Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd (TPEM), a subsidiary of Tata Motors, unveiled the electric version of the Punch mini-SUV. Called the Punch.ev, the new electric mini-SUV looks quite similar on the outside to that of the petrol version. Inside, it is different owing to its electric nature and quite spacious for its size, highlighting clever packaging. Also, a key contributor to the spacious feel extended by the Punch.ev’s cabin is the pure electric architecture is it based on. 

The Punch.ev is based on Tata Motors first pure BEV architecture called as acti.ev. The Punch.ev is the first vehicle to have been built on this architecture, which is likely to support a good number of BEVs from the auto maker soon. 

With cutting-edge technology, the new active architecture turns the Punch.ev into an eco-consciousness and cost-effective offering that can do 315 km on a single charge with a 25-kWh battery pack. The mini-SUV can do 421 km with a 35 kWh battery pack. 

Available in three distinct personas - Smart, Adventure and Empowered, the Punch.ev is made versatile and multi-talented by the option to choose two motors – a 60 kW permanent magnet synchronous AC motor that does 114 Nm of peak torque and a 90 kW permanent magnet synchronous AC motor that does 190 Nm of peak torque. 

Sold with prices upwards of INR 10,99,000 ex-showroom, the Punch.ev is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 kmph in 9.5 seconds. It has an electronically limited top speed of 140kmph. The battery pack and motor are IP67 rated and come with a warranty of 8 years or 1,60,000 km (whichever is earlier). 

The Long Range (LR) variant of the electric mini-SUV is available with the option of a 3.3 kW and a 7.2 kW AC fast charger that can be installed either at home or at the workplace. With DC Fast Charging capability, it can be fast charged from 10 percent to 80 percent in 56 minutes from any 50 kW DC fast charger.

Riding on 16-inch diameter low friction rolling resistance tyres, the Punch.ev has a ground clearance of 190 mm. It has a 350 mm water wading capability. With impressive approach, departure and ramp-over angles, the vehicle comes with 90-degree opening doors, a flat second-row floor, 366-litres of boot space and 32 cabin cubby holes for smart storage.

In terms of features, the electric mini-SUV has two integrated screens built into the dash – each measuring 26 cm and enabling the operation of infotainment system and instrumentation. The ‘phygital’ control panel embodies a harmonious fusion of physical and touch controls. There’s Android Auto and Apple CarPlay besides a gadget-like experience by the Arcade.ev app suite with 17 apps for gaming, music and media. 

Offering connectivity with multiple voice assistants, including the native ‘Hey Tata’ assistant with over 200 commands in six languages, there’s Alexa, Siri for Apple users and Google Assistant for Android users. The ‘connected car’ experience enhanced further by the ‘ZConnect’ tech, which ensures smartwatch connectivity as standard, the Punch.ev gets wireless charging, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers and auto-dimming IRVM. 

The vehicle could be had with ventilated leatherette seats, an electric sunroof, mood lights and an air purifier with AQI display as well. Fitted with paddle shifters, the electric vehicle comes with four-level multi-mode regeneration and over-the-air software upgrade capabilities.

Anand Kulkarni, Chief Products Officer, Head of HV Programs and Customer Service, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd., said, “As leaders of the EV evolution in India, we are proud to enter 2024 with a groundbreaking development in the form of acti.ev – a made-in-India advanced Pure EV architecture that promises to be a trendsetter in the country’s rapidly developing EV market. This architecture has been meticulously designed to enable class leading efficiencies, maximizing space, battery capacity and enhancing the overall driving experience. acti.ev is a global ready, future-facing pure electric architecture that enables the implementation of software oriented features, ensuring that our vehicles are not only technologically advanced but also future-proof.”

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Nawgati has announced the launch of Aaveg Pro, an integrated operations platform for petroleum dealers, at the Petrol Dealers Association Pune (PDAP) Annual General Meeting. The system is designed to digitise fuel station management within the Indian retail ecosystem.

Aaveg Pro serves as a digital operating system to replace manual workflows in fuel retail. The platform consolidates several critical station functions into a single interface:

• Sales and Inventory: Features include shift-level nozzle reconciliation, live inventory tracking and stock variation control.
• Financial Accounting: The system supports VAT, GST, cess and surcharge handling to maintain audit-ready records and real-time balance sheet visibility.
• Fleet and Credit Management: Dealers can manage digital fleet contracts, consolidated invoicing and credit risk monitoring.

The platform is designed to integrate with existing station infrastructure, such as dispensers, CCTV systems, fuel storage compressors and vehicle-tracking systems, to provide operational oversight.

Vaibhav Kaushik, Co-Founder & CEO, Nawgati, said, “The launch of Aaveg Pro reflects our continued commitment to building solutions that solve real operational challenges for fuel dealers. Fuel retail in India still relies heavily on fragmented and manual workflows across accounting, stock monitoring, reconciliation, and customer credit management. With Aaveg Pro, we are bringing these critical functions onto one integrated platform so that dealers can operate with greater visibility, control, and efficiency.”

