Volkswagen and Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M) are exploring the use of MEB electric components for Mahindra’s new “Born Electric Platform”. Both signed a Partnering Agreement on 18 May to evaluate the scope of collaboration. Mahindra intends to equip its “Born Electric Platform” with MEB electric components such as electric... Read more →

Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) has announced that its electric vehicle (EV) will be available in India for sale by 2025. It also iterated that the government’s target of 30% EV sales by 2030 may be difficult to achieve as the company expects EV penetration level between 8-10% by 2030 that... Read more →

Tata Passenger Electric Mobility (TPEM) unveiled the AVINYA Concept—an expression of the company’s vision of a pure electric vehicle, based on its GEN 3 architecture. Tata intends to introduce a production version by 2025. Derived from Sanskrit, the name AVINYA stands for ‘Innovation’. Tata says that the concept will be... Read more →

PEM electrolyzer company Ohmium International closed a $45-million Series B financing round. Existing investor Fenice Investment Group led the round, with participation from current major investors and new investor Energy Transition Ventures. The funds will support Ohmium’s rapid growth plan to quadruple hydrogen manufacturing capacity from 500 MW annually to... Read more →

Israel-based StoreDot, the developer of extreme fast charging (XFC) technologies for electric vehicles, has secured a multi-million-dollar investment from Ola Electric, India’s leading EV manufacturer. Ola Electric is planning to incorporate and manufacture StoreDot’s fast charging battery technologies for future vehicles in India. Ola Electric joins StoreDot’s global strategic partners,... Read more →

Reliance New Energy Solar Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd, will acquire 100% shareholding in sodium-ion battery developer Faradion Limited (earlier post) for an enterprise value of £100 million (US$135 million). In addition, RNESL will also invest £25 million (US$34 million) as primary investment as growth capital... Read more →

Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) recently outlined its electrification roadmap with the expansion of its line-up to 6 Battery-Electric Vehicles (BEVs) for the Indian market by 2028. Further, Hyundai will also introduce its dedicated BEV Platform—E-GMP—in India. Hyundai’s line-up of 6 battery-electric vehicles will cater to multiple segments including mass-market... Read more →

Power Global, a leading provider of high-performance clean energy and mobility products for everyday applications, announced a strategic partnership to supply its eZee swappable lithium-ion battery technology to auto-rickshaw manufacturer Rap Eco Motors for its mass-market electric three-wheeler product line RANIE, which includes L3 and L5 models of a passenger... Read more →

bp ventures has made its first direct investment in India, investing $13 million in integrated EV ride-hailing and charging company BluSmart. bp ventures led a $25 million Series A round that also saw support from Mayfield India Fund, 9Unicorns and Survam Partners, alongside other existing investors. BluSmart will use the... Read more →

NITI Aayog, the Government of India’s official think tank, with support from RMI and RMI India, has launched a campaign to transform last-mile deliveries and eliminate pollution through consumer engagement. Based on the Sanskrit word for zero, Shoonya will create a verification and branding system for electric delivery vehicles and... Read more →

As part of its sustainability initiative, Tata Steel is partnering with an Indian start-up to deploy electric trucks for its steel transportin India. This marks the first use of EVs by any steel producer in the country for transportation of finished steel. The electric trucks feature a 230.4 kWh Lithium-ion... Read more →

India-based Ola Electric unveiled the Ola Hypercharger Network, the charging network for its upcoming electric two-wheeler products starting with the Ola Scooter to be launched in the coming months. Ola plans to offer the most comprehensive set of charging options to its electric vehicle customers through a combination of widely... Read more →

Air pollution in India resulted 1.67 million deaths in 2019—the largest pollution-related death toll in any country in the world—and also accounted for $36.8 billion (US) in economic losses, according to a new study led by researchers from the Global Observatory on Pollution and Health at Boston College, the Indian... Read more →

IndianOil (IOC) has inked an MoU with the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (IISc) to develop and demonstrate biomass gasification-based hydrogen generation technology. The process will help produce fuel-cell-grade hydrogen at an affordable price and accelerate IndianOil’s journey towards a sustainable hydrogen economy. IndianOil Chairman S M Vaidya said that... Read more →

Mahindra & Mahindra and REE Automotive signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore development and manufacturing of electric commercial vehicles for global markets. Such a strategic collaboration will leverage REE’s electric vehicle corner module and platform technology of integrating powertrain, suspension and steering components in the arch of a... Read more →

Gevo, Inc. and Praj Industries Ltd. signed a binding, definitive Master Framework Agreement (MFA) to collaborate on providing renewable, low carbon, low particulate, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and renewable premium gasoline in India and neighboring countries. This follows an earlier announcement in April 2019 between both parties regarding the commercialization... Read more →

