As India pursues a goal to drastically reduce greenhouse gases through efforts like a shift to zero carbon emission vehicles that also lead to the elimination of dependence on imported fuels, even imported battery cells, the first impact report of Taiwan-based Gogoro is out. It outlines some very interesting and important factors on battery electric two-wheelers and battery swapping technology, stopping short of how green electricity could be harness over a grey source to ensure a greener well to wheel journey. 

Highlighting Gogoro's progress in sustainability and ESG, the first impact report categorically outlines how its swapping and smart scooters have been successful in enabling a transformation to sustainable urban transportation. The company's Founder and CEO Horace Luke mentions that ten years ago few were contemplating the urban energy and transportation transformation necessary to address in the wake of the plight cities were facing because of air pollution and other negative effects of climate change. Our first impact report highlights this and the progress we have made in our ESG initiatives, in-turn outlining our future intentions, he adds. 

Drawing attention how the report summarises his company’s commitments and progress in four key strategic areas of cleaner planet, safety and resilience, responsible business and social impact, Luke avers that these four areas are key to our success in achieving smarter, cleaner and safer cities. 
With nearly two million customers and 400 million battery swaps to date, Gogoro has established an open 360-degree ecosystem, which is AI-powered and cloud-connected to deliver the most accessible urban energy solution. The system is constantly learning, adjusting and optimising smart batteries and swapping stations to enable a variety of smart city solutions. 

Stating how the battery swap technology and smart scooters have made a positive impact with the help of key statistical data in terms of fossil fuel consumption reduction, CO2 emissions reduction, particulate emission reduction and employment generation, the first impact report also highlights how cities in Asia and Africa, where two-wheelers are used for daily commutes, are benefitting.  With the battery swapping system paid particular attention to because it allows users to refuel their electric scooters quickly and easily, the first impact report states that the system or technology creates the potential to integrate renewable power into electricity grids through virtual power plants and demand response programmes. 

In 2022, Gogoro began purchasing renewable energy in Taiwan to further reduce the amount of scope 2 emissions caused by its manufacturing, retail operations and battery swapping service, according to the first impact report. With a long-term goal of achieving 100 percent renewable energy, in 2022, it achieved 40 percent renewable energy in its factory operations and at two retail stores.

Gogoro And Hero Group
Hero MotoCorp, which began deliveries of its first Vida V1 electric scooter in select cities in India starting with Bengaluru, announced in 2021 that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Gogoro to establish a battery swapping JV that will bring the Taiwanese company's industry leading battery swapping platform to the Indian market. The Indian two-wheeler major also announced that the two companies will collaborate to build electric two-wheelers in India that are branded as Hero and powered by Gogoro network. 

Drawing attention to Gogoro's hyper-efficient battery swapping network receiving the 2020 Frost & Sullivan Company of the Year award for the Global Swappable Battery Electric Scooter Market, sources aware of the development mentioned that Hero MotoCorp would benefit from Gogoro's knowledge and experience to drive a beneficial arrangement in the electric two-wheeler market that is also being encouraged by the government. Citing that there are hurdles like an electric two-wheeler attracting 5 percent GST and a battery attracting 18 percent GST, they added that these are being followed up on and would soon hopefully be sorted. 

Encouraging battery swap with a favourable policy structure
While Gogoro may be keen to carve out a good pie of the Indian market with its intelligent battery swapping technology, India's homegrown company, Sun Mobility, may not be any less in its ability to deliver on the same front. At Auto Expo 2023, it showcased an AI enabled smart battery swapping system and smart battery packs in line with the government's encouragement to develop an efficient EV ecosystem and bring about a shift to lower the CO2 emissions that Indian cities seem to battle with. Cities like Mumbai, which have until now not figured among the top polluted cities in the world, seem to be getting there with high particulate, NOx and CO2 emissions. 

While the high amount of construction activity and a change in wind currents may be the contributing factor, the fact that the number of two-wheelers in the megacity have risen in the last one or two decades is an indication that a transition to EVs will contribute to lowering of emission levels to an extent. An ability to generate electricity needed to fuel these many numbers of electric two-wheelers would also need to come from a greener source rather than from lignite burning thermal plants that would mean a mere shift of pollution from cities to rural areas where most thermal plants are. 
 

