Astro Motors, an emerging electric vehicle (EV) company, announced on Monday that its EV three-wheeler, Astro NAVYA, has set the record of reaching the world’s highest motorable road at Umling La Pass, located in Ladakh, at 19,024 feet. The EV company claims that Astro NAVYA is designed to cater to various geographical needs within India, from cold and steep mountain lands in Ladakh to the extreme heat of Delhi. The EV three-wheeler cargo vehicle is powered by a 10.2 kwh battery, with a payload capacity of 630 kg and a top speed of 50 kmph. Furthermore, according to Astro Motors, Astro NAVYA was driven by India’s first female BEST licensed driver, Pratiksha Das, backed by a team from Astro Motors. 

Sharing his views, Vitan Jagada, Founder, Astro Motors, said, “We are extremely thrilled about achieving this milestone, and are happy to present a product that has demonstrated its capability at the highest level. Even the high altitude of the Ladakh region, with thinner air and temperatures sub-zero at 1 pm, did not impact the performance of the vehicle. So this is very encouraging, as the drive was carried out with a full payload. We are the only company to have successfully mated a manual gearbox to an electric motor, and synchronised the same to maximise the performance and made it available for the public. We are on a mission to create trust in electric vehicles for people to transition from ICE vehicles, with complete peace of mind, and this is the first step in our journey.”

Further sharing his thoughts, Kunal Chandra, Co-founder, Astro Motors, said, “Our first offering falls under the cargo three-wheeler L5 segment, and has been engineered to overcome the challenges being faced by end-users and complete with ICE vehicles. Currently, electric vehicle sales comprise of 2 percent of all automobile sales, up from less than 1 percent last year. The government has set a target to increase this to 30 percent by 2030, opening up a $206 billion opportunity. As per the current data, the adoption of three-wheeler EVs has seen a YOY growth of 101.32 percent. And with the help of the government-backed FAME Policy, there is a lot of incentive for people to switch to electric, as the entire infrastructure required to support the migration to EVs is coming online PAN India. At Astro Motors, we are focused on catering to various segments of the market and also plan to expand our territorial reach globally.”

Adding to this, Hardik Dhanak, Co-founder of Astro Motors and the industrial designer who played a key role in designing Astro NAVYA, said, “We identified the challenges that were being faced by the fleet operators who were deploying electric three-wheelers and worked towards bridging the gap by out-of-the-box thinking, and engineered the product to meet the clients’ need and expectation. A cargo vehicle is constantly on the move in different conditions, like bad roads, uncertain weather etc. So, keeping all factors in mind, we achieved the final design and ran multiple tests for clients across the country. We tested Astro NAVYA on the toughest roads, under harshest weather conditions and roughest driving patterns. So the final frontier of conquering the highest motorable road in the world, without any difficulties or breakdowns, was a milestone achievement for us. Now, we are extremely confident about our upcoming designs for future product launches. We are working towards making these extreme drives possible for individual buyers as well, by providing unique solutions for their unique requirements.”

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American electric vehicle manufacturer Lucid Group has announced a revised model lineup for its Lucid Gravity SUV in Europe. The updated structure consists of four trim levels: Gravity Touring, Gravity Touring Plus, Gravity Grand Touring and Gravity Grand Touring Ultimate.

The EV maker has expanded standard equipment across all variants, which sees the DreamDrive 2 Premium driver assistance package included as standard, featuring High Beam Assist, Lane Departure Protection, Blind Spot Display and 3D Surround View Monitoring.

From the Touring Plus level upward, vehicles feature a 7-seat layout alongside additional cabin equipment including power rear side window sunshades, soft-close doors, a heated steering wheel, heated windscreen wipers and heated second-row seating.

Lawrence Hamilton, President of Europe, Lucid, said, “The updated Lucid Gravity lineup gives European customers a clearer way to choose the SUV that best fits their needs. With more technology, comfort and convenience features included as standard across the range, Gravity offers an even stronger combination of space, performance, efficiency and advanced technology.”

The entry-level Gravity Touring features an 89 kWh battery pack, delivering an output of 418 kW and a WLTP combined range of up to 545 kilometres. Pricing in Germany starts at EUR 94,900, with monthly leasing rates beginning at EUR 949 including VAT. The Gravity Touring Plus incorporates the seven-seat configuration and interior features, starting at EUR 99,900 in Germany or EUR 999 per month on lease.

The higher-specification Gravity Grand Touring utilises a 123 kWh battery, producing 617 kW to achieve a claimed zero-to-100 kmph acceleration time of 3.6 seconds and a WLTP range of up to 739 kilometres. This trim includes massage seating, 230V power package and faster charging capabilities. Prices in Germany start at EUR 119,900, with leasing from EUR 1,199 per month.

