Greaves Cotton, a leading diversified engineering company, has announced the appointment of Ramachandra Puttanna as the new Business Head for EV Solutions & New Businesses within Greaves Retail.

In his new role, Puttanna will be responsible for driving the strategic growth plan for Greaves Retail’s electric vehicle (EV) components and new verticals. He will report to Narasimha Jayakumar, CEO, Greaves Retail, as Greaves continues to advance its strategy in sustainable mobility solutions across India.  

Greaves Retail is focussing on being a fuel-agnostic provider, delivering comprehensive sales, service, and spare parts solutions across three-wheelers (3W), two-wheelers (2W), small commercial vehicles (SCVs), electric vehicles (EVs), and construction equipment.

The company specialises in ensuring high vehicle uptime and maximised asset productivity, positioning it among the top three in the aftermarket segment. 

Puttanna come with over 35 years of extensive experience and has worked with companies such as Fenner India, Bosch India, Oman Trading, Magneti Marelli, and ZF Group.

Most recently, he served as Vice-President of the Aftermarket business at ZF Group, where he managed operations across India and the SAARC regions.

He is a Mechanical Engineering graduate from Mysore University, Puttanna has furthered his education with a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management (Marketing) from Bangalore University and an Advanced Program in Business Management from IIM Bangalore.  

“I am honoured to join Greaves Cotton at this pivotal stage in the company’s journey towards sustainable mobility. I look forward to leveraging my experience to drive the growth of Greaves Retail’s new businesses and enhance our offerings for a broader range of customers,” said Puttanna.

Narasimha Jayakumar, CEO, Greaves Retail, said, “We are thrilled to have Ramachandra join us. His proven track record aligns well with our commitment to customer-centric, innovative solutions. Ramachandra’s leadership will be instrumental in advancing Greaves Retail’s new businesses.”

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Pune-headquartered electric commercial vehicle manufacturer EKA Mobility has expanded its retail presence to 60 operational dealerships across 15 states in India. The company has also confirmed that an additional 30 dedicated distribution outlets are under development.

The infrastructure expansion aims to establish localised maintenance and retail networks for the logistics, e-commerce and public transport sectors. Each retail outlet is configured specifically for commercial electric vehicles, featuring a minimum of two service bays, factory-trained technical personnel and component warehousing to manage fleet vehicle uptime. The company intends to scale its distribution footprint to more than 200 dealerships across 20 states in FY2027.

The company operates under the Government of India’s Automotive Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. Its equity backers include Mitsui & Co. of Japan, the VDL Group of the Netherlands, the NIIF India-Japan Fund and Enam Holdings.

EKA Mobility operates manufacturing facilities at Koregaon Bhima and Chakan in Pune, which produce electric buses, trucks and small commercial vehicles (SCVs). The company is also building a 47-acre production complex in Pithampur. Once fully operational, the combined manufacturing infrastructure will support an annual production capacity of 15,000 electric buses, 24,000 SCVs and 4,000 freight trucks.

The manufacturer's vehicle line-up includes the EKA 3W Cargo, the EKA 6S and 3S passenger three-wheelers, a line of four-wheel SCVs spanning 1.5 to 3.5 tonnes, electric buses ranging from 7- to 12-metres and heavy-duty trucks up to 55 tonnes. All eCVs are linked to EKA Connect, an internal automated fleet management platform that processes real-time positioning, telematics and predictive battery diagnostics to manage fleet operating costs.

Rohit Srivastava, Business Head and Chief Growth Officer, EKA Mobility, said, “Last-mile connectivity is at the heart of India’s mobility transformation. With a presence across 15 states, we are steadily building a strong and accessible retail ecosystem for our customers. As demand for electric commercial vehicles grows, it is important that customers have easy access not just to products, but also to dependable service and long-term support. Looking ahead, we plan to scale our network to over 200 dealerships in 20+ states by FY27, further strengthening our reach across key markets, as we remain committed to making electric mobility more accessible, practical, and dependable for businesses across India.”

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Italian luxury automotive brand Ferrari has unveiled the Ferrari Luce, its first fully electric production vehicle, at the Vela di Calatrava – Città dello Sport in Rome. The debut marks the expansion of the manufacturer’s multi-energy strategy, positioning electrification alongside its existing internal combustion engine and hybrid powertrains.

