Mercedes-Benz focuses on electric and fuel-cell vehicles

In the not-very-distant future, Mercedes-Benz may choose to only make electric cars and fuel-cell powered vehicles, giving up on petrol and diesel engines completely!

In a decade from now, Mercedes-Benz may not be making petrol- and diesel-powered cars anymore. The German luxury carmaker will focus on biofuel-, electric- and fuel-cell-powered cars instead. And to meet this objective, Mercedes-Benz is increasingly investing in R&D in the alternative fuels and electric vehicles space.

The Smart electric car, which is currently in the testing phase, could be Mercedes-Benz’s first production EV. The company has already invested US$4 million into its long-term sustainable mobility plan, and is expected to invest another US$14 billion towards this, by 2014.

RECC to increase capacity, license its EV tech to other companies

With the rising prices of petrol and diesel, EVs are what we will all be driving after 10 years. And Reva is off to an early start there...!

Bangalore-based electric carmaker, Reva Electric Car Company (RECC), which makes the Reva-i electric car, has announced that it will ramp up its production capacity. The company will be investing about US$20 million towards increasing its production capacity from the current 6,000 units per annum to about 30,000 units per annum.

‘We have just completed our test marketing period and now we are expanding our sales to Delhi. To meet the growing demand of Reva, we will be ramping up our production capacities by five fold by the end of this year,’ said Chetan Kumar Maini, CTO and deputy chairman, RECC. He added that the company would also introduce new models and new variants in due course of time.

In keeping with the global ‘go green’ sentiment that’s currently in vogue, the Delhi government has announced incentives on electric vehicles – a 15 percent subsidy on the base price of the vehicle, a 12.5 percent exemption on VAT and refund of road tax and registration charges. The Reva electric car now costs between Rs 2.99 lakh (base model) to Rs 3.78 lakh for the top-end model, on-road, Delhi.

RECC, which already exports the Reva to a dozen overseas markets, is also looking at licensing its EV technology to other carmakers. The company hopes to start using next-generation lithium-ion batteries for its future cars, which may be bigger, more powerful and faster than the current Reva, and also have the capability to travel longer distances on a single charge.

Tata Motors, Chrysler team up to offer electric Ace in the US

Chrysler will be selling the Tata Ace EV in the US market

Tata's home-grown mini-truck, the Ace, is going places. Tata Motors has tied up with US carmaker Chrysler’s Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) division to market a battery-powered, electric version of the Ace in the American market. The Ace is expected to go on sale in the US in early-2009.

Tata Motors and GEM are currently working on the Ace’s branding and pricing for the US market. The two companies expect low volumes initially, and pricing for the Ace could be in the region of US$5-6,000. Depending on how well it does in the US market, Tata and Chrysler may even get into a joint venture under which they would assemble the Ace in the US.

Battery-powered Ace prototypes are already being tested. Tata Motors will export the Ace as a completely built unit (CBU), though without the engine and gearbox. Chrysler/GEM will fit the batteries, motor and controller and sell the Ace in the US market.

Given the steadily increasing prices of petrol and diesel – a trend which may well continue in the foreseeable future – Tata will also consider launching the electric Ace in India. However, the electric version is likely to be more expensive than the conventional Ace, which retails for about Rs 2.2 lakh in the domestic market.

MNRE to support EV users and manufacturers

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is planning to work out a policy that supports manufacturers and users of battery-operated vehicles. The ministry has plans to extend the present subsidy scheme to battery-operated two-wheelers, and companies manufacturing battery-operated vehicles and/or engaged in establishing a network of charging stations.

‘At this moment, with a view to working out a conducive policy for large use of battery-operated vehicles in the country, the existing scheme will be changed to accommodate two-wheelers,’ said MNRE secretary V Subramanian, after meeting with various manufacturers of battery-operated vehicles. Under the present subsidy scheme, owners of electric three-wheelers and four-wheelers are eligible to avail of 33% subsidy benefit on the cost of the vehicle.

Companies can also apply with the MNRE for support in research and development or for funding of the same.

Tube Investments sets up e-scooters manufacturing plant in Ambattur, near Chennai

Tube Investments of India Ltd., part of the Rs 95.82 billion Murugappa Group, has inaugurated its new electric scooters manufacturing plant at Ambattur, near Chennai. The plant has been set up at a cost of Rs 20 crore, and the e-bikes it produces will go on sale in southern India by September this year.

