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.

Digital lending platform Revfin has strengthened its management with the appointment of three senior executives as part of its FY2026 strategy, targeting INR 7.5 billion in disbursements and 5x growth over the past two years. The company also expects to cross INR 20 billion in cumulative disbursements since inception.

The new appointments include Abhinandan Narayan, Chief Business Officer – New Business, Monish Vohra, COO – Operations & Collections and Anirudh Gupta, Chief Finance & Strategy Officer. The appointments the company shared aligns with its focus on ‘People, Process, Profitability.’

Furthermore, Revfin has outlined its ambition to finance 24,000 EVs in FY2026. Till date, it claims to have financed over 85,000 EVs across 25 states, with 75 percent of borrowers from marginalised communities. Cumulatively, its driver partners have covered 1.6 billion electric miles and earned over USD 400 million.

In FY2025, the company grew its L5 EV loan book by 1,700 percent, supported by a partnership with Bajaj Auto and expanded collaborations with logistics firms. The L5 segment remains a key focus as a replacement for ICE vehicles in urban transport.

Sameer Aggarwal, Founder & CEO, Revfin, said, “The last financial year was a volatile one for the EV industry, but the excitement and energy within the sector remain undiminished. At Revfin, we are deeply convinced that intracity and small commercial vehicles must – and will – transition 100 percent to electric within the next three years. The opportunity is here and now. It’s time to set bold targets and pursue hypergrowth over the next two years. At this critical juncture, the right leadership becomes essential to realizing our ambitions. With the strong momentum we’ve already built, we’re confident the journey ahead will be even more rewarding. We’ve entered 2025 with a sharp focus on what truly matters: People, Processes, and Profitability. These latest leadership hires are a natural extension of that focus and our commitment to scale with purpose.”

Ahmedabad-based clean energy company Matter has launched its flagship electric motorcycle – the Aera, in Bengaluru at an introductory price of IRN 179,000 for the first 500 customers, post which it will be available at INR 188,000. The company has started taking pre-registrations for the e-motorcycle at INR 1,999.

Furthermore, the company has also announced that its first Experience Hub will come up at BTM Layout, which will showcase its tech prowess and philosophy firsthand.

The Matter Aera is claimed to be the world's first electric motorcycle with manual gears – 4-speed transmission, 3 ride modes that delivers 12 unique ride combinations. It features a 7-inch Smart Touchscreen Dashboard, onboard charger and liquid cooled powertrain. The e-motorcycle has a claimed IDC range of up to 172km, a zero to 40 kmph in 2.8 seconds, dual disc brakes with ABS, telescopic front fork and dual rear suspension.

Mohal Lalbhai, Founder & Group CEO, Matter Energy, said, “There’s no better city to lead this journey than Bengaluru—where innovation isn’t just an idea, it’s a way of life. Every lane, every rider here resonates with purpose and progress. The Aera isn’t just a bike – it’s the 22nd Century motorbike. It delivers the thrill of a rocket and the practicality your pocket loves. With our in-house developed Hypershift manual gearbox, liquid-cooled powertrain, and connected tech, AERA brings together performance, emotion, and sustainability like never before.”

The Kia EV3 has won the prestigious ‘2025 World Car of the Year’ award at the globally renowned 2025 World Car Awards ceremony, held during the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS).

A jury of 96 distinguished worldwide automotive journalists from 30 nations assessed the 2025 World Car Awards. With the EV3's triumph, Kia has now won six World Car Awards since 2020. The EV3 has a dramatic, forward-thinking design and a creative, useful interior that makes the most of available space, comfort and utility. The EV3 can charge from 10 to 80 percent in 31 minutes and has a segment-leading range of up to 375 miles (around 603 kilometres). While Kia's AI Assistant, advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) and Over-the-Air (OTA) upgrades improve the ownership experience with cutting-edge technology, the vehicle's creative interior design maximizes room, comfort and accessibility.

Ho Sung Song, President and CEO, Kia, said, “It is an immense honour for everyone at Kia that the EV3 has been awarded the 2025 World Car of the Year title. This award highlights Kia’s global leadership in providing design-led, technologically advanced, sustainable mobility solutions and how the EV3’s class-leading attributes redefine the user experience for customers worldwide.”

The Hyundai INSTER sub-compact EV has won the prestigious 2025 World Electric Vehicle award at the globally renowned 2025 World Car Awards ceremony, held during the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS).

With this recognition, Hyundai Motor Company has dominated one or more World Car Awards categories for the fourth year in a row. Hyundai Motor's commitment to developing EV technology and sustainability is highlighted by the 2025 World Electric Vehicle award, which also acknowledges INSTER's exceptional value in the EV market. The finalists were chosen by a sealed-ballot jury consisting of 96 international automotive journalists from 30 different countries. On 16 April 2025, the winners were revealed at the 2025 NYIAS. With its unique design, remarkable driving range and state-of-the-art technology, INSTER is the market leader in the sub-compact EV sector. A 10- to 80-percent charge can be made in around 30 minutes thanks to INSTER's quick charging technology, and the 49-kWh long-range variant has a range of up to 370 kilometres.

José Muñoz, President and CEO, Hyundai Motor Company, said, “The Hyundai INSTER has been a winner with customers since we introduced it. It’s very gratifying that the experts on the prestigious World Car Awards jurors feel the same way. The combination of compelling design, range, enjoyable driving characteristics, intuitive infotainment and technology that customers appreciate is emblematic of Hyundai’s approach of delivering exceptional value to our customers. The fact that our global portfolio is successful both commercially and critically speaks to the hard-working people throughout the Hyundai value chain who are delivering some of the best vehicles on the road today. Thank you to all the jurors for your service to this great industry.”