India’s battery capacity will rise almost ten times to 5GWH in 2026 from 507MWH in 2025 driven by major pipeline projects. This year will also be the turning point for the sector as projects that started two years ago will begin to come in stream, reported The Times of India.
The previous year also saw an increase in tender with 62 tenders amounting to 102GWH capacity, which is equal to the amount of tenders between 2018 and 2024 combined.
Electric Cars to Get Pedestrian Warning Sounds from 2026 to Help Avoid Accident Risks
The Road Transport and Highway Ministry mandated electric vehicles (EV) to be equipped with Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) for ‘M’ and ‘N’ electric vehicle categories to address the risk posed by silent engines to pedestrians, reported Hindustan Times.
According to the ministry, the rollout will be in a phased manner, allowing carmakers to integrate the technology into their vehicles with new vehicles complying with the mandate by October 2026, while older vehicles retrofitted by October 2027.
Chandigarh EV Policy Saw a Rise in Registrations and Emission Cuts
Chandigarh’s EV drive has led to a 16-fold rise in electric vehicle (EV) registrations in just five years. This has also led to a sharp 26-fold jump in carbon dioxide emissions savings, reported ETAuto.
The Chandigarh administration introduced the Chandigarh EV Policy in September 2022 that gave a number of financial incentives and benefits to push consumers from fossil fuel based cars to buy EVs.
Cars to Talk to Each Other Soon as Centre Pushes for V2V Safety Technology
The Centre will be introducing vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communication technology in India soon to reduce road accident risk by allowing vehicles to exchange real time safety information, reported Hindustan Times.
Transport and Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari said the technology is underway and they have set up a joint taskforce with the Department of Telecommunications to take the plan forward. Under this technology, vehicles will be able to alert drivers about the speed, location, and other movements of nearby vehicles.This technology will also help identify blind spots, giving drivers advance warnings and more time to respond to potential hazards on the road.
Global Sales of EVs to Slow Down This Year as China Winds Down Subsidies
Global sales growth in EVs is expected to slow down this year as China, Europe wavers on its phase out of combustion engines, and US producers and policymakers make a U-turn from the segment, Bloomberg reported.
According to BloombergNEF, drivers are expected to buy around 24 million passenger EVs in 2026, a 12% increase on 2025, which is lower than 23% growth in sales last year. The US EV market is already struggling as the Trump administration withdraws up to $7,500 consumer tax credits after September and weakens fuel economy standards.
NTPC May Buy a Minority Stake in US Clean Core Thorium Energy
State-owned NTPC is eyeing a minority stake in US Clean Core Thorium Energy while clarifying that no binding agreement has been signed so far, reported ET Energyworld.
This development came after the parliament cleared the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, which opens the nuclear power sector to greater private participation and addresses long-standing concerns around liability and technology transfer.