BYD Slashes Vehicle Prices; Launches Revolutionary EV Charging System

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. 
 

Amazon India To Induct 1,000 Eicher E-Trucks Into Quick Commerce Fleet

Eicher Pro X

Amazon India has announced a partnership with Eicher Trucks and Buses, a division of VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), to deploy around 1,000 electric trucks to support its Amazon Now ultra-fast delivery service. The deployment is scheduled to be completed by 2028.

The logistics strategy utilises the Eicher Pro-X, a compact electric truck developed by VECV specifically for high-frequency, intra-city freight movement. These vehicles will transport goods from large fulfilment hubs located on urban peripheries to a network of smaller micro-fulfilment centres (MFCs) situated within residential and commercial zones.

The Eicher Pro-X fleet will ply around 100km to 180km per vehicle, supporting multiple turnaround trips. The e-trucks are fast-charge capable to be fully charged in approximately 50 minutes. The initial rollouts are concentrated in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru and Mumbai.

The green fleet expansion aligns with the growth of Amazon Now, which is expanding to 100 cities via a network of more than 1,000 MFCs. This infrastructure expansion covers regional hubs including Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kochi, Mangalore and Vizag.

Abhinav Singh, VP Operations, Amazon India and Australia, said, “We have always focused on making our operations more sustainable and have steadily expanded our electric mobility efforts, with over 12,000 EVs already deployed across India. We work closely with multiple OEM partners to build solutions suited to our needs, and are integrating electric transportation more deeply as we grow. The planned deployment of around 1,000 purpose-built Volvo Eicher electric trucks is yet another step in that direction.”

SS Gill, Chief Commercial Officer, VECV, added, “The deployment of Eicher Pro X electric trucks marks a significant step forward in our commitment to sustainable mobility. What makes this even more meaningful is that the electric small truck from Eicher has been co-created in close collaboration with Amazon, with a sharp focus on addressing their specific operational needs for e-commerce and quick commerce operations. This partnership-led approach ensures that we are not only delivering electric vehicles, but also enabling efficient, reliable, and scalable logistics solutions.”

Amazon and VECV have collaborated on e-commerce transport solutions since 2022. This agreement follows an initial deployment of 50 Eicher trucks, alongside an earlier 2025 pilot involving 100 electric vehicles from multiple automotive manufacturers. Globally, Amazon India has deployed over 12,500 electric vehicles across more than 500 cities to manage middle-mile and last-mile logistics.

Oben Electric’s Rorr Evo Gets 25,000 Bookings

Oben Rorr Evo

Bengaluru-based electric vehicle start-up Oben Electric has announced that its new e-motorcycle – the Oben Rorr Evo – has received more than 25,000 bookings within 15 days of its launch.

The Oben Rorr Evo was launched on 30th April at an introductory price of INR 99,999 (ex-showroom) for the first 10,000 units, which would later be hiked to INR 124,999 (ex-showroom). The deliveries for the e-motorcycle are scheduled to begin in June 2026.

The e-motorcycle features a proprietary IPMSM motor delivering a claimed peak power output of 9 kW and 250 Nm of wheel torque. The motor is IP68-rated and does not use heavy rare-earth elements. It uses a 3.4 kWh Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery providing a claimed Indian Driving Cycle (IDC) range of 180 km. The battery comes with an eight-year warranty. A zero to 40 kmph is said to happen in 3 seconds with a top speed of 110 kmph.

The Oben Rorr Evo is fast charge capable, which allows it to go from zero to 80 percent in a claimed 90 minutes.

At present, Oben Electric operates a retail network of 150 showrooms and service centres across 100 cities in 18 states, with plans to add 200 showrooms by the end of FY2027.

The Rorr Evo is manufactured utilising vertical integration at the company's facility, which has an annual capacity of 100,000 motorcycles. Oben Electric designs and produces core components in-house, including the motors, vehicle control units (VCU), chargers, and software systems.

