Bengaluru-based alternative energy company Ola Electric has launched Ola Shakti, its first residential Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) solution, marking the company's entry into the BESS market. The company estimates the BESS market is currently valued at INR 1,000 billion and is projected to grow to over INR 3,000 billion by 2030.

The company expects its annual Gigafactory consumption for the BESS market to scale up to 5 GwH in the next couple of years, exceeding its automotive consumption.

Powered by Ola's indigenous 4680 Bharat Cells, Ola Shakti is said to be India’s first residential BESS that is fully designed, engineered and manufactured domestically. Ola is leveraging its existing cell technology, Gigafactory infrastructure and distribution network to scale rapidly without new capital expenditure (Capex) or research and development (R&D) spending.

Product Details

Ola Shakti is available in four battery configurations with introductory pricing for the first 10,000 units: 1.5 kWh at INR 29,999, 3 kWh at INR 55,999, 5.2 kWh at INR 119,999 and 9.1 kWh at INR 159,999. Reservations for the product begin today for INR 999, with deliveries scheduled to start on Makar Sankranti 2026.

The system's features include:

• Efficiency: Delivers efficiency of up to 98 percent and has zero running and maintenance costs.
• Safety: Delivers automotive-grade safety and is fully weatherproof with IP67-rated batteries.
• Functionality: Features instant 0 ms changeover time, operates across a wide input voltage range of 120V-290V and offers real-time control and data-driven management for customers.

Bhavish Aggarwal, CMD, Ola Electric, said: “India doesn't face energy shortage; it faces an energy storage opportunity. With Ola Shakti, we are turning that opportunity into energy independence. We have built world-class battery and cell technology for electric mobility. Ola Shakti extends that innovation to homes, helping them store and use clean energy intelligently. Ola Shakti is a natural next step for us as we leverage our existing 4680 cell technology, Gigafactory production capabilities, and nationwide Ola network as a ready sales and distribution backbone – ensuring rapid scale without any incremental investment."

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Bijliride, a two-wheeler electric vehicle (EV) rental platform, has announced a partnership with BGauss, an electric vehicle manufacturer, to increase its fleet size across India.

Under the agreement, BGauss will supply electric scooters for Bijliride’s rental and enterprise operations. The company intends to add 7,000 units to its current fleet of 3,000, reaching a total of 10,000 EVs by December 2026.

The phase 1 of the expansion will focus on four cities: Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi NCR. These locations were selected for their demand in logistics and urban commuting.

The fleet includes models such as the BGauss C12i Max and Oowah. These vehicles feature: Removable lithium-ion batteries, IoT-enabled management, predictive maintenance via centralised dashboards and connectivity & weather-resistant designs.

Bijliride currently maintains a fleet uptime of over 95 percent through its charging and swapping infrastructure.

Shivam Sisodiya, CEO & Co-Founder, Bijliride, said, “Our objective is clear: to make electric mobility reliable and convenient at scale. BGauss’s focus on engineering quality and rider comfort complements our full-stack mobility platform, enabling us to deliver a seamless EV rental experience across high-impact urban markets.”

Going forward, Bijliride aims to expand its operation in over 10 cities by the end of next year. The company is scaling its business-to-business (B2B) fleet partnerships alongside its business-to-consumer (B2C) rental services. The expansion aims to establish an ecosystem for urban mobility and logistics.

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Marking its 100th day, the monumental Bharat Maha EV Rally, the world's longest electric vehicle rally, concluded a landmark phase of its journey at ICAT in Manesar, Haryana, where it received a celebratory welcome. The rally’s nationwide expedition, organised by the International Federation of Electric Vehicle Association (IFEVA), is a transformative campaign designed to assess and accelerate India's electric mobility landscape. Its core mission is to dismantle prevalent myths, demonstrate the practicality of long-distance EV travel and foster widespread awareness.

Under the leadership of IFEVA President Dr Rajeev Mishra and a dedicated team, the rally has achieved an extraordinary footprint, traversing all 28 states and eight union territories of India, along with international stretches in Bhutan and Nepal. This ambitious journey has garnered unprecedented support, receiving flag-offs and endorsements from a diverse array of leaders including Chief Ministers, Governors, Union and State Ministers and spiritual guides, signifying a broad-based national consensus on electrification.

