Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 860-km range EV is made in India

Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 has just become the first electric vehicle (EV) to be assembled in India and with the launch of this made-in-India 860-km range car, it is yet another milestone in India’s EV journey.

 

This Mercedes-Benz EV has been rolled out from the Chakan facility in Maharashtra and is set to pave the way for many more assembly of luxury electric cars in India in the near future.

Tata Tiago EV introductory starting price a tad higher at Rs 8.49 lakh

With the Tiago electric vehicle (EV) launch, Tata Motors has rolled out India’s most affordable electric car but we feel that even the introductory pricing could have been a tad cheaper at a starting price of Rs 7.5 lakh (Rs 750,000).

 

The new Tiago EV will, however, carry a price tag starting Rs 8.49 lakh (Rs 849,000) for the base version and the price goes up to Rs 11.79 lakh (11,79,000) for the top model. And, only the first 10,000 buyers would get the variants at these introductory prices.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara hybrids come with smart pricing

Maruti Suzuki India has rolled out the Grand Vitara for between Rs 10.45 lakh (Rs 10,45,000) and Rs 19.65 lakh (Rs 19,65,000), which is a smart pricing strategy, given the popularity of SUVs in India’s auto market and the fast-growing appetite of the country’s car buyers towards hybrids.

With the Grand Vitara launch, India’s largest car maker wants to slow down the adoption of pure electric vehicles (EVs) and is trying to wean away EV buyers towards hybrids.

Fisker to foray into India with Ocean EV, offer battery safety, higher range

Tesla rival Fisker is gearing up to foray into India with its Ocean model and the company’s USP is that it would offer solid-state batteries that would come in smaller battery packs, implying higher range and safety as well.

 

This type of batteries is among the safest today for electric vehicles (EVs) and would minimise any chances of fire or explosion.

 

Tata Nexon EV conquers world’s highest motorable pass | Tiago electric vehicle teaser

The Tata Nexon electric vehicle (EV), which is set to face stiff competition, is showcasing its achievements — it has just broken into India’s Book of Records after conquering the world’s highest motorable pass, Umling La, in Ladakh, and, on the other hand, Tata Motors has also revealed some details of its new budget car Tiago.

 

The pass, which is 19,024 feet (5,798 metres) above sea level, has for the first time seen an EV conquer it. Tata Motors has managed to set this record with its recently-launched Nexon Max.  

Volvo plans aggressive India strategy | Honda’s first e-scooter may be cheaper than Activa

Volvo India is charting an aggressive India strategy while Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India’s (HMSI’s) electric scooter is almost ready for launch, and speculation is rife that it may cost less than Rs 70,000, a tad lower than its popular petrol model Activa.

80% of Volvo cars in India to be EVs by 2025

Volvo is chalking out a quick plan for India, where it is eyeing 80 per cent of its total sales to be electric vehicles (EVs).

Hyundai’s two new EVs will replace i10 in Europe by 2024, may see good response

Hyundai is planning to replace its i10 petrol variant in Europe by 2024 with two affordable electric vehicle (EV) models and being small and budget cars, they may elicit a good response from this market.

 

Europe has always been fond of compact cars but its definition of affordable has a much higher benchmark compared to Asian and African nations.

Harvard-backed 3-minute EV charger lasts 20 years I Would ultra-fast chargers become redundant?

Would fast and ultra-fast chargers soon become a thing of the past even without them being rolled out commercially as a Harvard University-backed start-up — Adden Energy — has come up with something mind blowing — a charger that can charge an electric vehicle (EV) in three minutes flat and can last for a whopping 20 years?

 

Currently, the world over, we are seeing fast charging catching up, though it is in its infant stages and ultra-fast chargers are still under research and development (R&D).

With Avenger launch plan, Jeep does not have any aggressive strategy on EVs

Jeep has unveiled its global electric vehicle (EV) plans and India would also be a part of it with the Avenger roll out and it seems that the company will not adopt an aggressive strategy in the electric vehicle space in any of its global markets.

The Avenger — which would have a range of around 400 km on a single charge — is set to be Jeep’s EV in the compact SUV space and no technical details of the SUV are out as yet.

Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder hybrid SUV priced competitively

Toyota has brought in the company’s first mid-sized SUV, the Urban Cruiser Hyryder, into India with competitive pricing, and offering a hybrid SUV at this price point could see many altering their electric vehicle (EV) plans and flocking for these hybrids.

For now, Toyota has set the prices for its top variants only and includes strong hybrids as well as a mild hybrid — the V AT variant.

Tata Tiago EV, a car for the masses, may be priced at Rs 7-8 lakh

Tata Motors has revealed that it will launch an electric version of its entry-level car — the Tiago — later this month itself, and by bringing an electric vehicle (EV) to the masses, it definitely plans to expand its lead before the EV space in India becomes too crowded.

 

With this move, the Tiago EV would become its third electric vehicle after the Nexon and Tigor in the passenger vehicle segment, and could be priced around the Rs 7-8-lakh mark (Rs 700,000-800,000), as per our estimates.

Would Mahindra XUV400 EV pricing be smarter than Tata Nexon EV?

Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) has finally unveiled its all-electric XUV400, which is based on the XUV300, and going by the smart looks, and if the pricing is right, it could aim to dislodge the Tata Nexon EV in sales.

 

Besides, if the performance is commendable, and given the slightly higher distance travelled on a single charge — in the medium-to-long term — it would definitely upset the Nexon’s applecart. 

Tata Motors to roll out ‘affordable’ EV next year

Tata Motors is paving the way to strengthen its grip in the electric vehicle (EV) space in India and is planning to bring in affordable EVs as early as next year or the first half of 2024, but how affordable would they be?

The cars Tata Motors is planning to roll out may not strictly be in the affordable category in India and could be priced just below the Nexon EV, that is, maybe around the Rs 10-lakh mark (Rs 10,000,00).

Ford jumps to second place after Tesla in US EV market with 307% sales surge in August

Ford has invested a lot of time and effort in transforming itself into an electric vehicle (EV) player and jumped to the second position in the US EV market in sales after Tesla with the iconic internal combustion engine (ICE) brand seeing figures skyrocket by 307 per cent in August 2022.

Ford started seeing success in the EV space after it converted some of its most sought-after ICE models into electric cars. The Mustang Mach-E was among the first brands to be converted into an EV in December 2020.

Will Maruti Suzuki’s leadership position in India’s car market be dented if its first EV rolls out in 2025?

Maruti Suzuki has been adopting a wait-and-watch strategy and does not want to dive into electric vehicles (EVs) right away and many experts feel that this may dent its leadership position in the car market, at least in the medium-to-long term.

In about five years, the car market in India may see over 30 per cent EVs and other green vehicles plying on the road and a majority of these EVs could be from the stables of Tata Motors and Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M).