CESL 1 lakh e-rickshaw tender, Swiggy agreement with Reliance BP Mobility, IIT Madras motors e- rickshaws and more

This Week’s EV News Wrap includes Foxconn buys wafer plant from Macronix, CESL 1 lakh electric three-wheelers tender, Swiggy agreement with Reliance BP Mobility, IIT Madras motors e- rickshaws

Convergence Energy Services Limited issued a tender for the procurement of 1 lakh electric three-wheelers

Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) has issued a tender for the procurement of 1 lakh electric three-wheelers. A request for proposals has been issued inviting original equipment manufacturers to provide quotations for electric three-wheelers under different use-cases – including, garbage disposal, freight loaders, food and vaccine transport and passenger autos.

Swiggy enters into agreement with Reliance BP Mobility for electric vehicle ecosystem

Swiggy has entered into an agreement with Reliance BP Mobility to build an electric vehicle ecosystem and battery-swapping stations for its delivery partners across India. The foodtech startup has also partnered with electric cycle maker Hero Lectro and the UK’s Fast Despatch logistics for delivery using cargo electric cycles. Trials for the same have started in Bengaluru, New Delhi and Hyderabad.

New electric vehicle battery designs unlikely to dampen metals demand

Mining companies say they do not fear a plan by China’s CATL to make an electric vehicle battery without lithium or other key metals because the new design will have a limited range and more powerful rival battery technologies will gobble up minerals supply in coming years. The industry’s confidence is born from the rapid rise of the battery to power not only transportation but myriad other parts of the global economy, an evolution that many industry analysts expect to require a massive expansion of mining.

IIT Madras develops indigenous motors for electric rickshaws

A unit inside IIT Madras developing motors and sub-assemblies indigenously and signing agreements with manufacturers for commercial usage in electric vehicles. The first of the motors with design details will be delivered on August 15. Centre for Battery Engineering and Electric Vehicles Research has developed a range of motors and sub-assemblies for commercial deployment. “All e-vehicle makers now import motors and assemble them. We now have motors and sub-assemblies fully designed and developed here,” said Prof Ashok Jhunjhunwala of Centre for Battery Engineering and Electric Vehicles Research.

Foxconn buys USD 90.8 million wafer plant from Macronix, eyeing electric vehicle chips

Foxconn has bought a chip plant from Taiwan chipmaker Macronix International for USD 90.8 million, as the electronics giant looks to make auto chips amid its foray into the electric vehicle market. Electronics manufacturing conglomerate Foxconn, which counts giants such as Apple among its top clients, has been seeking to acquire chip plants globally as a worldwide chip shortage rattles producers of goods from cars to electronics.