Pune-headquartered electric vehicle company EKA Mobility in consortium with Chartered Speed, has bagged the Letter of Award (LOA) for deploying 9-metre and 12-metre electric buses across Rajasthan under the PM e-Bus Sewa Scheme.

The LoA for a total of 675 e-buses (565 units of 9-metre e-buses and 110 units of 12-metre e-buses) follows Convergence Energy Services (CESL)’s issuance of Letter of Confirmation of Quantity (LOCQ) for electric buses across India.

As per the order, EKA Mobility will deploy its e-buses across eight major cities of Rajasthan – Jaipur, Kota, Udaipur, Ajmer, Alwar, Bikaner, Bhilwara and Jodhpur.

Rohit Srivastava, Business Head & Chief Growth Officer, EKA Mobility, said, “This win reinforces our belief that electric mobility is not just the future – it’s the present. Rajasthan’s bold move toward electrification aligns perfectly with our vision of transforming the way millions commute daily and accelerating India’s transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future”

Sanyam Gandhi, Whole-Time Director, Chartered Speed, said, "This reflects our commitment to a greener, more efficient transport network. Through the Pradhan Mantri e-Bus Sewa Scheme, we’re transitioning to an electric fleet that will transform urban mobility. Our goal is to lead the shift to a low-carbon future and offer commuters cleaner, smarter travel options shaping a more connected and sustainable India."

This order is in addition, to EKA Mobility’s recent two major contract wins valued at INR 1.5 billion from Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) and INR 4 billion order from the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). 

The Maharashtra government has given rolled out the Electric Vehicle Policy 2025 for a period of five years (till 2030) with an estimated outlay of INR 19.93 billion.

The forward-looking policy aims to not only incentivise purchase of electric vehicles, but also aims to boost adoption and real-world usage.

As per the policy, certain EVs plying on highways will be given a toll waiver, EV charging infrastructure strengthened with an ambition have charging facilities every 25km on the national highways.

Electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, private four-wheelers, state transport corporation buses, private buses and transport undertaking under civic bodies will get concession of 10 percent on purchase of an EV on the original cost. For goods carrying three-wheelers, four-wheelers and electric tractors will be eligible to a concession of 15 percent.

The government has also waived off registration fee on EVs. Lastly, electric four-wheelers and buses will also get toll exemption on Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Atal Setu, Samruddhi Mahamarg, along with 50 percent concession on state and other national highways.

Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, said, "The state government has approved a new Electric Vehicle (EV) policy, under which passenger EVs will be given subsidies. EV manufacturing and their use should increase in the state."

Ashok Leyland’s electric vehicle brand Switch Mobility has flagged off 100 customised Switch IeV3 SCVs for waste management for the Indore Municipal Corporation. The company stated that the EVs will further reduce carbon emissions, lower noise pollution and improve operational efficiency, which will further strengthen Indore’s reputation as India’s cleanest city.

The vehicles handover ceremony saw participation by Kailash Vijayvargiya, Minister of Urban Development and Housing and Pushyamitra Bhargav, Mayor of Indore.

Mahesh Babu, CEO, Switch Mobility, said, "We are proud to partner with Indore in its inspiring journey towards a cleaner, greener future. Indore has consistently set an example for the entire nation by being ranked India’s cleanest city, and we are honoured to contribute to maintaining and elevating that standard. Through our Switch IeV3 vehicles and our proprietary Switch iON connected mobility platform, we aim to deliver intelligent, sustainable solutions that help cities thrive in a cleaner environment."

Exicom, a leading electric vehicle charging and critical power solutions company, has launch its new ultra-scaling EV charging platform – TRI-FLEX.

The platform introduced through its US-based brand Tritium features distributed architecture, which allows to seamlessly scale from 4 to 64 charging points. This allows EV charge point operators to easily expand capacity, grow revenues without major changes to existing infrastructure.

It was in October 2024, Exicom acquired Tritium, a leading provider of DC fast charging solution. Exicom and Tritium have partnered to introduce advanced EV charging technology to India, with Tritium expanding its presence across more than 45 countries. The collaboration features the TRI-FLEX platform, which includes a power conversion system capable of scaling from 400 kW to 1.6 MW of AC power and up to 3.2 MW of DC power.

A single TRI-FLEX Hub can support up to 32 dispensers or 64 charge points, allowing configurations of 100 kW, 200 kW and 400 kW chargers in one system. The platform includes a 25-kW real-time load-balancing system, supports battery storage and renewable energy integration, and is built with an IP65-rated enclosure and liquid cooling to operate in temperatures from -35deg C to +55deg C. It is designed to scale with demand while reducing total cost of ownership by increasing charging density and avoiding utility infrastructure upgrades.

Anant Nahata, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Exicom, said, “Global breakthroughs like TRI-FLEX provide a blueprint for world class and future-ready EV charging infrastructure. I am confident that this product will lend unprecedented scale and speed to EV charging in Tritium’s focus markets of US, Europe and Australia.  At the same time, this synergy with Tritium will enable us to create charging solutions that are tailored to India but built with the world’s best ideas”.

Arcady Sosinov, Chief Executive Officer, Tritium, said, “The launch of TRI-FLEX marks a significant paradigm shift in EV charging infrastructure. The TRI-FLEX platform is a fundamental reimagining of distributed charging architecture, designed to meet the speed of EV demand in the market.”

Mumbai-headquartered carbon black company Epsilon has announced a new collaboration with Tufts University to launch a research institute at the School of Engineering at Tufts focused on materials science and engineering with a USD 11.5 million sponsorship.

The Tufts Epsilon Materials Institute will focus on advanced innovations in battery materials and promote collaboration between academia and industry. It will bring together different departments, multi-disciplinary centres and institutes within Tufts, including Tufts Institute for AI (TIAI), as well as industry partners, to solve real-world problems. The research will help in developing the next generation of advanced battery solutions for the global market. The collaboration aims to bolster India’s EV30@30 initiative, which aims to make EVs account for 30 percent of new vehicle sales by 2030. 

Vikram Handa, Managing Director, Epsilon, said "The establishment of the Tufts Epsilon Materials Institute is a proud moment for me as a Tufts alumnus which is a significant step towards our mission to drive sustainable innovation. This collaboration strengthens our commitment to R&D in high-performance battery materials, supporting the growing demand for sustainable energy solutions in the U.S. Our investment in building a 60,000 tonnes graphite anode facility in North Carolina will help build a robust supply chain for energy transition by innovating in advanced materials and enhancing material circularity. We believe this institute will foster the collaboration needed between academia and industry to address the global energy challenges we face today.”

Sunil Kumar, President, Tufts University, said, “Creating impactful solutions for today’s energy challenges requires a purposeful, collective vision and dedicated researchers to realise that vision. This new institute will help us achieve those goals and chart a course for future growth and impact. Together we will translate academic research into immediate, tangible, commercial applications that will power new directions in the energy industry.”