The Nagpur Municipal Corporation has ordered 250 electric buses from Eka Mobility (a part of the Pinnacle Mobility Solutions Pvt Ltd). The order aligns with the municipal corporation’s mission to provide citizens with an efficient, eco-friendly and reliable public transportation network.

To serve major routes across the city and in-turn enhance the quality of public transport besides lowering operational costs and emissions, the 250 e-buses will be pressed into service through Hansa Vahan India Private Limited (formerly known as Hansa Travels), which has partnered with Eka Mobility.

The e-bus manufacturer will manufacture and supply the 12-meter-long air-conditioned vehicles and undertake an annual maintenance contract for the entire duration of the operation. Each bus will offer seating for 41 passengers. The standing capacity will be another 24 passengers.

Speaking about the development, Rohit Srivastava, Chief Growth Officer, Eka Mobility, said, “This partnership with Nagpur Municipal Corporation marks another critical step towards India’s transition to clean energy mobility. We are thrilled to be a part of Nagpur's journey toward becoming one of India’s most sustainable cities. This order is also a testament to Eka Mobility’s growing presence and leadership in the electric vehicle market. With a vision to make public transportation more sustainable and accessible, we will continue to provide green mobility solutions to cities across India, helping them meet their clean energy targets.”

German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz has opened Europe's first battery recycling plant with an integrated mechanical-hydrometallurgical process making it the first car manufacturer worldwide to close the battery recycling loop with its own in-house facility.

The recycling plant in Kuppenheim, southern Germany, creates a genuine circular economy. Unlike existing established processes, the expected recovery rate of the mechanical-hydrometallurgical recycling plant is more than 96 percent. Valuable and scarce raw materials such as lithium, nickel and cobalt can be recovered – in a way which is suitable for use in new batteries for future all-electric Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The company has invested tens of millions of euros in the construction of the new battery recycling plant and thus in the value creation in Germany. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Baden-Württemberg's Environment Minister Thekla Walker visited the plant for the opening ceremony in Kuppenheim, Baden.

Ola Kaellenius, Chairman of the Board of Management, Mercedes-Benz Group said, “Mercedes-Benz has set itself the goal of building the most desirable cars in a sustainable way. As a pioneer in automotive engineering, Europe's first integrated mechanical-hydrometallurgical battery recycling factory marks a key milestone towards enhancing raw-materials sustainability. Together with our partners from industry and science, we are sending a strong signal of innovative strength for sustainable electric mobility and value creation in Germany and Europe.”

Ola Scholz said, “The future of the automobile is electric, and batteries are an essential component of this. To produce batteries in a resource-conserving and sustainable way, recycling is also key. The circular economy is a growth engine and, at the same time, an essential building block for achieving our climate targets! I congratulate Mercedes-Benz for its courage and foresight shown by this investment in Kuppenheim. Germany remains a cutting-edge market for new and innovative technologies.”

The luxury carmaker has joined hands with Primobius, a joint venture between German plant and mechanical engineering company SMS Group and Asutralian process technology developer Neometals, which is its technology partner for the battery recycling factory.

The plant is receiving funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action as part of a scientific research project with three German universities. The project looks at the entire process chain for recycling, including logistics and reintegration concepts. The partners are thus making an important contribution to future scaling of the battery recycling industry in Germany.

Integrated mechanical-hydrometallurgical

For the first time in Europe, the Mercedes-Benz battery recycling plant covers all steps from shredding battery modules to drying and processing active battery materials. The mechanical process sorts and separates plastics, copper, aluminium and iron in a complex, multi-stage process. The downstream hydrometallurgical process is dedicated to the so-called black mass. These are the active materials that make up the electrodes of the battery cells. The valuable metals cobalt, nickel and lithium are extracted individually in a multi-stage chemical process. These recyclates are of battery quality and therefore suitable for use in the production of new battery cells.

Unlike the pyrometallurgy established in Europe at present, the hydrometallurgical process is less-intensive in terms of energy consumption and material waste. Its low process temperatures of up to 80deg Celsius mean it consumes less energy. In addition, like all Mercedes-Benz production plants, the recycling plant operates in a net carbon-neutral manner. It is supplied with 100 percent green electricity. The roof area of the 6800 square-metre building is equipped with a photovoltaic system with a peak output of more than 350 kilowatts.

The Mercedes-Benz battery recycling plant in Kuppenheim has an annual capacity of 2,500 tonnes. The recovered materials feed into the production of more than 50,000 battery modules for new all-electric Mercedes-Benz models. The knowledge gained could help scale up production volumes in the medium to long term.

Holistic approach

Mercedes-Benz takes a holistic approach to the circularity of battery systems and considers three core topics: circular design, value retention and closing the material loop.

