CLEAN ENERGYTHEMESWERE CENTRALTO AUTO EXPO 2023

It'snotjust two-wheelers or OEMs, but three-wheelers and even commercial vehicle players thathave announced aseries of clean energy initiatives, writes TE Narasimhan.

Auto shows are great places to get a first-hand feel of what which direction it is heading - all under one roof. India's biennial AutoExpo returned in January 2023 after missing 2022 on account of post-pandemic issues. Nevertheless, as they say, 'the show must go on' and that was the mindset of over participants from OEMs and components ecosystems from India and abroad.

This year's edition has attracted the participation of over 800 companies from 15 countries including Canada, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the UK, and USA. Standalone pavilions were dedicated to countries like France, Germany, Japan, Poland, South Korea and the UK at the expo. Notable country absentee was China. The first two days of the event was dedicated to media with unveils, global premieres by OEMs and component industry with equal enthusiasm.

In Passenger Vehicles, Maruti Suzuki India, Tata Motors, MG and Kia Motors showcased their concepts of EV platforms to be launched in 2025, while Hyundai launched its premium EV Ioniq 5.

In commercial vehicles, Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland and Volvo Eicher Vehicles showcased their multi-fuel approach to clean energy in the form of LNG, EVs and Hydrogen (H2ICE and fuel cells) concepts and prototypes.