U Power, an AI-powered solutions company, is expanding its proprietary UOTTA electric vehicle (EV) battery-swapping technology with a new strategic partnership with SAIC HONGYAN Automotive Co., Ltd (SAIC Hongyan) and UNEX EV, a new energy and technology company.

The partnership will see the deployment of battery-swapping compatible electric heavy trucks in Thailand and explore similar expansion opportunities in additional markets.

As per the understanding, the partners will deploy 3,000 electric heavy-duty tractors for long-haul transportation and 1,200 electric heavy-duty port-specific short-distance trucks in Thailand. In addition, all parties have agreed to explore the expansion of this partnership into additional markets, including the broader Southeast Asia, Latin America, Europe, Hong Kong and Macau.

U Power will lead the development and manufacture of compatible battery-swapping stations as well as provide related operational services. UNEX EV will be responsible for the adaption of SAIC Hongyan heavy trucks into battery swapping-enabled vehicles, developing of compatible battery modules, as well as promoting the sales of the heavy trucks in Thailand. SAIC Hongyan will supply heavy truck prototypes and provide the necessary technical support to ensure full compatibility between these adapted truck models and U Power's smart battery-swapping stations.

Pitak Pruittisarikorn, CEO, UNEX EV, said, "We are excited to deepen our collaboration with U Power and SAIC Hongyan to bring cutting-edge, battery-swapping compatible heavy-duty EV solutions to Thailand's commercial transportation sector. This strategic partnership reflects our shared commitment to accelerating the global shift toward zero-emission logistics. By combining our deep local market insight and a global ecosystem of clean mobility technologies, we aim to pave the way for a scalable and sustainable heavy truck electrification model, not just for Thailand, but also for emerging logistics hubs across Southeast Asia and beyond."

Xiong, General Manager of Overseas Sales at SAIC Hongyan, said, "Partnering with U Power and UNEX EV allows SAIC Hongyan to bring our robust heavy truck platforms into a new era of electrification and intelligent mobility. Through compatibility with battery-swapping technology, we aim to deliver operational flexibility and enhanced efficiency to fleet operators in Thailand's long-haul and port logistics industries. We look forward to jointly creating a benchmark for green, intelligent heavy-duty transport that can be replicated across more regions globally."

Johnny Lee, CEO and Chairman, U Power, said, "We are pleased to expand our strategic partnership and scope of collaboration with SAIC and UNEX EV, two of U Power's key allies in the development and manufacturing of battery-swapping compatible vehicles. Together, we identified a growing demand for sustainable transportation solutions within Thailand's logistic industry. We believe our combined expertise positions us well to capitalize on this opportunity, enhance our presence in the Thailand market and further drive growth as we continue to build a battery-swapping ecosystem here. In July, we launched Southeast Asia's first operational smart battery-swapping station on Phuket Island, Thailand. Earlier, in April 2025, in collaboration with UNEX EV and SAIC CP-MG, we successfully delivered the first batch of swappable electric vehicles for taxi and ride-hailing services on the island. We look forward to extending our collaboration in more regional markets."

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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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