TI’s new plant will have an initial capacity of 100 e-scooters a day, which will be sold under the BSA brand. To start with, TI will launch three e-scooter models, priced between Rs 25,000 to 36,000. Top speed of these machines will be 25km/h for the base model, to 40km/h for the top-end model.

Tube Investments plans to appoint about 70 dealers in tier-I and tier-II cities in southern India, and will later expand to other parts of the country. The company hopes to do well with its e-scooters given the increasing prices of petrol, and the fact that one does not need a driver’s license for riding e-bikes of up to 250 watts.

Hero Electric plans overseas acquisition

Electric bikes manufacturer, Hero Electric is in talks with some foreign companies that make electric motors and controller components for battery-powered two-wheelers. Of these three or four, Hero Electric wants to acquire one company.

At present, Hero Electric is sourcing motors, controller components, batteries and battery chargers for its e-bikes from China. Once it acquires a company that makes all these things, Hero Electric will be in a position to stop importing parts from China.

The company is happy with the response it’s getting for its electric bikes, and will be investing Rs 80 crore towards capacity expansion, setting up an R&D centre in Ludhiana, and ramping up its dealer network. ‘Presently, our e-bike manufacturing capacity is 220 units per day, per shift, which is expected to reach 440 units per day, per shift after two years. Besides, we also plan to expand our dealer network to 300,’ says Vijay Munjal, Chairman, Hero Electric.

Hero Electric aims to sell 70,000 units of its e-bikes this year, of which 25,000 units are targeted from southern India, which is a big market for e-bikes. The company expects sales of e-bikes to grow by around 200 percent in 2009.

To better manage growth, Hero Electric, a subsidiary of Hero Exports, will soon be hived off as a separate company. ‘We are in the process of hiving off Hero Electric Devices Private Limited as an independent company and it will be done soon,’ said Vijay Munjal.

New Toyota FCHV-adv gets 830km range

Toyota FCHV-adv: The next step in the evolution of fuell cell-powered vehicles

The Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) has announced that it has developed a fuel cell hybrid vehicle equipped with the newly designed high-performance Toyota FC Stack. The Toyota FCHV-adv has acquired vehicle-type certification from Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) on the 3rd of June.

The Toyota FCHV-adv's fuel cell system was enhanced to further improve cruising distance and low-temperature starts, which had presented obstacles to widespread fuel cell vehicle use. The building block of the Toyota FC Stack is the Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA), where engineers focused on the basic problem of internally produced water interfering with electrical generation within the MEA at low temperatures.

Fundamental research was carried out to understand the behavior and amount of water generated in the fuel cell, allowing engineers to optimize the MEA design to improve low-temperature startup. As a result, the Toyota FCHV-adv can start and operate in cold regions at temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celsius.

In addition, fuel efficiency was improved by 25% through improving fuel cell unit performance, enhancing the regenerative brake system and reducing energy consumed by the auxiliary system. Further changes include incorporating degradation control for the electrode catalyst and improving fuel cell durability. Also, equipping the vehicle with TMC-developed 70Mpa high-pressure hydrogen tanks makes it possible to travel approximately 830km on a single fueling – performance that more than doubles that of the earlier Toyota FCHV.

With the equivalent of 122 horsepower 260Nm of torque, the Toyota FCHV-adv, which weighs 1,880 kilos, can hit a top speed of 155km/h. One of these vehicles is to be provided as a test-ride vehicle at the Environmental Showcase within the International Media Center during the July 7-9 Hokkaido Summit.

Fiat Phylla to form basis for battery-powered Topolino?

Could Fiat possibly be selling a battery-powered small car - perhaps the Topolino - in India, in the next few years? Don't bet against it!
Pic: Auto Express

According to a report on Auto Express, the solar-powered Fiat Phylla concept car may actually be a testbed for ‘green’ technologies that Fiat may use on the electric Topolino, which is likely to go into production by 2010.

Given that fuel prices are rocketing upwards – a trend that will probably continue in the months and years to come – most manufacturers are working on hybrids and at least seriously thinking about battery-powered electric cars. With the solar-powered Phylla concept, Fiat may test and fine-tune its battery and electric motor technologies, which may come in handy for the electric Topolino and/or even a battery-powered Fiat 500!