Aalaap Nair, Co-Founder, Nawgati, said, “Aaveg Pro has been built specifically for the day-to-day realities of fuel retail operations in India. From shift-level reconciliation and stock tracking to consolidated fleet invoicing and live financial reporting, the platform is designed to reduce complexity and improve decision-making at the station level. Our goal is to help dealers move away from manual processes and adopt a smarter, more scalable way of running their businesses.”

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Charge_iN by Mahindra and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) have signed a strategic agreement to develop electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure at HPCL retail outlets across India. The collaboration aims to utilise HPCL’s national fuel station network to increase the availability of public charging points for electric four-wheelers.

HPCL currently operates over 24,400 retail outlets and has installed more than 5,400 charging stations under its HP e-Charge brand. The new stations established through this partnership will exclusively feature 180 kW dual gun chargers, designed for high-speed charging.

The deployment is intended to support the transition to green transportation in India, currently the third-largest automotive market globally. The agreement focuses on building an ultrafast charging network to improve reliability and reduce charging times for EV users.

The partnership aligns with the government's objective of strengthening public EV infrastructure. By integrating chargers into existing fuel stations, the companies aim to provide a platform for nationwide expansion and seamless access for drivers.

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Electric mobility startup Bijliride has detailed plans to expand its franchise network to more than 25 Indian cities. Operating under a Franchise Owned–Franchise Operated (FOFO) model, the company aims to onboard 30 franchise partners by March 2027 and scale its fleet to between 10,000 and 15,000 electric two-wheelers within the next 18 months.

The expansion the startup claims is projected to drive 150 percent growth in fleet operations. Bijliride has identified several urban mobility markets for this phase, including:

• Tier 1 Cities: Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kolkata.
• Emerging Hubs: Hyderabad clusters, Jaipur, Patna, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, and Kochi.
• Logistics Centres: Nagpur, Indore, Surat, and Visakhapatnam.

The strategy targets demand from logistics operators, gig economy platforms and urban commuters.

Under the FOFO structure, local partners own and manage the fleets while Bijliride provides the technology infrastructure. This includes real-time vehicle tracking, battery management protocols, and rental management systems.

The partners have to commit to a minimum of 50 electric two-wheelers to begin with, an initial investment of around INR 1.4-1.6 million, with a projected breakeven in approximately 15 months under stable fleet utilisation. The startup also assists partners with driver onboarding and connects fleets with demand from local delivery businesses and gig platforms.

Shivam Sisodiya, CEO and Co-Founder, Bijliride, said, “Electric mobility demand in India is growing rapidly, particularly among gig workers and last-mile delivery operators. At this stage, our focus is disciplined scale. The FOFO model allows us to grow responsibly by partnering with local entrepreneurs who understand their markets while leveraging our technology platform and operational systems. This structure enables us to expand faster while ensuring fleets are managed efficiently on the ground.”

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It’s been sometime that Donut Lab has been working on producing a battery that will address the challenging needs of EVs better than other batteries have been able to do. Claiming to be the world’s first solid-state battery ready for production vehicles measured in independent testing conditions, the company has released its third test result that dispels any suspicions that the battery would be a supercapacitor rather than a battery.
The results measure the properties of its solid-state battery, evaluating its ability to retain charge when not in use. Available for download on its site, the third and most recent test follows two other tests that looked at charging speed (the test was conducted by Technology Re) using two passive cooling configurations and evaluation of capacity performance of the battery cell in hot conditions (by the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland). 
The test measuring the battery’s ability to retain charge even when not in use was carried out using a simple research setup. It was connected at room temperature to the research laboratory’s battery tester, which repeatedly measured the cell voltage every 10 seconds. Like the previous test that measured battery performance at very high temperatures, this test also began with a 1C capacity test, demonstrating that the cell was precisely the same as the other test examples.
 
After the capacity test, the battery cell was charged to approximately 50 percent charge and left connected to the battery tester for ten days. The cell was then discharged to measure the remaining energy capacity. The results show that the battery cell voltage stabilises during the first 10 hours after charging. Over the next nine or so days, the voltage curve continues to stabilise. A capacity test at the end of the test period confirmed that the voltage drop corresponds to the amount of energy in watt-hours.
The Donut Battery behaved in the test exactly as a battery should. If the test had been performed with a supercapacitor, the charge would have fallen linearly much faster during the same time period.
“Since we unveiled the Donut Battery, there has been a lot of speculation and theories about whether it is a supercapacitor. In all its simplicity, this test proves that it is a battery. Supercapacitors charge and discharge quickly, but they also lose their charge quickly when not in use. The Donut Battery behaves like a battery and can maintain a charge for significantly longer,” confirmed Ville Piippo, CTO, Donut Lab.
After the third test mentioned above, Donut Lab has carried out a special test to measure battery performance in a battery pack using the Verge TS Pro motorcycle that charges in less than ten minutes, making it the world's fastest-charging electric motorcycle.
 

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