Gogoro partnership with Maharashtra Government

The Indian State of Maharashtra announced a strategic energy partnership with Gogoro Inc. and Belrise Industries (erstwhile known as Badve Engineering Ltd) to establish an unprecedented battery-swapping infrastructure in January 2023. The two companies in association to the respective state government plan to build a smart energy infrastructure that is open and accessible and establishes battery swapping and smart battery stations as a leading source for mobility and energy storage. The deployment is also expected to accelerate job growth throughout the smart energy, electric vehicle and sustainability value chain. It is expected to foster smart electric vehicle manufacturing and assembly too.  

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Eicher Trucks and Buses, part of VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV), has completed a journey from Kashmir to Kanyakumari using its Eicher Pro X EV.

The record verified by the India Book of Records (IBR), saw the electric vehicle cover over 4,000 kilometres in 6 days under loaded conditions. The run commenced in Srinagar on 20 January 2026 and concluded in Kanyakumari on 26 January 2026, traversing the Himalayas, plains and the Deccan Plateau.

Throughout the expedition, the vehicle utilised public chargers located via the MyEicher App. An adjudicator from the India Book of Records accompanied the truck to monitor route compliance, load, distance and charging stops. The mission served as a demonstration of electric vehicle endurance across diverse altitudes and climates to validate the technology for logistics corridors.

The journey was intended to show that electric commercial vehicles can operate beyond short-haul deliveries. By maintaining performance across hilly and coastal routes, the Pro X EV aimed to establish total cost of ownership (TCO) benefits and maintenance predictability for fleet operators. The successful completion of the route suggests that current charging infrastructure can support long-haul electric freight movement.

Vinod Aggarwal, MD & CEO, VE Commercial Vehicles, said, “For more than four decades, Eicher trucks and Buses have earned customer trust through leadership in fuel efficiency and application-specific engineering. The record-setting performance of the Eicher Pro X reinforces our unwavering focus on application excellence, reliability, and performance, anchored in robust product development and manufacturing capabilities, and enabled by a customer-centric, pan-India commercial and dealer network. I commend the entire Eicher team for achieving these well-deserved records”.

SS Gill, Chief Commercial Officer, VE Commercial Vehicles, said, “By covering the K2K route with a loaded Pro X EV, Eicher Trucks & Buses has proven that electric mobility is no longer restricted to short-haul, ‘last-mile’ deliveries. We are not just setting records, but through the strength of our service network and extensive dealer set-up, we are demonstrating that our EV technology is commercially viable, reliable, and has the range to serve as the backbone of India’s green logistics corridors”.

Abhishek Chaudhary, SVP – SCV Sales & Marketing, VE Commercial Vehicles, said, “The Eicher Pro X EV was put to the ultimate test – covering over 4000 kilometres across diverse climates and challenging altitudes. With this recognition from the India Book of Records we’ve moved beyond our own stringent testing benchmarks to real-world validation - Demonstrating that Eicher Pro X EV is a dependable partner for logistics movement across varied operations in India”.

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Montra Electric, the electric medium and heavy commercial vehicle business of the Murugappa Group, has become the first manufacturer in India to receive certification for heavy-duty electric trucks under the government's PM E-Drive Scheme.

To mark the achievement, the company delivered a Rhino 5538 EV 6x4 Tractor trailer to UltraTech Cement. The handover took place in the presence of Arun Murugappan, Chairman of Montra Electric and Sathia Raj, Chief Procurement Officer of UltraTech Cement.

The PM E-Drive scheme includes a budget of INR 5 billion specifically for electric trucks, providing a benefit of up to INR 960,000 per vehicle for the Rhino 5538 EV. This incentive is intended to lower operating costs and reduce exposure to fuel price volatility for fleet operators in the logistics, mining, and manufacturing sectors. The Rhino 5538 EV range is designed for Indian conditions and is available in 6x4 and 4x2 variants.

The Rhino 5538 EV 4x2 variant features a 282 kWh LFP battery that produces 380 HP and 2000 Nm of torque. It offers a range of approximately 198 km under standard test conditions and supports six-minute battery swaps. These specifications suit the vehicle for high-utilisation applications in ports, steel plants, and cement logistics.