The vehicle’s bodywork, cabin and digital interface were developed in partnership with LoveFrom, the design collective founded by Jony Ive and Marc Newson. The 5-seater, 4-door model features a glasshouse structure enclosed by floating aerodynamic wings at the front and rear.

The exterior surfaces yield a drag coefficient of 0.254, which represents the lowest figure achieved by a road-going Ferrari model. The vehicle utilises staggered wheel sizes, with 23-inch dimensions at the front and 24-inch dimensions at the rear.

The powertrain is built on an 800-volt electronic architecture and features four independent synchronous electric motors with radial flux derived from the F80 platform. The configuration yields a total output of 1,050 cv (1,035 horsepower) and 990 Nm of torque.

Ferrari claims that the vehicle achieves a zero to 100 kmph acceleration time of 2.5 seconds, a zero to 200 kmph acceleration time of 6.8 seconds and a top speed exceeding 310 kmph. Power is supplied by a 122 kWh battery pack manufactured in Maranello that functions as a structural component of the chassis and supports fast charging rates up to 350 kW, providing an estimated operating range of over 530 kilometres on the WLTP cycle.

The vehicle has a total kerb weight of 2,260 kg. To control the quad-motor system, Ferrari introduced its Vehicle Control Unit (VCU) and Side Slip Control X software, which modulate torque distribution across all four wheels 200 times per second. The vehicle incorporates an independent rear-wheel steering setup and an active suspension architecture with electronic actuators. It also features an elastically mounted rear subframe designed to manage noise, vibration, and harshness.

Inside the cabin, the layout pairs mechanical buttons, switches, and dials with digital displays developed alongside Samsung Display. The mechanical controls handle functions such as drive mode selection and climate settings. The system includes a patented acoustic feedback program that captures mechanical vibrations from the axles to generate an electronic soundscape inside and outside the vehicle based on throttle input.

Production is scheduled to begin in late 2026, with European pricing positioned at approximately EUR 550,000. Deliveries in the United States are scheduled to commence in the second quarter of 2027.

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Uber, one of India’s leading ridesharing apps, has inked a partnership with JSW Group to co-develop and deploy electric vehicles targeted for the Indian ride-hailing market.

The MoU signed between Parth Jindal of JSW Group and Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, will see JSW Green Mobility, a wholly-owned subsidiary of JSW Group, deploy EV solutions at prices and performance expected in the cab segment in India.

The aim is to provide localised EV solutions across various categories on Uber, along with driving the adoption and utilisation of green vehicles.

Parth Jindal, said, “We are excited to collaborate with Uber to explore scalable EV mobility solutions aligned with national net-zero goals for India. By combining Uber’s platform scale and mobility insights with JSW’s growing automotive and clean mobility ambitions, we hope to contribute meaningfully to India’s EV ecosystem.”

Prabhjeet Singh, President, Uber India and South Asia, said, “India’s transition to electric mobility requires strong ecosystem partnerships across technology platforms, automakers, fleet operators, and infrastructure players. Through this collaboration with JSW Group, we aim to help accelerate the adoption of EVs on the Uber platform by exploring solutions purpose-built for the needs of Indian riders and drivers. This partnership also reflects our continued commitment to supporting the Government of India’s vision of advancing green and sustainable mobility at scale.”

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European automotive major Stellantis has announced a project to produce an electric vehicle, designated the E-Car, with production scheduled to begin in 2028. The manufacturing will take place at the Pomigliano d’Arco plant in Italy.

The term E-Car refers to European, Emotion, Electric and Environmental friendliness. The project aims to support the adoption of electric vehicles for city-centric mobility and intends to boost design and manufacturing jobs in Europe. The vehicle is designed to address the contraction of the small car segment in the region.

Antonio Filosa, CEO, Stellantis, said, “The E-Car is a concept that finds its natural match in the small car success that runs deep in our European Stellantis DNA. Our customers are calling for a revival of small, stylish vehicles, proudly produced in Europe, which are also affordable and environmentally friendly. Stellantis is answering their call with exciting new models for multiple brands. Production is expected to start in 2028 in our Pomigliano (Italy) plant.”

The selection of the Pomigliano plant aligns with its history of producing cars, such as the Fiat Panda. The E-Car models will utilise BEV technologies developed with partners to improve affordability and reduce time-to-market.

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