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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Bengaluru-based electric vehicle maker Ather Energy has reported its consolidated income of INR 12.6 billion for Q1 FY2027, which marks a 87.2 percent YoY increase.

In Q1, the company sold 83,173 electric two-wheelers, up 80.5 percent compared to same period last year. Non-vehicle operations, including software subscriptions, charging infrastructure, spare parts and service offerings, contributed 14 percent to operating revenue, up from 13 percent in Q1 FY26.

The earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) turned positive at INR 90 million, compared to an EBITDA loss of Rs 1.06 billion in the same period last year. EBITDA margin improved by 1,650 basis points to 0.8 percent. Consolidated net loss narrowed to INR 510 million from INR 1.78 billion in Q1 FY26.

The consolidated results also include performance data for newly incorporated subsidiary Ather Insurance, which recorded a net loss of INR 22 million for the quarter. Adjusted gross margin stood at INR 2.82 billion, up 82.3 percent YoY. Higher input costs were recorded across raw materials including copper, aluminium, lithium and crude-linked supplies, which the company managed through pricing adjustments, product mix changes, and engineering cost reductions.

Ather Energy stated that market demand metrics indicated customer enquiries rising 95 percent YoY to 707,000, while pre-orders increased 158 percent to 150,000 units. Industry registration data from Vahan showed total electric two-wheeler registrations rising 68 percent YoY to approximately 525,000 units during the period, with electric vehicle penetration reaching 10 percent in June 2026.

Tarun Mehta, Co-Founder & CEO, Ather Energy, said, "We continued to see strong demand across our portfolio, as structural tailwinds from both policy support and shifting customer sentiment translated into a massive upsurge for our products, with demand far outstripping supply. This gives us confidence that the market continues to expand. In the coming months, we are particularly excited about our new product on the EL platform, commencing production alongside the scale-up of our new factory at AURIC. Together, they position us well for the next phase of Ather's growth.”

Manufacturing expansion remains on schedule at Factory 3.0 at AURIC in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. Phase 1, offering an annual capacity of 500,000 units, is scheduled to start production in Q3 FY27. Upon completion of Phase 1 and Phase 2, Ather's total installed manufacturing capacity across its facilities will reach 1.42 million units annually.

The company also plans to reveal its first production model on the EL vehicle architecture on 29 August 2026 during Ather Community Day.

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VIDA, the electric mobility brand powered by Hero MotoCorp, has launched a new variant in its product range, the VIDA Evooter VX2 Go FB (3.1 kWh) at an introductory price of INR 113,000 (ex-showroom New Delhi).

The model introduces direct-plug charging architecture to the lineup, complementing the brand's existing removable-battery electric two-wheelers.

The e-scooter features a 3.1 kWh fixed battery pack paired with a 6 kW swing-arm electric motor, achieving a top speed of 70kmph and an Indian Driving Cycle certified range of 128 kilometres. Direct current fast-charging capability recharges the battery from zero to 80 percent in 65 minutes. Additional specifications include 27.2 litres of under-seat storage capacity and a 4.3-inch liquid-crystal display featuring turn-by-turn navigation and smartphone connectivity functions.

With the addition of the 3.1 kWh fixed-battery model, the broader VIDA VX2 portfolio spans five configurations: the entry VX2 Go 2.2 kWh with a 93 km certified range, the VX2 Go FB 3.1 kWh with 128 km, the VX2 Go 3.4 kWh with 146 km, the VX2 Plus 3.4 kWh with 146 km and the flagship VX2 Plus 4.4 kWh with a certified range of 187 km.

Commercial availability across authorised dealerships in India is scheduled to begin in early August 2026. The deployment will be supported by the brand's charging infrastructure, which comprises over 5,900 fast-charging points and more than 700 service centres nationwide, alongside a Battery-as-a-Service subscription model.

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American electric vehicle major Tesla has opened test drives for the 2026 Model Y Premium Rear-Wheel Drive across its experience centres in India, including locations in Mumbai, Delhi, Gurugram, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

Alongside the vehicle rollout, the manufacturer has introduced artificial intelligence (AI) software features for its domestic vehicle fleet, integrating xAI's Grok voice assistant into the cabin interface.

The 2026 Model Y Premium Rear-Wheel Drive provides 2,138-litres of storage space and seating for five passengers. The vehicle accelerates from zero to 100 kmph in 5.9 seconds and holds an operational range rating of up to 500 km under WLTP testing standards.

In India, the variant is priced at INR 5.08 million, requiring a down payment of INR 600,000 and monthly instalment options starting at INR 39,990. Tesla is offering a Wall Connector charging unit for orders placed prior to 30 August 2026.

The deployment of Grok forms part of Tesla's Summer 2026 over-the-air (OTA) software release. The assistant operates via voice activation or steering wheel controls and supports multiple Indian languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada. Software functionality includes multi-stop route planning, location queries for charging stations and amenities, vehicle status diagnostics and adaptive navigation based on driver usage patterns.

Globally, Tesla is expanding production of its 4680 battery cells to support assembly volumes for the Model Y platform. During the first half of 2026, the company increased its compute capacity at its Texas facilities to support autonomous software processing for vehicles and robotic systems.

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German technology supplier Bosch has initiated passenger trials of its hydrogen fuel-cell power module in Madrid, partnering with Spanish bus manufacturer Irizar and transport operator Alsa. The trial involves an Irizar bus operating along public transit routes in the capital.

Buses operation focuses on routes where operational distance requirements favour fuel-cell powertrains over battery-electric alternatives.

The test bus utilises the Bosch FCPM C190 system, a fuel-cell module featuring a horizontal double-stack design that provides 190 kilowatts of continuous power output. Onboard hydrogen storage enables driving ranges exceeding 1,000 kilometres between refuelling stops, with tank replenishment taking between 10 and 15 minutes. This performance capability allows the vehicle to operate in intercity service as well as urban transit.

Alongside the C190 module, Bosch manufactures the 100-kilowatt FCPM C100 for city transit buses and the FCPM C300 for heavy-duty coaches and commercial freight vehicles. The trial follows EU regulations mandating a 90 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from newly registered city transit buses by 2030 compared with 2019 levels. Equivalent reduction targets extend to all other bus categories starting in 2040.

According to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), over 38,000 new buses were registered across the European Union in 2025. Bosch continues to expand its technology portfolio across the hydrogen supply chain, including the production of its Hybrion proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis stack for hydrogen generation, as well as port and direct injection components for hydrogen internal combustion engines.

Thomas Pauer, Member of the Bosch Mobility sector board and president of Bosch Power Solutions, said, “The fuel cell is the perfect complement to battery-electric powertrains – even in bus operations. Fuel cells are especially well-suited for buses that travel longer distances every day and rarely have the opportunity to charge en route. With this trial, we can clearly demonstrate that Bosch’s fuel-cell technology is ready for the demands of large-scale deployment in passenger transport.”

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