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Electric two-wheeler riders in Kolkata honk the most, averaging 131 honks per hour, while their counterparts in Bengaluru panic-brake four times more than those in Mumbai, according to Ather Energy's 2025 year-end riding insights. The electric two-wheeler maker's insights on aggregated data from over five lakh of its electric scooters connected with a wireless network across India found that riders were increasingly relying on connected technology during daily commutes, with city-level riding behaviour revealing how software is shaping real-world mobility. The data showed honking patterns varied sharply across cities. Kolkata recorded the highest honking levels in the country, averaging 131 honks per hour, reflecting dense traffic and aggressive auditory signalling. Bengaluru riders engaged in panic braking nearly four times more often than riders in Mumbai, highlighting higher traffic unpredictability and frequent stop-start conditions in the city, as per the year-end riding insigh
China and the European Union said on Monday they have agreed on steps toward resolving their dispute over the bloc's imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles. A statement by China's Commerce Ministry said the EU would issue guidelines on minimum pricing for Chinese auto exporters. It did not directly mention if the deal involved an end to the tariffs of up to 35.3 per cent that the EU imposed on imports of Chinese EVs in 2024 following an investigation. This is conducive not only to ensuring the healthy development of China-EU economic and trade relations, but also to safeguarding the rules-based international trade order, a statement by the commerce ministry said. A guidance document released by the EU gives instructions for EV manufacturers on making price offers, including minimum import prices and other details. It said that wide variations in the types of vehicles made it necessary to set specific minimum import prices "appropriate to remove the injurious effects of the ...
The Delhi government has sent a detailed proposal to the central government agency Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) for the immediate procurement of 3,330 electric buses. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the Delhi government has requested the Centre and the Ministry of Heavy Industries to include this additional requirement, separate from the already allotted quota of 2,800 buses, under the subsidy model. She made it clear that if any technical hurdles arise with regard to subsidies, the Delhi government is fully prepared to bear the cost itself to ensure that there is no delay in procuring the buses. The Transport Department of the Delhi government has sought a total of 3,330 buses, comprising 500 buses of seven metres, 2,330 buses of nine metres and 500 buses of 12 metres. All buses will be low-floor, air-conditioned electric buses. The seven-metre buses will serve narrow streets and provide last-mile connectivity, while the nine-metre buses will operate on smaller roads
Electric vehicle (EV) penetration in the luxury car segment has seen a drop by nearly 3 percentage points in the GST 2.0 era with the internal combustion engine versions offering better total cost of ownership, according to industry players. While the trend is also visible in the mass market segment, it is the entry luxury segment that is witnessing a more marked shift towards internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles as price difference between EV and ICE widened under the new GST rates. "If I look at October and November (2025), it came down by 2 to 3 percentage points across mass market as well as luxury, because of ICE having much better TCO (total cost of ownership) compared to EV. So, the moment the equation changes, we can see a change in (EV) penetration," Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director and CEO Santosh Iyer told PTI. The major "fluctuation" is in the entry luxury EV segment, he said, adding that for Mercedes-Benz India, its EVs are mostly in the top-end luxury ...
Four new bus depots are set to be inaugurated in Delhi as part of the government's plan to transition the entire public transport fleet to electric buses by the end of this year, officials said. A Transport Department official said construction work at the depots in Nangloi, Dwarka, Kohat Enclave and Rithala has been completed, and they are ready to be handed over. The depots are being prepared to park the new electric buses expected to arrive in the coming months and to support the charging infrastructure. The Delhi government has inducted over 3,500 electric buses in recent months, and the fleet is expected to expand to about 8,000 buses by the end of the year, the official said. The expansion will require additional parking space and charging facilities to support the growing electric bus fleet, officials added. At present, the city has more than 10 dedicated electric bus depots, including facilities at Rohini Sector 37, Rajghat, Nehru Place, Wazirpur, Burari, Mundela Kalan, ..
Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD on Friday announced an increase in price of the premium variant of its SUV, SEALION 7, in India by Rs 50,000, citing evolving cost dynamics. The price hike is effective from January 1, 2026, and all new bookings will be made at the revised prices henceforth, BYD India said in a statement. The BYD SEALION 7 Premium variant will now cost Rs 49.4 lakh, up from Rs 48.9 lakh (ex-showroom) previously, it added. The company, however, said the price of the BYD SEALION 7 Performance variant will remain unchanged at Rs 54.9 lakh. "The updated pricing reflects the evolving cost dynamics while continuing to offer customers a compelling premium electric SUV proposition," BYD India Head of Electric Passenger Vehicles (EPV) Business, Rajeev Chauhan, said. Since its launch, the BYD SEALION 7 has sold over 2,300 units across India, reinforcing the growing acceptance and demand for premium electric SUVs in the market, he added.
Tamil Nadu Industries Minister TRB Rajaa has said that the motor vehicle tax exemption for battery-operated vehicles in the state is to continue until December 2027, under the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1974. Sharing the government notification in this regard, Rajaa said the decision taken by the Chief Minister M K Stalin reinforces the commitment to support EV adoption, affordability and manufacturing at scale. "This shows how pro-industry our government is," he said. "Tamil Nadu has extended 100 per cent motor vehicle tax exemption for all electric vehicles till December 31, 2027, aligning with our deep-rooted sustainability focus," he said in a social media post late on Tuesday. Observing that the adoption of battery-operated vehicles in Tamil Nadu touched 7.8 per cent in 2025, he said there is still a long way to go, especially in expanding charging infrastructure and making the entire supply greener. "This policy reduces cost for consumers while giving manufactur