A study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a center supported by the “la Caixa” Foundation, contributes new evidence about the negative impact of air pollution on cardiovascular health. The results of the study, which analyzed the relationship between several cardiovascular markers and personal exposure to two... Read more →

India’s leading power trading company Manikaran Power Limited (MPL), in collaboration with its partner Australian project development company Neometals Ltd, has initiated a jointly-financed AACE Class 3 Feasibility Study (FS) to evaluate a lithium hydroxide refinery located in India with a nameplate capacity of a 20,000 tonnes per annum LCE... Read more →

India’s National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) is inviting global expressions of interest for the supply of fuel cell buses and cars in India. Specifically, NTPC subsidiary NVVN intends to launch pilot projects with 5 fuel cell buses and 5 fuel cell cars each in Leh and New Delhi in... Read more →

In an effort to reduce carbon emissions, Amazon will deploy 10,000 electric delivery rickshaws in India by 2025. This commitment comes after successful pilots across different cities in 2019; learnings from these pilots have helped the company create scalable and long term EV variants to build this large fleet. These... Read more →

India’s Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan, launched India’s first long distance compressed natural gas (CNG) bus under a strategic program led by Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL), the largest CNG distribution company in India. The launch ushers in CNG as the fuel of choice for long distance transportation... Read more →

BP and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) have agreed to form a new joint venture that will include a retail service station network and aviation fuels business across India. Building on Reliance’s existing Indian fuel retailing network and an aviation fuel business, the partners expect the venture to expand rapidly to... Read more →

According to an independent study by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW), more than 674 million Indian citizens are likely to breathe air with high concentrations of PM2.5 in 2030 even if India were to comply with its existing... Read more →

Toyota Motor Corporation and Suzuki Motor Corporation have agreed to begin considering concrete collaboration in new fields. Toyota and Suzuki have been considering the concrete details of such collaboration since having concluded a memorandum of understanding toward business partnership in February 2017. (Earlier post.) Toyota and Suzuki, in addition to... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Group and India-based Ola—one of the world’s largest ride-hailing platforms—announced a strategic partnership under which Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors Corporation will make their biggest combined investment to date, as part the Group’s continued efforts to become a Smart Mobility Solutions Provider. The agreement will see the... Read more →

Magnis Energy Technologies Limited announced that the Government of India, Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises advises that Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and LIBCOIN (20% owned by Magnis) are in discussions to build India’s first Li-ion battery gigafactory. BHEL is India’s largest power generation equipment manufacturer; the government... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company is partnering with -, India’s fastest growing self-drive car-sharing company, to develop an innovative car-sharing service and conduct creative marketing activities in India. The strategic partnership includes a Hyundai Motor investment in Revv. The strategic investment and partnership will enable both Hyundai Motor and Revv to build... Read more →

Exide Industries Ltd, India’s largest manufacturer of lead acid storage batteries and power storage solutions provider, and Switzerland-based Li-ion battery manufacturer Leclanché SA announced a joint venture to build lithium-ion batteries and provide energy storage systems for India’s electric vehicle market and grid-based applications. As part of the JV, Leclanché... Read more →

Toyota Motor Corporation and Suzuki Motor Corporation (Suzuki) agreed to start discussing new joint projects in the fields of technological development, vehicle production, and market development. After having concluded a memorandum of understanding toward business partnership on 6 February 2017 (earlier post), Toyota and Suzuki have been pursuing concrete forms... Read more →

India-based Ola, one of the world’s largest ride-hailing companies, launched “Mission: Electric”, with a commitment to place 10,000 E-rickshaws and Electric auto-rickshaws in its service in the next 12 months. The company will develop “Mission: Electric” as a platform to bring one million electric vehicles on the road by 2021.... Read more →

Mahindra Group and Ford Motor Company will jointly develop new SUVs, and a small electric vehicle as part of several initiatives announced between the two companies. The two companies signed five new memoranda of understanding (MoU) that further strengthen their strategic alliance and accelerate the development of key products for... Read more →

UQM Technologies, Inc. announced its first purchase order from Ashok Leyland, a major India commercial vehicle manufacturer. The purchase order is for 51 UQM PowerPhase eDT systems to be shipped during 2018 for a demonstration program for electric transit buses in India. The purchase order signifies the first step in... Read more →

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., a part of the US$19-billion Mahindra Group, and LG Chem, Korea’s leading manufacturer of advanced batteries, are collaborating in the field of advanced Li-ion battery technology. Under this collaboration, LG Chem will develop a unique cell exclusively for India application and will also supply Li-ion cells... Read more →

Westport Fuel Systems Inc. has entered into a development and supply agreement with Tata Motors Limited for their 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder natural gas spark-ignited commercial vehicle engine family to meet the Indian Government’s new Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) emission standards, scheduled to take effect in April 2020. Westport... Read more →

