SMEV India suspends constitution, seeks revamp under new head

The Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV), a lobby of Indian electric-vehicle makers, announced it has suspended its constitution and gone into voluntary hibernation.

In a statement, the association said it would suspend all operational actions and launch a revamp under civil activist and former BJP spokesperson Sanjay Kaul, who has been appointed as 'Chief Evangelist'. 

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Ajay Sharma, secretary general of SMEV, said: "We have requested Mr Kaul to help revise the agenda of the association for the sector and develop a new charter that aims to lift the industry from the situation it finds itself in right now. His experience in working with different groups, and his ability to forge consensus and his insight into the industry will be sought to help fashion a new direction for the association in relation to the EV sector."

The society has been at odds with the Center over various issues, from reduction of incentives under the FAME-II scheme, to delisting of companies from the portal of the National Automotive Board. 

The government had slashed subsidy under FAME-II by 50 percent to ₹10,000/Kwh from ₹15,000/Kwh, and consumers reacted by sending sales down a similar percentage: E2W sales for the month of June fell to just under 46,000 units after crossing 1 lakh units in May.