H D Kumaraswamy, Union Minister for Heavy Industries, said, "The PM E-Drive scheme is a testament to the growing prowess of Indian innovation in the heavy-duty electric vehicle segment. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are committed to decarbonizing our logistics and making India a global hub for EV manufacturing. Electric trucks are pivotal to our Net Zero goals, and by fostering a self-reliant ecosystem through such certifications, we are driving the spirit of Atmanirbhar Viksit Bharat. We are very happy to see our Prime Minister’s vision coming to life with the 1st PM E-Drive certified heavy duty electric truck from 'Montra Electric' getting delivered today."

Arun Murugappan, Chairman, Montra Electric, said: “Decarbonising freight is one of the most critical challenges in India’s energy transition. We are grateful to the Government of India and our Prime Minister Narendra Modi for introducing forward-looking and progressive policy frameworks such as the PM E-Drive Scheme, which represent a welcome and transformative step in accelerating this shift, particularly in heavy commercial vehicles where emissions intensity is high. At Montra Electric, we are proud to contribute to this national mission by delivering technologically advanced, reliable, and scalable electric M&HCV solutions that can drive meaningful and lasting change in India’s mobility ecosystem.”

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Chartered Speed and EKA Mobility have received a Letter of Confirmation of Quantity (LOCQ) to deploy 1,750 electric buses in Bengaluru under the PM E-Drive Scheme. This allocation accounts for approximately 39 percent of the city's total planned induction of 4,500 electric buses. The initiative is part of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation effort to expand its network in line with the decarbonisation roadmap of the Government of India.

The partnership combines the operational services of Chartered Speed with the vehicle manufacturing and technology of EKA Mobility. Operational protocols for the fleet include maintenance, battery monitoring, and driver training. Chartered Speed has stated its intention to transition 25 percent of its total fleet to electric power by Fiscal 2027.

The deployment aims to support public transport infrastructure in the region through investments in charging and maintenance facilities. Bengaluru is currently expanding its electric transport capacity to meet state mobility targets. The project focuses on providing urban transport solutions for the city's commuter base while reducing the carbon footprint of the public system.

Sanyam Gandhi, Whole-Time Director, Chartered Speed, said,  “Bengaluru is a key mobility hub in India, and electric buses are part of the efforts to build a cleaner and more efficient public transport system. The PM E-Drive allocation strengthens Chartered Speed Limited’s long-term commitment to sustainable mass mobility. As one of the early adopters of e-mobility, we aim to convert around 25% of our fleet to electric by Fiscal 2027, supported by strong infrastructure investments to deliver commuter-centric services aimed at lasting socio-economic impact.”

Rohit Srivastava, Business Head & Chief Growth Officer, EKA Mobility, added, “The PM E-Drive initiative is a powerful enabler of India’s electric mobility vision, and Bengaluru’s large-scale adoption of electric buses sets a strong benchmark for urban transport transformation. At EKA Mobility, we are proud to partner with Chartered Speed and contribute to Bengaluru’s journey towards a more sustainable urban future. It is not just about scale, but about creating cleaner mobility solutions, quieter streets, and a better daily commute for millions.”

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Suzuki Motor Corporation and its subsidiary, Suzuki R&D Centre India (SRDI), have inaugurated the Banas Suzuki Biogas Plant in Bhukhala, Gujarat. The facility, which opened on 18 January 2026, is the second such plant following the Agthala site that commenced operations in December 2025.

The plant is designed to process up to 100 tonnes of cow dung per day to produce approximately 1.5 tonnes of biogas. This output is equivalent to the daily fuel requirements of 850 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles. In addition to fuel production, the facility will sell organic fertiliser generated as a byproduct of the process.

The project is part of an agreement signed in September 2023 between SRDI, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and Banas Dairy. The partners have agreed to construct a total of five biogas plants in the region. The Bhukhala site covers an area of 27,000 square metres and forms a component of Suzuki’s strategy to support carbon neutrality in India.

The use of biogas serves as a carbon-neutral alternative for CNG vehicles, which currently represent 20 percent of the Indian passenger car market. Beyond emission reductions, the initiative is intended to improve energy self-sufficiency and increase rural income through the purchase of cattle waste from local farmers.

The opening ceremony was attended by Acharya Devvrat, Governor of Gujarat and Shankar Chaudhary, Chairman of Banas Dairy and Speaker of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly. Representing Suzuki was Kenichiro Toyofuku, Managing Officer and Executive General Manager of Biogas Operations.

The company stated that it will continue to develop its biogas business to contribute to national growth and environmental targets. The operation is expected to create jobs within the district while providing fuel for high-demand vehicle segments.

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