A pivotal aspect of the rally's outreach has been its deep engagement with the academic community. The convoy has visited hundreds of institutions, including premier establishments like IITs and IIMs, facilitating direct interactions where students and faculty experienced EVs firsthand, participated in dynamic discussions and had their queries addressed by experts. This initiative has successfully ignited enthusiasm and curiosity among the nation's youth.

By actively collaborating with government bodies, industry players from large manufacturers to MSMEs, educational institutes and consumers, the rally is gathering critical, on-ground insights. These findings are poised to inform future policy and infrastructure development decisively. Ultimately, the Bharat Maha EV Rally stands as a powerful testament to India's commitment to sustainable transportation, clearly showcasing the rapid adoption of EVs and the expansion of supporting infrastructure, thereby solidifying the country's position as a frontrunner in the global electric vehicle revolution.

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Delhi-NCR-based electric vehicle battery swapping organisation Battery Smart has announced that it has become the first company in India to complete 100 million battery swaps across its network for electric two- and three-wheelers.

The achievement comes five years after the company’s founding. Battery Smart claims it currently operates approximately 70 percent of the battery-swapping infrastructure in the country.

To mark the achievement, the company has launched an INR 100 million Driver Welfare Fund 2026, which is designed to provide insurance, financial protection and skill development for approximately 100,000 electric vehicle (EV) drivers. The fund also includes referral programmes, free swaps and community inclusion initiatives.

Pulkit Khurana and Siddharth Sikka, Co-Founders of Battery Smart, said, “Crossing 100 million swaps is a landmark for EV adoption in India, not just for us. It demonstrates the potential of battery swapping to make clean mobility accessible, affordable, and inclusive at scale. Each swap represents a choice, a driver choosing clean mobility over combustion, assurance over anxiety and improved uptime over long waiting hours. This achievement belongs to our community of drivers, battery swap station partners, OEM collaborators, investors, and policymakers who believed that battery swapping could succeed at scale in India.”

The company’s ecosystem includes over 5,000 women drivers and 250 women partners. Its technology utilises IoT-enabled batteries and real-time monitoring to enable predictive maintenance and minimize downtime for drivers in the gig economy.

“Looking ahead, the Driver Welfare Fund reinforces our commitment to the community that made this possible. As we continue to grow, we remain focused on strengthening India’s EV mobility backbone, powered by smarter IoT batteries, more efficient station operations, and robust safety systems. This milestone is just the beginning, and together, we are building the future of clean mobility for India,” added Sikka.

Going forward, Battery Smart intends to expand into 100 additional cities by 2026. The company’s roadmap involves deploying more swap stations and increasing daily swap capacity to meet demand from commercial operators. Planned investments include safety systems and IoT intelligence as the company continues to work with regulators and industry stakeholders.

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Ola Electric has announced the commencement of mass deliveries of its 4680 Bharat Cell-powered vehicles. The S1 Pro+ 5.2 kWh is the first product to be powered by the company’s indigenously manufactured 4680 Bharat Cell battery pack, which delivers more range, better performance and enhanced safety.

With its own battery packs in the vehicles, Ola Electric is now India's first company to fully own the battery pack and cell manufacturing process in-house.

The S1 Pro+ 5.2 kWh is powered by a 13 kW motor, offering acceleration of zero to 40 kmph in just 2.1 seconds. It comes with an impressive 320 km range (IDC with DIY mode).

The S1 Pro+ features four riding modes (Hyper, Sports, Normal and Eco) and also offers enhanced safety with category-first dual ABS and disk brakes in the front and rear. It also gets enhanced ergonomics and comfort, a two-tone seat with supportive foam, body-coloured mirrors, a die-cast aluminium grab handle, rim decals and an expanded colour palette comprising Passion Red, Porcelain White, Industrial Silver, Jet Black, Stellar Blue and Midnight Blue.

“The excitement for S1 Pro+ has been phenomenal. Deliveries are now in full swing, and customers are proudly riding India’s first scooters powered by our own 4680 Bharat Cell. This is a big moment, not just for Ola, but for India’s journey towards becoming a global EV hub. With the national rollout starting soon, we are now ready to take this breakthrough product and technology to every corner of the country,” an Ola Electric spokesperson said.

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