Fiat’s electric small cars are likely to feature plastic bodywork and lithium-ion batteries. Solar power from roof panels and energy reclaimed from a regenerative braking system may also be part of the package.

According to Auto Express, the battery-powered Topolino will cost about Rs eight lakh. In the Indian context, that’s pretty expensive for a small car. But maybe with some more development, costs can come down sufficiently to allow Fiat to launch an electric small car in this country in the next 2 – 3 years.

RECC wins Frost & Sullivan award

Even as fuel prices look all set to keep rising, the Reva EV should do better in the years to come. If only this car were a bit more reasonably priced...

The Reva Electric Car Company (RECC) has won the 2008 Frost & Sullivan European Automotive Powertrain Company of the Year Award. The Bangalore-based RECC, which makes the Reva electric car (called the G-Wiz in some foreign markets), won the award for demonstrating excellence in sales volumes, superior market penetration and high levels of customer satisfaction within the electric vehicle (EV) industry.

Last year, about 360 Reva cars were sold in the UK, though the car did not do as well in India do its very high purchase price of more than Rs 3.5 lakh. ‘Technology leadership has enabled RECC to break the price-performance barrier and consistently develop and commercialise new mobility solutions,’ said Frost & Sullivan research analyst Anjan Kumar. ‘In 2007, RECC achieved milestones in terms of battery and electric motor technology,’ he says.

Research and development work on lithium-ion batteries took one step further when RECC successfully tested and evaluated these batteries for the Reva. The newly developed lithium ion batteries provide a driving range of more than 140km, compared to 60-80km provided by existing lead-acid battery packs.

Li-ion battery packs for the Reva are expected to be available later this year, and with the incorporation of a new AC electric motor, the Reva EV has more mid-range torque and better acceleration, leading to enhanced drivability.

‘RECC has demonstrated technology leadership in European markets with its ability to deliver an EV at a competitive price with sufficient performance for its intended purpose as a city commuter vehicle,’ says Anjan Hemanth Kumar.

VW to partner with Sanyo for next-generation lithium-ion batteries

Volkswagen will soon be partnering with Sanyo, to work on the next generation of efficient, high performance, rechargeable automotive batteries with lithium-ion technology.

‘Our focus in the future will be directed more strongly at making electrically powered automobiles alongside ones driven by more efficient combustion engines. Drivetrain electrification is the way forward if we wish to secure mobility in tomorrow's world. This will involve energy recovery. The whole idea will be to no avail, however, as long as we do not have powerful energy storage systems at our disposal and as long as vehicle operations are not in tune with customer demands. This cooperation is an important step for us,’ says Prof Martin Winterkorn, CEO, Volkswagen Group.

While emissions-free EVs do exist, their limited range and lower speeds means that not everyone is ready to adopt battery-powered vehicles yet. Lithium-ion batteries, already used successfully in mobile phones and laptop computers, may hold the key to the development of the next generation of electric vehicles.

Volkswagen is already working on diesel-hybrid technology, as evinced by the Golf TDI Hybrid concept shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year. The concept car, a full hybrid vehicle, combined a diesel engine with electric drive and can be driven using E-drive, a very energy-efficient combination of TDI technology and an electric motor.

Working with Sanyo, Volkswagen hopes to be able to employ lithium-ion technology in its EVs by 2010. And, we're sure, VW will also start bringing these EVs to India within the next three years...!

Safa Tempo: Electric rickshaws make inroads in Nepal

In Nepal, EVs have already replaced petrol/diesel powered three-wheelers!

According to a report on Autoblog Green, electric three-wheelers are getting very popular in Nepal. Because of the pollution they created, petrol-powered Vikram Tempo rickshaws were banned in Nepal in 1999. And since then, battery-powered Safa Tempos have been getting increasingly popular there.

According to Shree Eco Visionary (SEV), there are about 650 of these Safa Tempos on the streets of Kathmandu, fulfilling the transportation needs of over 100,000 people. And going by SEV’s projections, the number of these electric three-wheelers in Nepal may go up to 4,000 over the next five years.

The electric Safa Tempo costs about Rs 5.5 lakh, but running costs don’t amount to more than Rs 3 per km, and the three-wheeled EVs can travel up to 70km on one full battery charge, making them a practical proposition. With burgeoning fuel costs, we should almost certainly see similar EVs in smaller Indian towns and cities within the next one year!

