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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French automotive major Renault Group has announced the unification of its electric vehicle charging activities and related services under the single brand name – Plug Inn. Replacing the previous operations managed under Mobilize Beyond Automotive, the new brand is intended to simplify the Group's charging ecosystem as electric mobility scales across Europe.

The consolidation brings three core divisions under the new banner:

• Plug Inn Fast Charge: An ultra-fast charging network featuring stations with power outputs up to 320 kW.
• Plug Inn Powerbox: A bidirectional charging solution integrated with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) services.
• Plug Inn Charge Pass: A payment solution providing access to charging infrastructure throughout Europe.

The name change commences with fast-charging stations in France this April, with other services transitioning by the end of the year.

The network currently allows compatible vehicles to recover 400 km of range in approximately 15 minutes. Renault Group has set a target to operate 93 stations by end-2026. These stations are primarily located at Renault dealerships near major road axes and are accessible to electric vehicles from all manufacturers.

Facilities at these sites include 24x7 maintenance, Plug & Charge compatibility and selected premium lounges equipped with Wi-Fi and workspaces. The Group reports a network reliability rate exceeding 99 percent.

Jerome Faton, VP Customer Experience & Energy, Renault Group, said, “Our priority is to simplify every step of the electric experience for our customers by offering them a reliable, clear and scalable charging ecosystem. With Plug Inn, we are setting a structuring milestone: an infrastructure designed to support, on a large scale, the ramp-up of zero-emission mobility in Europe. Beyond a change of name, Plug Inn embodies a strong industrial and technological ambition: to create a reference standard, harmonise the charging experience, and support the acceleration of electric vehicles by focusing on service quality, transparency and trust. This is how we will help make the transition to all-electric mobility a simple, seamless and accessible reality for everyone.”

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Trev Mobility, an electric vehicle (EV) mobility platform, has raised INR 36.5 million in an angel funding round from its existing user base. The company intends to utilise the capital to increase its vehicle fleet and scale operations across the Delhi-NCR region, including Gurgaon, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad.

Launched in January 2024, the platform operates a fleet of 100 EVs featuring models from BYD and MG Motor. The company provides services for airport transfers, rentals and outstation travel, reporting that 75 percent of bookings are processed through its mobile application.

It has completed over 45,000 trips, with a claimed 55-60 percent repeat user rate. Its all-electric vehicle fleet focusses on premium chauffeur services.

The start-up has also integrated AI-powered dashcams for in-ride security and driver accountability.

The funding follows a period of growth in India's electric mobility sector. Trev Mobility positions itself at the intersection of luxury and accessibility, focusing on vehicle maintenance and hospitality standards. The company's strategy involves expanding into urban use cases as national EV adoption increases.

Naveen Gupta, Founder, Trev Mobility, said, “Seeing our own customers invest in Trev is a powerful validation of the trust we’ve built and the experience we deliver every day. This funding allows us to double down on our core strengths – immaculately maintained vehicles, high standards of hospitality, and a reliable, premium ride experience. Our goal is to build a service that feels less like a cab and more like your own personal car. With 100 EVs now on the road, 4 cities covered, and 40,000 rides delivered, we are just getting started on our mission to make premium electric mobility accessible to every Indian commuter.”

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PeakAmp, a battery circularity and resource recovery firm, has entered into a partnership with Pacto Power to manage battery waste across its operations. The agreement focuses on the collection, logistics and recycling of units, alongside ensuring Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) compliance.

Under the terms of the partnership, PeakAmp serves as the exclusive partner for end-to-end battery waste movement. The collaboration aims to transition battery waste through authorised channels to improve material recovery and reduce leakage into informal networks.

The key areas of collaboration include establishing systems for the documented movement and disposal of battery waste for traceability. Second-life applications by developing uses for batteries beyond their initial vehicular or industrial lifespan. Research into new lithium-ion battery production.

The partnership reflects a shift in the sector towards integrating traceability into waste management systems as battery volumes increase.

Aditya Sudhanshu, Co-Founder & COO, PeakAmp, said, “As battery usage continues to grow, it becomes important to manage battery waste in a responsible and compliant way. Our partnership with Pacto Power helps us ensure smooth collection, recycling, and compliance management across the entire battery lifecycle. We look forward to building a more transparent and efficient battery waste ecosystem together.”

Manoj Kushwaha, Director, Pacto Power, added, “Partnering with PeakAmp marks an important step in strengthening our commitment to responsible and compliant battery lifecycle management. As we continue to scale our operations, ensuring proper handling of battery waste and meeting EPR obligations becomes critical. PeakAmp’s structured approach to collection, recycling, and compliance will help us build a more transparent, efficient, and sustainable system. We also see strong potential in collaborating on second-life applications and advancing lithium-ion battery innovation together.”

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Ultraviolette, the Bengaluru-based electric vehicle manufacturer, has announced a strategic alliance with Elektrorider, appointing the firm as its official importer and distributor for Hungary and the Danube region. The agreement covers six markets – Hungary, Croatia, Slovakia, Romania, Slovenia and the Czech Republic, expanding Ultraviolette’s European footprint to 19 countries.

Under the partnership, Ultraviolette will introduce its performance electric motorcycles, the F77 MACH 2 and F77 SuperStreet, to Central Europe. The expansion utilises Elektrorider’s existing retail infrastructure in electric motorcycles, scooters and e-bikes.

Narayan Subramaniam, CEO & Co-Founder, Ultraviolette, said, “We are excited to partner with Elektrorider to introduce the Ultraviolette brand in Hungary and Central Europe. This alliance marks a pivotal milestone in our global expansion as Ultraviolette moves beyond India into some of the world’s most discerning motorcycling markets. With a strong foothold already established across 12 European countries, Ultraviolette is poised to accelerate worldwide growth following successful launches in these demanding countries. To riders across Hungary and Central Europe, we seek to bring Aviation based design, unmatched capability and performance, along with future-forward technology that redefine the motorcycling experience with every Ultraviolette ride. Guided by this vision, we are confident that this partnership will establish a world-class Ultraviolette ecosystem, right from product experience to aftersales support. This is only the beginning, and we are excited and confident of the journey ahead.”

Attila Pavuk, COO, Elektrorider, added, “We are equally excited and proud to introduce Ultraviolette to Hungary and the Central European market and go ballistic with the brand’s both visually striking and technologically cutting-edge performance motorcycles. At Elektrorider we represent a lifestyle built around performance, freedom, adventure, and reliability. With deep roots in the CEE market, we combine data-driven insight with real riding experience; we don’t guess but listen and analyse. We understand this region because we live here, ride here, and build meaningful partnerships with brands that share the same high standards, such as Ultraviolette. To motorcycle enthusiasts throughout Hungary and Central Europe, this alliance merges India’s high-tech offer, bold design, exceptional capability, and forward-looking technology with European riding expectations that elevate the electric experience to the next level. With this vision at the core of our partnership, this marks the start of an exciting journey, and we couldn’t be more enthusiastic about what lies ahead.”

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