India is the third-largest steel producer in the world after China and Japan, having surpassed other large steel-making countries such as the United States, Russia, and South Korea over the previous decade, according to the World Steel Association. In 2016, about 57% of India’s steel was produced using electric-based methods—the... Read more →

Although China and India remain the world’s largest consumers of coal, a new University of Maryland-led study found that China’s sulfur dioxide emissions fell by 75% since 2007, while India’s emissions increased by 50%. The results suggest that India is becoming, if it is not already, the world’s top sulfur... Read more →

Micro-organisms found in the wildfire-prone rainforests of India are an potential resources for biochemical production, as they are accustomed to the challenging conditions following a forest fire. The enzymes they produce are likely to also have a higher-than-normal resistance to the substances released from biomass in high-temperature industrial processes. An... Read more →

Mahindra Group and Ford Motor Company have agreed to explore a strategic alliance designed to leverage the benefits of Ford’s global reach and expertise and Mahindra’s scale in India and successful operating model. The agreement between the two companies will allow each to leverage their mutual strengths during a period... Read more →

The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) recently contracted with the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) of India to conduct laboratory and on-road testing of three in-use passenger vehicles—two diesel and one gasoline—to investigate the real world emission performance of passenger vehicles in Indian roads. The results highlight the... Read more →

Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IndianOil), India’s flagship national oil company and LanzaTech signed a Statement of Intent to construct the world’s first refinery offgas-to-bioethanol production facility in India. The basic engineering for the 40-million liter per year (10.6 million gallons US/year) demonstration facility will begin later this year for installation... Read more →

Greaves Cotton Limited, one of the leading engineering companies in India with core competencies in diesel and gasoline engines, farm equipment and gensets, and Pinnacle Engines, the developer of a high compression ratio, four-stroke, spark-ignited (SI), opposed-piston, sleeve-valve architecture engine (earlier post), announced a technology partnership for the launch of... Read more →

Suzuki Motor Corporation, Toshiba Corporation, and Denso Corporation have reached basic agreement on establishing a joint venture company for production of automotive lithium-ion battery packs in India, and signed the agreement. The initial capital expenditure will be ¥20 billion (US$184 million). The joint venture company will be capitalized at ¥2... Read more →

Researchers from the UK, Mexico and the US have found abundant magnetite nanoparticles in the brain tissue from 37 individuals aged three- to 92-years-old who lived in Mexico City and Manchester, UK. This strongly magnetic mineral has been implicated in the production of reactive oxygen species (free radicals) in the... Read more →

Chempolis Limited, a Finland-based biorefining technology corporation, has entered into partnership with India-based Avantha Group’s research wing—Avantha Centre for Industrial Research & Development (ACIRD)—on technology to produce ethanol from various agricultural residues for fuel blending. India’s agricultural sector produces large amounts of bagasse, cane trash, rice and wheat straw the... Read more →

UK-based fuel cell developer Intelligent Energy will purchase contracts from GTL Limited to supply energy-management services across more than 27,400 telecom towers in India—about 6.4% of the country’s total. Essential Energy, a subsidiary of Intelligent Energy in India, will assume the power management for the towers—a figure equivalent to 50%... Read more →

Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) will collaborate with the Malaysian national carmaker Proton Holdings Berhad. As the first step of the collaboration, SMC will supply KD (knocked down) components for a Suzuki model to Proton. Proton will manufacture the model at its own plant, and distribute and sell the model under... Read more →

Researchers from the CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum are proposing a biorefinery scheme using lignocellulosic biomass feedstock (sugarcane bagasse) for the production of fuel (ethanol), chemicals (furfural), and energy (electricity). The proposed scheme could be integrated with existing sugar or paper mills, where the availability of biomass feedstock is in abundance... Read more →

Algenol and Reliance Industries Ltd., have successfully deployed India’s first Algenol algae production platform. The demonstration module is located near the Reliance Jamnagar Refinery, the world’s largest. The demonstration has completed several production cycles of Algenol’s wildtype host algae, but ultimately could demonstrate the fuels production capabilities of Algenol’s advanced... Read more →

Despite safety concerns about equipment failure, a majority of drivers on three continents have high expectations for autonomous vehicles. Building on an earlier study on public opinion regarding self-driving vehicles in the US, Great Britain and Australia (earlier post), Brandon Schoettle and Michael Sivak of the University of Michigan Transportation... Read more →

Smog in India. Ozone, the main component of smog, is a plant-damaging pollutant formed by emissions from vehicles, cooking stoves and other sources. New research shows that ozone pollution damaged millions of tons of wheat, rice, soybean and cotton crops in India in 2005. Credit: Mark Danielson/Flickr Surface ozone pollution... Read more →