Saab 9-X BioHybrid: A glimpse into the future

The Saab 9-X BioHybrid - the shape of things to come in the near future

Right now, every single carmaker in Europe and Japan is either going green, or planning to. Forget high performance V8s and V12s – what’s hot today is eco-friendly EVs and hybrids. And that’s where Saab wants to be, with its new 9-X BioHybrid.

One of the leading proponents of biofuel usage in Europe, Saab says biofuels can make a significant contribution to reducing the CO2 impact of road transport, particularly in the short to medium term, as we continue to work on making hydrogen fuel cell and plug in electric technologies a realistic proposition for the mass market.

Saab believes that the move towards second generation biofuels should continue at full pace, especially since these fuels can use waste by-products from agricultural production rather than the main crop. ‘We cannot give up the challenge of making biofuels a viable alternative to fossil fuels just because there is a whole lot of confusion around about the alleged conflicts with food production,’ said one Saab spokesperson recently.

Coming back to the 9-X BioHybrid, it’s a sporty, high-tech car that uses Saab’s BioPower technology, with an in-built solar cell and design features such as camera-enhanced mirrors and instrumentation with 3D graphics. According to Saab, the 9-X BioHybrid is a fusion of sexy design and responsible performance.

Optimised for E85 fuel, the Saab 9-X is intelligently powered: running on E85, the car’s 1.4-litre BioPower turbocharged engine generates 200bhp and 280Nm of torque. With full flex-fuel capability, it is a rightsizing formula backed by GM's next generation hybrid technology, combining electric power boost, regenerative braking, fuel cut-off and automatic engine re-start.

The 9-X BioHybrid also harnesses power from the sun. The solar cell in the glass roof uses this free energy by adding charge to the battery pack whether the vehicle is parked or being driven. Certainly, this Saab is the shape of things to come in the near future…

Toyota to spend almost US$200 million on automotive battery plant

Toyota says its Hybrid X concept proposes a new design language for its future cars, which will be more environmentally friendly...

To keep the Prius momentum going and in order to prepare for the upcoming battle to get ahead in the ‘green car’ race, Toyota will be spending US$192 million towards setting up a new manufacturing facility in Japan, where it will make batteries for petrol-electric hybrid vehicles.

In a JV with the Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Toyota will build the new plant in the Shizuoka prefecture in central Japan. The plant will produce nickel-hydride batteries, which are already used on the bestselling Toyota Prius.

Toyota is also likely to set up a separate plant to make lithium-ion batteries, which it may start using in its next-generation hybrids over the next 2 – 3 years. Lithium-ion batteries, already used in laptops, produce more power and are smaller than nickel-metal hydride batteries.

Toyota says it wants to increase hybrid car sales to one million units per annum by 2010. Hybrids are already getting popular in the US, and other markets are sure to follow suit. So, of course, Toyota is not alone in pushing ahead with hybrids – companies like Honda and GM are also in the game, and many other companies – like Nissan and BMW – are expected to join in over the next 2 – 3 years.

Lohia Group to manufacture e-scooters in Kashipur

The Lohia Group has announced its entry into the two- and three-wheeler segment. But instead of petrol-powered scooters and motorcycles, the company will be making electric two-wheelers, for which there seems to be a growing demand these days.

The Lohia Group has set up a new subsidiary – Lohia Auto Industries – and will invest Rs 150 crore towards setting up a new manufacturing facility near Kashipur, in Uttrakhand. Installed capacity will be 200,000 units per annum, of which about 150,000 units will be two-wheelers and the remaining would be three-wheelers. The capacity can, if needed, be scaled up to one million units. Lohia’s EVs will be available in the market before the end of this year.

‘Recently, the central and various state governments have taken initiatives to promote environment friendly vehicles. Keeping in mind this aspect, and the soaring fuel prices, we have decided to launch electric vehicles in the country,’ said Ayush Lohia, VP, Lohia Auto Industries. He added that the company’s e-scooters would be available in the market in August this year, followed by three-wheelers in November.

Lohia’s electric vehicles will be priced reasonably. Two-wheelers in the below 250W category would be priced between Rs 25-30,000 while the more powerful 500-750W two-wheelers will cost between Rs 30-35,000. Three-wheelers will be slightly more expensive, costing between Rs 45-50,000.