With its Design for Circularity approach, the OEM is taking the entire battery technology value chain into account from the outset. At the Mercedes-Benz eCampus in Stuttgart-Unterturkheim, which opened in 2024, circular thinking flows into the development of new battery cells. Battery production for electric Mercedes-Benz vehicles is net carbon-neutral in battery factories on three continents. Local battery production is a key factor for the success of the Mercedes-Benz sustainable business strategy.

In line with circular thinking and to conserve resources, the company offers reconditioned batteries as spare parts for all its electric vehicles. In addition, its Mercedes-Benz Energy subsidiary has established a successful business model with large-scale stationary storage applications. Batteries that are no longer suitable for vehicle use can enjoy a second life as part of an energy storage system.

Jorg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group, responsible for Production, Quality & Supply Chain Management stated “We are systematically deepening our expertise in the battery value chain. Following the opening of the Mercedes-Benz eCampus for development of new battery cell chemistries in Stuttgart-Unterturkheim, we are now sustainably closing the raw materials loop in Kuppenheim. The innovative technology enables us to recover valuable raw materials from the battery with the highest possible degree of purity. This turns today's batteries into tomorrow's sustainable mine for raw materials. The new battery recycling plant strengthens the role of the Mercedes-Benz production network with vehicle and drivetrain plants in Europe.”

Thekla Walker MdL, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Energy Baden-Wurttemberg said, “Battery recycling is of great importance to Baden-Wurttemberg as a state with such a strong automotive sector. Closing the loop on the value chain reduces dependencies, increases resilience in times of crisis and can smooth peaks and troughs in the availability of raw materials. Mercedes-Benz is a pioneer in this respect: With the integrated battery recycling plant, Mercedes-Benz has developed a sustainable approach for dealing with limited resources and is therefore making a valuable contribution to a truly circular economy. We are proud that in this federal state of innovators, we are also at the forefront in this field.”
 

Greencell Mobility brand, NueGo jas introduced six new intercity routes across the country in its efforts to promote sustainable mass mobility. 
Currently operating in over 110 cities with 100 percent electric buses that are equipped with comfortable seats and subject to 25 rigorous safety checks, including mechanical and electrical inspections, the six new routes include Gurgaon–Dehradun, Noida–Dehradun, Noida–Chandigarh, Coimbatore–Madurai, Bangalore–Mysore and Bangalore–Vellore. 
Touching on his company’s recent Kashmir to Kanyakumari expedition that highlighted the resilience of electric buses across diverse terrains, Devndra Chawla, CEO and MD, GreenCell Mobility, said, “We are announcing an extensive expansion of NueGo’s services across the country. This move aligns with our mission to improve intercity travel along with superior guest experience.  With these new routes, we aim to enhance the connectivity for our guests while contributing to a greener future”
 Launched in 2022, NueGo operates over 250 buses running over 450 departures daily. 
 

Nashik-based electric vehicles (EV) manufacturer Jitendra EV has announced a significant price reduction on two of its flagship models, the JMT 1000 HS and JMT 1000 3K, making them more accessible for its customers.

As part of the offer, the JMT 1000 HS will be available for just INR 99,999 (down from the previous ex-showroom price of INR 112,243) and the JMT 1000 3K will be available for INR 122,000 (down from the previous ex-showroom price of INR 147,699).

Apart from the discounted prices, Jitendra EV is also providing free insurance for the JMT 1000 HS and the PRIMO S model, thereby ensuring that its customers enjoy not only considerable savings but also peace of mind on the road.

Samkit Shah, Co-Founder, Jitendra EV, said, “We are committed to delivering exceptional products at competitive prices. This price drop reflects our dedication to customer satisfaction and belief that quality should be accessible. By making our electric vehicles more affordable, we aim to allow customers to experience the performance that sets us apart. These offers are part of our ongoing efforts to build strong relationships and ensure our customers receive the best value possible.”

BluSmart, South Asia’s largest born-electric, full-stack, vertically integrated EV ride hailing service, has launched a new tipping feature on its app, allowing riders to tip driver partners, as part of its #RideToCelebrate festive campaign. To expand the joy, BluSmart will match every tip given by riders, doubling the amount that will be credited to the driver partner.

At the conclusion of each journey, BluSmart riders may now effortlessly add a tip to their fare, making it an easy and practical method to show appreciation for a job well done. Additionally, riders will be notified when BluSmart has matched their tip.

Anirudh Arun, Co-Founder and CEO, BluSmart Fleet, said, “At BluSmart, every ride is a chance to make someone's day better. Our driver partners are the backbone of this experience, always going the extra mile to ensure our riders feel safe and comfortable. This festive season, by matching the tips our customers give, we're adding to the joy and making every journey a #RidetoCelebrate.”