Renault, Mahindra, Hero, Honda, UQM, Pantherwerke.

Say Hello to KWID: Renault unveiled its latest concept at the Auto Expo India. The sturdy chassis and the oversized wheels give the Kwid a buggy-look. The interior is inspired by a bird’s nest with wing-like doors, opening up electrically. Speaking of birds – Kwid comes with an integrated drone, which can be used for personal traffic surveillance. Powered by a petrol engine for now, Kwid is “Z.E. ready,” meaning there is space for a battery and the plug is already integrated.
indianautosblog.com, green.autoblog.com, technologicvehicles.com (With videos)

Hybrid Diesel: Mahindra is presenting its XUV500 hybrid at the Auto Expo India. The SUV comes with a diesel engine assisted by a permanent magnet synchronous motor that gets its energy from a li-ion battery. Equipped with a manual transmission, Mahindra claims the XUV500 hybrid will save up to 18% on fuel compared to its diesel-only version.
indianautosblog.com

Hero Scooter: At its home show Auto Expo, Indian manufacturer Hero is displaying two hybrid scooters. With the Leap Hybrid SES being at preproduction stage, the Hero RNT is still a concept. The Leap is in fact an e-scooter featuring a 124cc range extender. The hybrid drivetrain in the RNT is realised by a diesel engine powering the rear and an electric motor powering the front wheels, thus making it an all-wheel drive bike.
technologicvehicles.com (With videos)

Honda Civic sale start: Honda’s 2014 version of its Civic hybrid is now available all over the U.S., starting at 24,635 dollars. Next is the updated Civic powered by CNG, which is expected ten days later and will be available from 26,640 dollars.
green.autoblog.com, greencarcongress.com

UQM capital rise: Colorado-based UQM Technologies, developer of drivetrains for electric vehicles, has announced that it successfully raised its capital by 5.3m dollars through institutional investors. The money will be mainly used for potential joint ventures and capacity expansions.
businesswire.com

Pantherwerke down: German (electric) bicycle manufacturer Panther has filed for insolvency. While based in Germany, it operated factories in Eastern Europe. The Lithuania plant was sold in November last year and the company continues to trade as BV Cycles GmbH from Germany. What effects the bankruptcy will have on other Panther operations is uncertain.
bike-eu.com