For their EVs, Lohia Auto Industries will start with 60 percent locally sourced components, which would be increased to 70-80 percent within six months. The company will also set up two R&D centres – one in Kashipur and the other in Noida.

The electric two- and three-wheeler market in India is expected to be worth Rs 6,000 crore in the next five years, and Lohia’s aim is to garner at least 10-15 percent of that. And apart from selling its EVs in India, Lohia will export about 10-12 percent of its total production, to the US, and various countries in Europe including the UK.

The company will sell its EVs through exclusive showrooms across the country. ‘By the end of this fiscal, we will set up 80-100 dealerships in the country, and after two years, we will have about 150-200 dealers,’ said Lohia.

Nissan starts work on electric cars in earnest, Nissan EVs might come to India by 2012

Nissan expects to go mass market with its EVs by 2012

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., and the government of Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan have announced their agreement to conduct a feasibility study of a full-scale electric vehicle project in Kanagawa, starting in 2010. The joint-study will explore various opportunities including establishment of a local electricity-charging network and offer appropriate incentives.

‘In April, Kanagawa Prefecture had announced the EV Initiative Kanagawa, an incentive scheme to include subsidies and tax exemptions to promote electric vehicles. By 2014, we hope to achieve 3,000 units of electric vehicles in Kanagawa. The scheme is supported by the industrial and academic sectors. The joint-study with Nissan will accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles among consumers. We intend to achieve a sustainable mobility solution with the ‘Kanagawa Model,’ which can be replicated at the national and global levels,’ said Shigefumi Matsuzawa, the governor of Kanagawa Prefecture.

‘At Nissan, we firmly believe that electric vehicles represent a viable and attractive solution for sustainable mobility. In collaboration with the government of Kanagawa Prefecture, we hope to clearly position the electric vehicle as a zero emission, affordable car with no impact on the environment,’ said Carlos Tavares, executive vice president of Nissan.

Under its GT 2012 mid-term business plan, Nissan has committed to introduce a pure electric vehicle in the US and Japan in 2010 and then to mass-market electric vehicles to consumers globally – possibly including India – in 2012.

Toyota Prius: Sales top 1 million mark

More than a million Prius cars have been sold worldwide, over the last 11 years!

Even as other carmakers are trying to hurry up and follow Toyota’s example, sales of the Toyota Prius – the world’s first mass-produced petrol-electric hybrid vehicle – have passed the one million mark. At the end of April this year, Toyota had sold approximately 1,028,000 units of the Prius.

While Toyota has no immediate plans of bringing the Prius to India (though Honda says it will get the Civic Hybrid here very soon!), the Prius is sold in more than 40 countries already. Toyota claims the Prius has significantly reduced vehicle CO2 emissions worldwide.

The Prius was launched in Japan in 1997, and was introduced in Europe, North America and other markets in 2000. In 2005, Toyota began the first overseas production of the Prius in Changchun, China. Sales of the Prius are also expected to start in South Korea, in the latter half of 2009.

The second-generation Prius, equipped with the Toyota Hybrid System II, was introduced in 2003. As part of its high-priority environment-management policy, Toyota has made a concerted effort to promote and popularise hybrid technology, chiefly through the Prius. Toyota aims to sell one million or more hybrid vehicles annually, as early as possible, in the 2010s.

External links:
Used cars, better than hybrids?

Chevrolet Volt: Out in 2010, will change the EVs game

This is a test hack, but you can expect the real thing by end-2010
Pic: GM-Volt

The ability to travel a sufficiently long distance on one charge – range – has been a stumbling block for electric vehicles (EVs) for a long time. Now, General Motors just might have cracked it with the Volt, its experimental, lithium-ion battery-powered EV.

Unlike some hybrids like the Toyota Prius, the GM Volt doesn’t use its petrol engine to drive the car’s wheels – it only uses the engine to charge the batteries. There are still a lot of unanswered questions – regarding the integration of the petrol engine and the electric motors, and the software that’s going to handle it – at GM, but the company’s engineers are confident they can do it.

The goal for GM, with the Volt, is to have an EV that runs on electric power alone and that has a range of more than 1,000km. So when can you expect to walk into a GM showroom and buy the Volt? ‘November 2010 looks good,’ says Bob Lutz, vice chairman, General Motors. And if its November 2010 for the US, can India be very far away on GM’s EV map…?

