BYD Sells More Vehicles Than Ford For The First Time

BYD of China has made big gains in sales in the third quarter of 2024 calendar year to overtake Ford Motor Company in vehicle sales for the first time. 
The electric vehicle company has witnessed extraordinary expansion this year as it increased its capacity and hired more manpower. Overtaking Tesla, the electric vehicle automaker made big gains on the back of robust sales in its domestic market by exceeding its annual sales target of four million vehicles. This would be more than the worldwide sale of Honda and Ford in 2024. 
Delivering 3.76 million vehicles in the first 11 months of 2024, according to industry sources, the electric vehicle manufacturer from China reported 506,804 units for November alone. 
Offering BEVs and plug-in hybrids, BYD has clearly achieved a considerable gain in market share in its home market while it pursues a steady growth in exports markets around the world including India. 
Interestingly, 90 percent of all that the company produces is sold in its home market, the export market share being 10 percent unlike some of the other automakers who have a better exports market share in comparison to the vehicles they sell in their home markets. 
According to the October 2024 data by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), BYD garnered a market share of 16.2 percent in its domestic market, up from 12.5 percent in 2023. The Volkswagen and SAIC joint venture along with the other joint venture with FAW Group joint venture garnered a market share of 12.5 percent jointly, in comparison. It registered a decline from last year’s market share of 14.2 percent. 
Given the sales BYD has achieved by the first 11 months of the 2024 calendar year, it is likely to end the year by inching closer to the numbers General Motors and Stellantis does. 
 

Image for representative purpose only.

Youdha Unveils Hand-Painted EPOD-Bharat Electric Three-Wheeler

Youdha EPOD-Bharat

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.”

E3 Electric.Ai Opens First Experience Centre In Bengaluru

E3 Electric.Ai

Electric mobility startup E3 Electric.Ai has opened its first retail and service outlet in Koramangala, Bengaluru. The 2,500 square foot facility integrates sales, servicing and spare parts management within a single location.

The flagship centre displays the company's E3 Trion electric scooter range, comprising the C1, C1x and C2 models. The facility features interactive stations for customers to test vehicle software functions, including diagnostic systems, predictive telemetry tools, and IoT connectivity features. The location also includes public charging infrastructure through Type 7 DC fast chargers installed in collaboration with Kazam EV Tech.

Sanjeev P, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, E3 Electric.Ai, said, “An electric scooter is only as good as the ownership experience behind it. That’s exactly what we’ve built in Koramangala, a place where a customer can experience all three Trion variants, run the AI HEALTHSCAN themselves, charge their vehicle, and get it serviced, all in one visit. We didn’t want a showroom that just sells the Trion. We wanted a space that lets people feel the intelligence and engineering behind it. Starting in Bengaluru, on India’s 80th Independence Day, felt right. This is home ground for us, and it’s where we want every future dealership to be measured against.”

The Koramangala facility serves as the initial unit under the company's build-and-transfer retail framework. E3 Electric.Ai plans to establish six partner dealerships across Bengaluru and extend operations to Mysuru. The company aims to expand its retail network to 100 dealerships across more than 90 markets in India within the current financial year.

Mahindra Unveils BE 6 Sporteq E-SUV Range With Prices Starting INR 1.14 Million For BaaS Model

Mahindra BE 6

Mumbai-headquartered automotive major Mahindra has expanded its electric vehicle offering with the new BE 6 Sporteq e-SUV range with updated tech and design at prices starting INR 1.14 million for the Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) ownership model, with an additional battery fee of INR 3.75 per kilometre.

The company simultaneously unveiled two specific variants within the lineup, the Launch Edition and the Formula E Freedom Edition. Deliveries for the vehicle range will begin on 26 August 2026.

Offered across eight variants, the SPORTEQ series features technical and design updates. Select variants include a three-screen coast-to-coast display system, while the Formula E Freedom Edition retains a two-screen layout with a central halo structure. The vehicles run on Mahindra’s AI architecture, named MAIA, which powers six technology packages covering voice interactions via Google Gemini, drive modes, safety monitoring and media integration. Software features introduced in the series will be extended to existing BE 6, XEV 9e, and XEV 9S owners via over-the-air updates beginning in January 2027.

Dr Velusamy R, President – Automotive Business, Mahindra & Mahindra and Managing Director, Mahindra Electric Automobile, said, “Electric mobility is entering a new phase. Customers no longer judge an EV simply by its range or acceleration. They expect it to become more intelligent, more personal and more capable throughout its lifetime. Sporteq reflects that shift. Powered by MAIA, it brings together AI, personalisation, performance and entertainment in ways that make every journey more intuitive. As the BE 6 is software-defined, it has the ability to keep evolving long after customers take delivery. The future belongs to vehicles that grow with their owners. Sporteq is designed to do exactly that, delivering an ownership experience that keeps expanding the boundaries of what customers expect from an electric SUV.”

Pratap Bose, Chief Design & Creative Officer – Auto & Farm Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra, said, “At Mahindra, design goes beyond styling. It encompasses not just how a product looks or feels but how customers experience it in all its aspects. This is especially true of a software-defined vehicle like the BE 6 Sporteq whose design ensures that every surface, every display and every interaction contribute to how the car makes you feel. With Sporteq, we wanted the cabin to deliver the same sense of theatre as the exterior. The new Racing Tan interior, the coast-to-coast three-screen display and every material choice have been brought together to create an environment that feels immersive, progressive and unmistakably BE 6. It is a space that celebrates technology without losing its emotional connection with the driver.”

Nalinikanth Gollagunta, Chief Executive Officer – Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra and Executive Director, Mahindra Electric Automobile, said, "The BE 6 has always stood for bold design, sporty character and the courage to do things differently. Sporteq builds on that foundation, combining performance-inspired experiences with intelligent technology to create the next chapter of the BE 6 story. It is about making advanced technology and everyday excitement accessible to more customers than ever before."

The top-spec Launch Edition features a Graphite Storm exterior finish and a tan leatherette interior. The performance-orientated Formula E Freedom Edition incorporates design elements from Mahindra’s Formula E racing division, offering an acceleration capability of zero to 100 kmph in 6.44 seconds alongside an acceleration boost function.

TVS Motor Co Launches iQube E-Scooter In Kenya

TVS iQube

Chennai-headquartered two-wheeler and three-wheeler major TVS Motor Company, part of the TVS VENU group, has launched the TVS iQube electric scooter in Kenya, marking the company's entry into the African electric vehicle market.

The e-scooter is equipped with an electric motor delivering a peak output of 4.6 kW, achieving acceleration from zero to 40 kmph in 4.2 seconds.

Peyman Kargar, President – International Business, TVS Motor Company, said, "The TVS iQube in Kenya marks our entry into the African EV market and reflects our continued focus on expanding innovative electric solutions across international markets. It’s a key milestone in our growth journey.”

The entry into East Africa comes as two-wheeler adoption expands across the continent. According to company figures, global sales of the TVS iQube series have exceeded one million units.

Vijay Gidoomal, Chief Executive Officer of distribution partner Car & General, added, “While the overall African two-wheeler market is growing at 7-10 percent CAGR through 2030, the electric two-wheeler market is growing much faster, with forecasts ranging from 15-25 percent CAGR through 2030-31. EV penetration’s still low relative to the size of the industry and the runway promises to be extremely long.”