The Tamil Nadu Technology Development & Promotion Centre of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organised the EV Summit 2022 with the theme “Indigenization of EV Supply Chain in India”.
Hans Raj Verma, IAS, Chairman & Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Industrial Investment Corporation Ltd, Government of Tamil Nadu, said, “The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has a vision to make Tamil Nadu a $1 trillion economy by 2030 and this can be made possible with the much-needed EV push. Tamil Nadu is a very vibrant economy and Chennai is the EV Capital of India apart from being called the Detroit of Asia. The government welcomes EV companies to set shop and we are willing to assist them in every possible way.”
Tamil Nadu has two auto and electronic industrial clusters complimenting and supporting each other, a press release said. One of the clusters – the Sriperumbudur cluster has majors such as
Hyundai and Foxconn while the second being the emerging Hosur-Krishnagiri-Dharmapuri cluster with players like Ola, Ather, and more establishing their presence.
Rajesh Kumar Pathak IP & TAFS, Secretary, Technology Development Board, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, said, “The Technology Development Board is looking to fund and support disruptive technology including the EV Space. We welcome startups including startups in the EV domain to share their proposals as the INR 1000 crore Private-Public Partnership model for funding startups which would be launched shortly.”
He further said that the EV Summit was organised in the backdrop of the Government of India push to enhance national energy security, mitigate adverse environmental impacts from road transport vehicles and boost domestic manufacturing capabilities for electric vehicles.
Additionally, with the Phase-II of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme to stimulate the market of EVs in the country, de-licensed the charging infrastructure business and specified guidelines and standards for charging infrastructure for electric vehicle thereby opening up the market of public charging infrastructure & ensuring a roadmap for development of charging infrastructure, and introduced various financial incentives to reduce upfront cost of EVs and charging infrastructure.
Mahesh Babu, Chairman - EV Summit and Director & Chief Executive Officer, Switch Mobility, said, “The Indian EV Industry has seen a fundamental transformation in the past decade and it is very critical for India to further transform in the coming decades. The current outlook for EVs is optimistic as the sector has seen the evolution of several trends that that are defining the growth of EVs.
EV adoption can be seen across different vehicle segments as well as different business segments. The electrification of vehicles has started gaining momentum and has opened new mobility avenues for India to tap into. India is all set to position itself as one of the leading marketplaces for Electric Vehicles (EVS)”.
Dr V Sumantran, Board of Director, Switch Mobility, said, “India is a very different market when compared to other countries. It has been repeatedly seen in many domains and will be seen in the EV space too. The potential for EV in the two-wheeler market should be tapped further as Indians use more of two wheelers compared to other vehicles. To build a stronger ecosystem, companies should talk to each other, resulting in an exchange of ideas. A consortia should be formed to help the domain grow at a faster pace.”
The Indian automobile industry is the fifth largest in the world and is expected to become the third largest by 2030. As per India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA), the Indian EV industry is expected to expand at a CAGR of 36 per cent while NITI Aayog aims to achieve EV sales penetration of 70 per cent for all commercial cars, 30 per cent for private cars, 40 per cent for buses and 80 per cent for two and three-wheelers by 2030.
Prideep Kumar, Assistant Vice President, Caresoft Global, said, “The key influencers for the Indian EV market to grow is the Range, Technology, Design Disruptions and Profit.”
P Ravichandran, Former Chairman, CII Tamil Nadu & President, Danfoss Industries, said, “Tamil Nadu should find its own space in the EV space even as the TN Government is keen to strengthen the EV industry while launching major schemes to promote indigenization of supply chain.” (MT)
ChargeZone And Fresh Bus Partner To Deploy 400 Electric Buses
- By MT Bureau
- August 18, 2026
EV charging network ChargeZone and inter-city bus operator Fresh Bus have announced an expansion of their commercial partnership. As per the agreement, Fresh Bus will deploy 400 additional electric buses operating on ChargeZone's charging infrastructure.
The expansion increases the fleet supported by ChargeZone infrastructure from 100 to 500 buses. The operations will cover 20 cities and 17 towns across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over the next 15 months.
To support the fleet, ChargeZone will add 30 MW of charging capacity to its existing 10 MW dedicated infrastructure for Fresh Bus, bringing total capacity for the operator to 40 MW.
The installation forms part of ChargeZone’s target to add 200 MW of capacity across its network. The expanded operations are projected to supply 100 million units of energy annually and accommodate over 20,000 daily passenger trips.
Kartikey Hariyani, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ChargeZone, said, "India's EV transition will not be driven by personal vehicles alone. Commercial mobility, particularly intercity public transport, can play a critical role in taking electrification to scale because these vehicles operate frequently, travel longer distances and depend on predictable infrastructure. Our partnership with Fresh Bus has shown that when charging capacity, uptime and energy availability are built around the needs of fleet operations, operators can scale electric mobility with greater confidence. This expansion is about taking that proven model to more routes and demonstrating how charging infrastructure can enable intercity public transport to electrify at scale."
Sudhakar Reddy, Founder, Fresh Bus, said, “When we started Fresh Bus, the biggest question wasn't whether passengers would choose electric intercity travel, it was whether the charging infrastructure could keep pace with a growing fleet running every day, across every corridor. Our partnership with ChargeZone has answered that question. The reliability of their network is what has allowed us to move from proving the model to scaling it with confidence. Expanding to 500 buses and 40 MW of dedicated charging capacity is not just a fleet decision, it's a statement that electric intercity travel can be dependable, affordable, and ready for the passengers. This is what public electric mobility in India should look like: comfortable for the commuter, sustainable for the planet, and built to scale.”
VinFast Details Autonomous Strategy And Global Expansion Plans
- By MT Bureau
- August 18, 2026
Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer VinFast recently outlined its driver-assistance technology roadmap, global supply chain strategy and financial targets during the Bloomberg Sustainable Business Summit.
Speaking at the event, Anne Pham, Head of International Capital Development at parent company Vingroup, detailed the automaker's phased approach to vehicle autonomy. VinFast's current vehicle lineup operates at Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), providing functions such as adaptive cruise control and lane-centering. The company plans to transition to Level 2+ and Level 2++ capabilities in upcoming vehicle generations, extending automated assistance features while maintaining driver supervision. Each phase of the software rollout will rely on real-world data validation prior to deployment.
Addressing international operations and supply chain management, Pham highlighted the company's regional manufacturing expansion outside Vietnam, including facilities built in India and Indonesia to serve as production and export bases.
“We have taken several steps to ensure that we are investing for the future,” said Pham.
Regarding trade dynamics and international market presence, Pham confirmed that the manufacturer's operational plans for North America remain active.
Pham said, “VinFast currently has sales in various parts of the world, including North America and the United States. Our U.S. sales plans remain on course.”
Commentary on global market conditions focused on energy sector fluctuations and regulatory policies as drivers for electric vehicle adoption rates.
Pham averred, “The transition to EVs has benefited not only from regulatory support around the world, but also from market volatility.”
On financial performance metrics and profitability targets, Pham indicated that the automaker expects its domestic operations to achieve profitability within three years.
Pham concluded, “We are on track to break even in Vietnam by 2027.”
Youdha Unveils Hand-Painted EPOD-Bharat Electric Three-Wheeler
- By MT Bureau
- August 17, 2026
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
- By MT Bureau
- August 17, 2026
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.
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