Hero Electric plans acquisitions, to double capacity at Ludhiana plant

In a bid to expand its electric two-wheeler operations, Hero Electric, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hero Group, is in considering acquiring two Indian companies that make electric motors and controllers. According to Naveen Munjal, MD, Hero Electric, this move is a part of the company’s expansion strategy, for which the company is ready to spend up to Rs 20 crore.

Hero Electric currently imports controllers, motors and batteries from various manufacturers abroad, but the company wants to take full control of its operations by manufacturing these components in-house. At a later stage, Hero Electric also wants to get into making hybrid two-wheelers, which will be fitted with an electric motor as well as a small petrol-powered engine, allowing the rider to switch between the two at will.

The electric two-wheeler market in India – as elsewhere – is still very much at a nascent stage. But with the introduction of better, more powerful batteries and electric motors, these EVs should be able to start competing with conventional 100cc and 125cc scooters and motorcycles.

Hero Electric, one of the major players in India in the field of EVs, plan on investing Rs 80 crore towards increasing its production capacity at its plant in Ludhiana, to over 125,000 units per annum.

Nissan, NEC bet big on EVs, to mass produce automotive lithium-ion batteries

Nissan and Renault will start selling EVs in Japan and the US by 2010

Nissan Motor Co and the NEC Corp have tied up for the production of lithium-ion batteries, for hybrid and electric vehicles. Convinced that electric vehicles (EVs) are the future, the two companies will be spending close to US$200 million towards a building a new manufacturing unit in the Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo. Production of the li-ion batteries will start in early 2009.

The Automotive Energy Supply Corp (ASEC), an equally owned JV between Nissan and NEC was established last year, and this company will handle the lithium-ion batteries business. These batteries are smaller, lighter and longer lasting than the nickel-metal hydride batteries currently used in hybrid and electric cars.

Initial capacity at the Kanagawa Prefecture plant will be enough to cater to 10,000 EVs per annum, though capacity will be increased to six-fold in the future. AESC will ship batteries to Nissan and Renault, both of which plan to start selling electric cars in Japan and the United States by 2010. And India...? Well, we're sure our country can't be too far behind. Maybe the ASEC will sell some batteries to Chetan Maini, for the Reva...?

Ultra Motor not restrained from selling high powered, high range and high speed e-scooters

After the disengagement of Hero Cycles and Hero Exports from Ultra Motor India, the Delhi High Court has upheld the exclusivity clause between Hero Cycles and Ultra Motors in relation to sourcing electric vehicle kits (battery, motor and controller) from anyone but Ultra Motor for a period of 180 days starting April 23, 2008.

Ultra Motor Company can be the only electric vehicle kit Supplier to Hero Cycles or any of its affiliates. As per the exclusivity clause, Hero is required to procure similar products only from Ultra Motor. Both Hero Cycles Limited & Ultra Motor India would be bound by the stipulations in Clauses 7.1, 7.2, and 7.4 of the Agreement for Technical Collaboration and Joint Marketing dated September 29, 2006.

While the High Court judgment restrains Ultra Motor from selling specified low speed e-bikes (or products of equivalent specification, as mentioned in the original agreement) the High Court’s judgment does not include any high powered, high range and high speed e-scooters which have a battery configuration of 48V/20 AH and above, which are outside the arrangement between the parties.

Vehicles running on this power pack specification are commonly known as e-scooter and e-scooter plus. Prior to disengagement these vehicles were available under the model name Maxi (48V/20AH) and Velociti (48V/24AH). The latest trend in Electric two wheeler industry is skewed towards high powered, high range and high speed electric scooter. Equivalent models of the above configuration constitute approximately 95% of the electric two wheeler industry in India.

Close on the heels of a successful FY 08 and buoyed by the ready acceptance of electric two-wheelers in India, the UK-based Ultra Motor Company (UMC) has decided to rapidly scale up its operations, expand outreach and enhance its product portfolio. As a result of aggressive dealer expansion and marketing efforts in the last financial year, Ultra Motor (in partnership with Hero Exports) had sold 22,000 electric two wheelers across the country in FY 2008.

Ultra Motor has set itself a target of 60,000 units by for the FY 09 and in order to achieve this, the company has already committed an investment of Rs 140 crore in product development, marketing and distribution. The company will launch a range of five electric two wheelers in FY09, and is also looking at vertical integration in the supply chain in India, in the form of acquisition.