French tier 1 supplier Valeo has announced that it will be part of a major international sport event through its 48V eAccess technology, which will power Toyota APM electric shuttles in Paris this summer.

The APM was specifically designed by Toyota to offer a safe and efficient mobility solution to athletes and officials during the major sport event in Tokyo, Japan in 2020.

The e-shuttle will again be at the heart of the transport solutions during the next sports event in Paris to ease mobility for all within the sports sites. This is a completely new version, more adapted to the European environment, it can embark 6 persons including the driver and has been designed for very flexible use. The foldable seats enable the transport of people in wheelchairs. The vehicle is also available in a relief version, developed to provide medical assistance, enabling the transport of a stretcher and medical staff.

Christophe Perillat, Chief Executive Officer, Valeo said: “We are delighted that Toyota has chosen Valeo eAccess technology to power the APM electric shuttles. This confirms the relevance of Valeo’s strategy when it comes to exploring ever more sustainable and affordable technologies. Valeo will contribute with their technologies to make this major sporting event more sustainable, while providing spectators and delegations with a mobility experience adapted to the Parisian environment.”

Toyota chose Valeo eAccess Belt 14, all-in-one solution (motor, inverter, reducer) offering the possibility to the vehicle to operate up to 20kmph with a gross vehicle mass of 1390kg.

Valeo’s 48V eAccess combines a 48 Volts 13.5 kW generator, coming from the 48V electrical propulsion platform which has already reached sufficient maturity to become a standard equipment for the automobile market, combined with a gear reducer and an innovative ribbed elastic belt to create a full eDrive propulsion system.

This all-in-one solution is a unique automobile powertrain transmission system in the automotive industry landscape and shows the Valeo expertise and its capacity to propose a modular approach for the quickly-growing market of light powertrain vehicles.

It has the possibility to reach speed up to 100kph and an electric autonomy average of 100km, the Valeo’s 48V eAccess is also matching the noise, vibration & harshness (NVH) high-performance standards and registers in a medium and long-term strategy to reduce the environmental footprint impact of the automotive industry (end-of-life recycling, recycled material cover).

The eAccess technology is already powering the urban car Citroen Ami and also other applications such as the three-wheelers from Atul Auto in India. The 48V Valeo expertise in electric motors for small mobility is also available on two-wheelers markets and the latest addition to this is the BMW e-motorbike CE02.

Toyota plans to provide 250 vehicles for the major sport event to take place in Paris next summer.

Himadri Speciality Chemical, a leading supplier of speciality chemicals and new energy materials, has inked an exclusive technology licensing partnership with Australian battery materials company Sicona.

It may be recollected that it was in June 2023, Sicona had raised AUD 22 million in Series A funding led by Himadri Speciality Chemical.

As per the understanding, Himadri will access, localise and commercialise Sicona’s proprietary Silicon-Carbon (SiCx) anode technology in India for lithium-ion battery tech.

SiCx is claimed to be a transformational product that can seamlessly integrated into existing lithium-ion battery anode formulations, offering a scalable and commercially viable path to significantly improved battery performance.

Under the partnership, Sicona will provide complete technical support, including access to its proprietary know-how, engineering expertise, qualification protocols and quality systems for the establishment of SiCx production plant. Himadri on its part will bring its experience in scaling high-precision chemical and material operations to drive localisation and commercialisation of the technology.

Unlike conventional anode materials, Sicona’s SiCx material, when used in conjunction with traditional graphite (typically in proportions of 5–20 percent) will significantly enhance energy density (around 20 percent) and charging performance (about 40 percent). This simply put means that EV’s using the SiCx battery tech will have higher range and faster charging speed.

Anurag Choudhary, Chairman, Managing Director & CEO, Himadri Speciality Chemical, said, “This partnership marks a turning point in the world’s advanced battery materials journey. Sicona’s SiCx technology, when used alongside graphite, delivers two core advantages – higher energy density for longer driving range and faster charging capability that dramatically reduces wait time for EV users. By integrating Sicona’s technological might with Himadri’s proven operational excellence, global scale and strategic intent, we are creating a blueprint for innovation-led clean energy leadership. This partnership not only enables India to meet domestic EV and energy storage demands, but also makes us an exporter of next-generation battery materials to the world.”

