With Tesla facing some difficulty due to the geopolitical situation concerned US and its owner, Elon Musk as the man close to US President Donald Trump, it is China’s BYD that has announced lowering of prices of its electric performance passenger vehicles. According to a report in Yahoo News, buyers of BYD electric vehicles will have to spend no more than US$ 10,000 to acquire one for themselves. Not only undercutting domestic competitors BYD seems to be gearing up to undercut its global competitors like Tesla as well. 
Besides announcing that its EVs will start at US$13,688 and feature ‘God’s Eye’ advanced driver assistance system as standard, BYD has also announced a revolutionary charging technology that works nearly as fast as a fill up. The ultra-fast EV charging system includes flash-chargers that can provide a full charge for its latest EVs within five to eight minutes. The time taken is similar to the amount of time needed to fill a fuel tank of an ICE vehicle.
Planning to build more than 4,000 new charging stations across China, the electric vehicle maker has been refining its battery and energy storage technology over time. Expanding its auto empire outside China, the company is known to claim that its one-megawatt flash chargers will provide power for up to 400 km in five minutes.
BYD founder Wang Chuanfu is known to have said in a recent statement that ultra-high voltage and a large current are required to maximise charging speeds. To completely solve users' anxiety over charging, our pursuit is to make the charging time for EVs as short as the refueling time for fuel vehicles, he elaborated. 
Its flash-charging system relies on silicon carbide power chips with voltage levels of up to 1,500-volt. Developed in house, the system works to ultra-fast charge the Blade lithium-ion phosphate batteries found in BYD vehicles. The Blade battery technology of the Chinese company is considered to the world's safest and most efficient. Even Tesla is said to have taken to use blade batteries in some of its EVs, acknowledging its benefits over other battery technologies, sources in the EV industry claim. 
BYD reported a sale of over 4.3 million new energy vehicles last year, up 41 percent when compared to the sale of 1.8 million battery electric vehicles and 2.5 million plug-in hybrids in the corresponding period the year prior. 
In India, BYD unveiled the Sealion range of performance electric cars in January 2025 at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025. It has been steadily expanding its reach in the country’s growing EV market, which is dominated in the passenger vehicle space by players like Tata Motors, JSW MG Motors and Hyundai Motor India among a few others. 
 

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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.

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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.”

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Lucid Group, Inc. has introduced the Lucid Gravity GT-S, a performance variant of its electric SUV model. The vehicle features an electric powertrain delivering 1,070 horsepower and a claimed acceleration from zero to 60 mph (96 kmph) in 3.1 seconds.

The e-SUV features a three-row seating setup for seven adults alongside cargo storage space. Standard equipment includes independent rear-wheel steering and an adaptive three-chamber air suspension designed to alter vehicle height at higher speeds. It will be presented at the Pebble Beach Concours Village during Monterey Car Week.

Derek Jenkins, Chief Creative Officer, Lucid, said, "With Lucid Gravity GT-S, we've created a more expressive and exhilarating interpretation of the Gravity SUV. It combines extraordinary performance with the comfort, space, and versatility that define Gravity, delivering an exceptional experience for our customers that is uniquely Lucid."

The exterior of the model features blue accents and painted brake calipers. On the inside, it features blue stitching, piping and seatbelts across the seating rows, alongside embossed logos on the front headrests.

The Lucid Gravity GT-S is priced from USD 125,900, excluding taxes, registration fees, optional equipment and an USD 1,850 destination charge.

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Mumbai-headquartered Meta Materials Circular Markets (MMCM), a circular economy solutions platform, has appointed Prasad S Shetty as its new Chief Financial Officer. The appointment comes as the company expands its operations across carbon credits, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks and digital Measurement, Reporting & Verification (MRV) systems.

Shetty is a Chartered Accountant with over 13 years of experience in finance, strategy, taxation and governance. Prior to joining MMCM, he served as Associate Director – Finance at Freight Tiger, a logistics technology company backed by Tata Motors. His previous career history includes roles at BARC India, where he managed taxation, reporting and audits, and Allcargo Logistics, where he oversaw group-wide GST implementation. In his new role, Shetty will oversee the finance function, driving financial direction and governance structures.

Nitin Chitkara, CEO, Meta Materials Circular Markets, said, “As India's circular economy and carbon markets ecosystem enters a more active and consequential phase, it is critical that we build a leadership team equipped to match that momentum. Prasad brings deep financial and governance expertise across high-growth, complex businesses, and his experience will be invaluable as we scale our operations, strengthen our financial discipline and continue building credible, high-integrity market infrastructure. This appointment is an important step in future-proofing our leadership as we prepare for our next phase of growth.”

Prasad S Shetty added, “I am excited to join MMCM at a pivotal time for India's circular economy and carbon markets. The opportunity to build robust financial foundations for a company that sits at the intersection of sustainability and innovation is one I am truly looking forward to. I look forward to working closely with the leadership team to drive financial discipline, strengthen governance and partner across the business to support MMCM's long-term growth and value creation.”

At present, Meta Materials Circular Markets provides data platform services for the automotive sector, integrating carbon credits, EPR frameworks and digital MRV systems to support sustainable material recovery.

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