Madhumita Agrawal, Founder & CEO, Oben Electric, said, “With India actively accelerating its transition towards electric mobility, the response to the Rorr Evo shows that the shift is now extending meaningfully into the electric motorcycle category as well. Crossing 25,000 bookings in just 15 days is not merely a strong product milestone for us, but a larger consumer signal that Indian riders are now ready to adopt electric motorcycles that deliver uncompromised performance, everyday practicality and ownership confidence. We believe the electric motorcycle segment is at the forefront of India’s next EV growth wave, and with our vertically integrated manufacturing capabilities and 150+ showrooms across 18+ States, we are fully geared to deliver this demand at scale.”

The motorcycle is equipped with a five-inch colour TFT display and utilises the ARGUS connected technology platform, which supports over-the-air (OTA) updates, navigation, geo-fencing and fall detection with emergency SOS. The vehicle also features SmartIQ, an AI-powered software system designed to manage energy consumption and increase the riding range.

Tesla India Opens 4th Experience Centre In Bengaluru

Tesla

American EV major Tesla has opened its fourth experience centre in India, located in the Whitefield IT hub of Bengaluru. The new facility will showcase the Model Y and the recently introduced Model Y L, a 3-row, 6-seater SUV with prices starting at INR 6.19 million for the latter EV.

The company has also established an aftersales service network in Whitefield to support vehicle owners in the region. The Model Y L is marketed as a family vehicle, featuring a maximum claimed range of 681 km (WLTP) and an acceleration time of zero to 100 kmph in 5.0 seconds. It provides up to 2,539 litres of cargo space and includes a three-row seating configuration intended to maximise interior room.

Both the Model Y and Model Y L have received 5-star safety ratings from organisations including ANCAP, NHTSA, Euro NCAP, and IIHS. The vehicles utilise Tesla’s Supercharging network, which allows the Model Y L to recover 288 km of range in 15 minutes. Tesla is also providing home charging support for customers in India to facilitate daily vehicle use.

The opening of the Whitefield centre follows Tesla's global performance trends, with the Model Y maintaining its position as a high-volume seller between 2023 and 2025.

Kia Carens Clavis

Kia India, one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has announced the launch of its Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) finance program for its first ‘Made-in-India’ electric vehicle – the Carens Clavis EV.

Through a dual-loan structure supported by major financiers – including ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finance and Kotak Mahindra Prime – customers can now finance the vehicle chassis and the battery through separate accounts.

The BaaS model reduces the upfront ‘sticker price’ of the Carens Clavis EV by over INR 500,000, replacing the battery cost with a usage-based rental fee.

Model Variant

Full Ex-Showroom Price

Chassis Price (with BaaS)

Down Payment Starts

Monthly EMI (Chassis)

Battery Rental Fee

Standard (42 kWh)

INR 1.79 million

INR 1.28 million

INR 51,520

INR 26,650

INR 3.3 per km

Extended (51.4 kWh)

INR 2.19 million

INR 1.59 million

INR 60,452

INR 33,099

INR 3.3 per km

The vehicle body can be financed for up to 60 months, while the battery component offers an extended tenure of up to 96 months.

Sunhack Park, Chief Sales Officer, Kia India, said, “Sustainability is not limited to introducing electric vehicles, but about creating a complete ecosystem. The BaaS model enables customers to experience advanced EV technology with reduced upfront acquisition costs and greater financial flexibility.”

The Carens Clavis EV, launched in 2025, recently received its MY26 update with refreshed bumpers and new alloy wheels. The Standard range offers a claimed 404 km (MIDC), while the Extended range provides a claimed 490 km on a single charge.

The EV comes with a dual-pane panoramic sunroof, Level 2 ADAS with 20 safety features, a 26.62 cm dual panoramic display and 5-star Bharat NCAP safety rating. Kia Carens Clavis EV customers also get access to the K-Charge platform via the MyKia app, connecting them to over 15,000 charging points across India.