Christiaan Jordaan, CEO & Co-Founder, Sicona, said, “This partnership marks a transformative moment for Sicona and our SiCx technology. It enables us to commercialise our breakthrough technology at an unprecedented speed and scale. Himadri’s world-class manufacturing capabilities and global presence make them the ideal partner for this journey. We are deeply grateful for their unwavering support to our team, our technology, and our mission.”

Revolt Motors, a leading electric motorcycle brand, has achieved the ISO 9001:2015 certification for quality management systems.

This milestone places Revolt Motors among a select group of electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers that meet stringent international benchmarks across product design, manufacturing, supply chain management and customer service.

Anjali Rattan Nashier, Chairperson of RattanIndia Enterprises, said, “This certification is a proud moment for all of us at Revolt. It is a reflection of our tireless pursuit of quality, innovation and operational excellence. As we expand to new geographies and strengthen our position in the EV segment, this global certification reinforces the trust our customers and partners place in us.”

The ISO 9001:2015 certification highlights Revolt’s structured approach to quality, encompassing product development, manufacturing controls, continuous process improvement and a customer-centric delivery model.

Bengaluru-based electric vehicle maker Ather Energy has announced its financial results for FY2025. The company claimed its sales grew by 42 percent in FY2025 with a total of 155,394 units sold, as compared to 109,577 units last year. This translates to a total income of INR 23 billion for FY2025, up 29 percent, as compared to INR 17 billion in FY2024. The company’s Adjusted Gross Margin soared to INR 4.28 billion, a 2.7-fold increase from FY2024, reflecting cost optimisation through economies of scale, in-house engineering and strategic sourcing.

The EV maker is also making rapid strides towards profitability, reducing EBITDA losses by around 23 percent in FY2025 from 36 percent in FY2024. The net losses for the year decreased by 23 percent, from INR 10 billion in FY2024 to INR 8.12 billion in FY2025.

The Ather Rizta, launched in Q2 FY2025, accounted for 57 percent of total volumes, driving market share gains in states like Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat. The company stated that it maintained a strong 19.7 percent market share in southern states, reinforcing its regional dominance.

To enhance customer experience, Ather introduced Ather Care plans, available at its 210 Service Centres and 231 Experience Centres as of 30 September 2024. Priced between INR 1,130 and INR 2,400, these plans offer benefits worth up to INR 5,900, addressing concerns about EV maintenance costs and ensuring affordability for customers.

Tarun Mehta, Executive Director and CEO, Ather Energy, said, “FY2025 has been a year of robust growth, with strong increases in both volume and profitability, year-on-year. On the back of our new product launches, we saw strong volume growth of 42 percent, and our continued investments in engineering and R&D delivered a strong improvement in margins. Adjusted gross margins doubled, growing by approximately 1,000 bps, and that helped reduce EBIDTA losses by approximately 1,300 bps over the preceding year. Our software sales have continued to trend strongly, with 88 percent of our customers choosing to buy our Pro Pack in FY2025, contributing to improvement of our bottom line. Q4 was a strong quarter for distribution and saw a 32 percent expansion in our pan-India store count.”

Infineon Technologies, a leading provider of automotive semiconductors has partnered Visteon Corporation, a leading supplier for automotive cockpit electronics, to accelerate development of next-generation electric vehicle powertrains.

The partners will work towards integrating power conversion devices based on Infineon semiconductors, with particular emphasis on wideband gap device technologies, which they state provide significant advantages in power conversion applications compared to silicon-based semiconductors. These devices include greater power density, efficiency and thermal performance, which contribute to improved efficiency and reduced system costs for next-generation power conversion modules for the automotive sector.

Going forward, Visteon EV powertrain applications incorporating Infineon CoolGaN (Gallium Nitride) and CoolSiC (Silicon Carbide) devices may include battery junction boxes, DC-DC converters and on-board chargers.

Dr. Tao Wang, Head of the Electrification Product Line of Visteon Corporation, said, “Working with Infineon allows us to integrate cutting-edge semiconductor technologies that are essential in improving power conversion efficiency and overall system capability of next generation electric vehicles. This collaboration will advance technologies that accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and efficient mobility ecosystem.”

Peter Schaefer, Chief Sales Officer Automotive, Infineon Technologies, said, “Visteon is a recognised innovator and an early adopter of new technologies, making them an ideal partner for us. Together, we will push the boundaries of electric vehicle technology and provide superior solutions to the global automotive industry.”