Tata Motors has flagged-off a fleet of electric buses dedicated for workforce transportation at its Pantnagar plant in Uttarakhand. The e-buses are indigenously built with zero tailpipe emission. They are equipped with latest features and powered by advanced battery systems. 
TML Smart City Mobility Solutions Limited (TSCMSL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Motors, will facilitate this workforce commute with a modern fleet of Tata Ultra nine-metre-long e-buses. 
Designed to provide a safe, comfortable and convenient commute, this e-bus service will reduce carbon footprint by providing clean and green transport to over 5,000 people and save roughly 1,100 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. Electricity generated from a 16MW solar energy plant will charge the e-bus fleet, making the entire operation green from end-to-end.
Speaking about the development, Vishal Badshah, Vice President and Head – Operations, Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles, said, “The introduction of electric buses for workforce commuting marks a significant step forward towards fulfilling Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles’ aspiration of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2045. We are committed to making all our manufacturing facilities green by integrating sustainability across their entire value chain – from sourcing to development and engineering to operations. I am delighted to launch this initiative in Pantnagar first as it adds to and acknowledges the successes of the facility’s myriad of sustainability initiatives. This plant is already a certified Zero Waste to Landfill facility and has also received water-positive certification by CII-GBC. The launch of a zero emission, e-fleet service creates another major milestone in the sustainability journey of the plant.”
Powered by a battery electric powertrain, the Ultra EV nine-metre-long e-buses are equipped with regenerative braking and Intelligent Transport Systems. This deployment builds upon Tata Motors' remarkable success in India's electric mass mobility segment, where the company has already deployed over 3,100 electric buses across 10 cities. These buses have cumulatively covered more than 240 million kilometres with an uptime of over 95 percent, demonstrating reliability and efficiency of Tata Motors' electric mass mobility solutions.
 

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI), one of the leading two-wheeler manufacturers in the country, has officially commenced bookings for the Activa e: and QC1 e-scooters at INR 1,000.

As announced during the unveiling, the Activa e can be booked at dealerships in Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai. On the other hand, the QC1 can be booked at Honda’s select dealerships in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chandigarh. 

The company will announce the on-road prices for the e-scooter at the upcoming Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 and officially mark its entry in the e-scooter space. The deliveries will begin in February 2025.

BatX Energies, a lithium-ion battery recycling company, has opened its critical minerals extraction plant (HUB-1) in Uttar Pradesh. The new facility will enable the company to recover critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese from used lithium-ion batteries. This will compliment BatX Energies black mass production facility in Sikandrabad.

The company claims its advanced hydrometallurgical plant, which is designed and fabricated in-house, is optimised to efficiently recycle all types of lithium-ion battery waste, including manufacturing rejects from future gigafactories. It is designed with zero-emission, zero-waste processes, which meets stringent ESG targets.

Utkarsh Singh, Co-Founder & CEO, BatX Energies, said, "Electric vehicles are at the forefront of the clean energy revolution, and BatX Energies is proud to lead this transition. The Hub-1 facility reflects our dedication to sustainable extractive metallurgy, creating a circular economy by recycling used batteries and reintegrating critical materials,"

"India’s reliance on exporting black mass underscores the need for facilities like this. By collaborating with domestic R2 recyclers and battery producers, we aim to convert black mass into valuable metals at low cost, making battery recycling sustainable and economically viable for every stakeholder in the supply chain, and positioning India as a global hub for critical mineral refining by 2040."

Vikrant Singh, Co-Founder & CTO, BatX, added, "This plant is the result of rigorous four years of R&D and the hard work of our passionate team. We are grateful to our investors, stakeholders, and the Government of India, including initiatives like Startup India, MSME, and the PSA Office for EU-TTC initiative, as well as EXIM Bank of India, for their crucial support."

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.”