At the top of the range, the Gravity Grand Touring Ultimate incorporates the DreamDrive 2 Pro suite, air suspension, rear-wheel steering, a 22-speaker audio system, and leather upholstery, starting at EUR 147,500 or EUR 1,475 per month on lease. Orders for all four variants have opened, with customer deliveries across European markets scheduled to begin in autumn 2026.

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EV charging network ChargeZone and inter-city bus operator Fresh Bus have announced an expansion of their commercial partnership. As per the agreement, Fresh Bus will deploy 400 additional electric buses operating on ChargeZone's charging infrastructure.

The expansion increases the fleet supported by ChargeZone infrastructure from 100 to 500 buses. The operations will cover 20 cities and 17 towns across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over the next 15 months.

To support the fleet, ChargeZone will add 30 MW of charging capacity to its existing 10 MW dedicated infrastructure for Fresh Bus, bringing total capacity for the operator to 40 MW.

The installation forms part of ChargeZone’s target to add 200 MW of capacity across its network. The expanded operations are projected to supply 100 million units of energy annually and accommodate over 20,000 daily passenger trips.

Kartikey Hariyani, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ChargeZone, said, "India's EV transition will not be driven by personal vehicles alone. Commercial mobility, particularly intercity public transport, can play a critical role in taking electrification to scale because these vehicles operate frequently, travel longer distances and depend on predictable infrastructure. Our partnership with Fresh Bus has shown that when charging capacity, uptime and energy availability are built around the needs of fleet operations, operators can scale electric mobility with greater confidence. This expansion is about taking that proven model to more routes and demonstrating how charging infrastructure can enable intercity public transport to electrify at scale."

Sudhakar Reddy, Founder, Fresh Bus, said, “When we started Fresh Bus, the biggest question wasn't whether passengers would choose electric intercity travel, it was whether the charging infrastructure could keep pace with a growing fleet running every day, across every corridor. Our partnership with ChargeZone has answered that question. The reliability of their network is what has allowed us to move from proving the model to scaling it with confidence. Expanding to 500 buses and 40 MW of dedicated charging capacity is not just a fleet decision, it's a statement that electric intercity travel can be dependable, affordable, and ready for the passengers. This is what public electric mobility in India should look like: comfortable for the commuter, sustainable for the planet, and built to scale.”

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Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer VinFast recently outlined its driver-assistance technology roadmap, global supply chain strategy and financial targets during the Bloomberg Sustainable Business Summit.

Speaking at the event, Anne Pham, Head of International Capital Development at parent company Vingroup, detailed the automaker's phased approach to vehicle autonomy. VinFast's current vehicle lineup operates at Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), providing functions such as adaptive cruise control and lane-centering. The company plans to transition to Level 2+ and Level 2++ capabilities in upcoming vehicle generations, extending automated assistance features while maintaining driver supervision. Each phase of the software rollout will rely on real-world data validation prior to deployment.

Addressing international operations and supply chain management, Pham highlighted the company's regional manufacturing expansion outside Vietnam, including facilities built in India and Indonesia to serve as production and export bases.

“We have taken several steps to ensure that we are investing for the future,” said Pham.

Regarding trade dynamics and international market presence, Pham confirmed that the manufacturer's operational plans for North America remain active.

Pham said, “VinFast currently has sales in various parts of the world, including North America and the United States. Our U.S. sales plans remain on course.”

Commentary on global market conditions focused on energy sector fluctuations and regulatory policies as drivers for electric vehicle adoption rates.

Pham averred, “The transition to EVs has benefited not only from regulatory support around the world, but also from market volatility.”

On financial performance metrics and profitability targets, Pham indicated that the automaker expects its domestic operations to achieve profitability within three years.

Pham concluded, “We are on track to break even in Vietnam by 2027.”

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Youdha has unveiled the EPOD-Bharat, a limited-edition hand-painted version of its L5 electric passenger three-wheeler. The electric three-wheeler was displayed at the Bharat Vyapar Mahotsav at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

The exterior artwork draws inspiration from Warli art, featuring depictions of rural life, nature and community gatherings. The initiative combines traditional Indian art forms with commercial electric vehicle manufacturing.

The base EPOD vehicle is powered by a 6 kW motor generating 50 Nm of torque, paired with an 11.8 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery pack. The powertrain delivers a certified range of up to 227 kilometres per charge and includes City and Boost driving modes. The chassis provides a 300 mm water-wading depth for operation across varied road conditions.

Priced from INR 320,000, the passenger three-wheeler targets self-employed drivers and commercial fleet operators. Production takes place at Youdha’s assembly plant in Kashipur, Uttarakhand, which maintains an annual manufacturing capacity of 100,000 units.

Ayush Lohia, Chief Executive Officer, Youdha, said, “EPOD-Bharat is our tribute to the spirit of Bharat and to the women and artisans whose creativity and resilience continue to shape our country. We wanted to bring traditional Indian art onto a modern electric mobility platform, creating a vehicle that represents both our heritage and our aspirations for the future.”

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