character marks.

Vayve Mobility, an electric vehicle start-up, is set to showcase Eva, a compact electric car at the upcoming Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 in New Delhi.

It was at Auto Expo 2023, the start-up had first debuted the Eva EV. The new iteration the start-up claims will attain a range of 250 km per charge along with the integrated solar cells providing up to 3,000 km range annually. Through fast-charging it can get 50 km range in five minutes, a zero to 40 kmph in less than five seconds and a top speed of 70 kmph is what the start-up claims the Eva urban e-car will be able to provide. It also gets smart connectivity features, including smartphone integration, vehicle diagnostics, remote monitoring and over-the-air (OTA) updates. 

The running cost for is said to be just INR 0.5 per km as compared to INR 5 per km of traditional petrol-powered car.

Nilesh Bajaj, Co-Founder & CEO, Vayve Mobility, said, “Eva aims to establish a new category of city cars. After the overwhelming response at Auto Expo 2023, we’ve incorporated customer feedback and further innovation to deliver a car that combines sustainability, style and practicality. Eva meets the needs of evolving modern consumers. With the inclusion of solar power and smart connectivity, Eva provides a futuristic yet accessible solution for urban mobility, making it an ideal second car for families.”

Zypp Electric, one of India’s largest electric vehicle-based last-mile delivery service, has inked a strategic partnership with e-Sprinto, an electric two-wheeler company, to induct 30,000 e-Sprinto e-scooters on its platform over the next three years.

The e-Sprinto e-scooters come with disc brakes on both wheels, telescopic front shockers and LMFP battery, which the company claims make them best suited for last-mile delivery operations.

Rashi Agarwal, Co-Founder and CBO, Zypp Electric, said, “With the growing demand of EVs in the last mile delivery segment, Zypp wanted strong partnerships to get control on the supply too. Partnering with e-Sprinto is a pivotal move for Zypp Electric as we aim to deploy 200,000 electric vehicles in the next 3 years, significantly contributing to zero-emission last-mile delivery. This collaboration allows us to enhance our fleet with 30,000 advanced e-scooters, directly addressing the urgent need for sustainable logistics solutions in India's booming e-commerce market. Together, we are not only empowering delivery partners to improve their livelihoods but also leading the charge towards a greener future for urban mobility with good quality EVs suitable for delivery purposes and growth."

Atul Gupta, Co-Founder and Director, e-Sprinto, added, “We are thrilled to join forces with Zypp Electric. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to sustainability, innovation, and partner success. By combining our strengths, we can create unparalleled value for customer satisfaction in the last-mile delivery ecosystem.”

Ola Electric, one of India’s largest pure-play electric vehicle companies, has expanded its physical network to over 4,000 stores nationwide, which it claims is a four-fold increase over its existing network.

The EV maker recently opened over 3,200 new stores co-located with service facilities across the country, which it believes will enable it to make faster inroads in not just urban areas but also rural India.

Bhavish Aggarwal, Chairman & Managing Director, Ola Electric, said, “With our newly opened stores co-located with service centres, we have completely redefined EV purchase & ownership experience, setting new benchmarks with our #SavingsWalaScooter campaign. As we continue to scale, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation and accelerating the country’s journey towards #EndICEAge.”

The company also recently showcased the limited edition ‘Ola S1 Pro Sona’ e-scooter, which comes with real 24-karat gold plated elements. The e-scooter will be presented  to the winner of the #OlaSonaContest.

At present, Ola Electric’s product portfolio includes the – Gig and S1 Z scooter range starting at INR 39,999 for the B2B segment and S1 portfolio starting at INR 74,999 for personal commuter segment.

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.”