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Charged on spirits, ThunderPlus unveils ethanol power
MUMBAI: Looks like India’s electric future just got a shot of “liquid courage.” In a move that’s set to energise the country’s green mobility drive, ThunderPlus and Trinity Cleantech have launched the world’s first ethanol-powered, mobile 150 kW DC fast charger, the ME energy rapid charger 150, in Hyderabad.
Forget heavy grid setups and endless approvals, this clean, portable powerhouse can be up and running in just 72 hours, and it runs entirely on ethanol, a bio-fuel made from plants. The result? Up to 80 per cent lower CO2 emissions and half the operational costs of diesel generators.
“This innovation is all about collapsing timelines, cutting diesel dependence, and giving India a cleaner, instantly deployable charging solution,” said ThunderPlus director and CEO Rajeev YSR. “We proudly call it liquid electricity.”
Unveiling the charger, Olectra Green Tech Ltd. managing director Mahesh Babu hailed it as a “game-changer” for India’s electric bus and fleet ecosystem. “It’s a breakthrough that slashes costs and wait times while boosting sustainability. Perfect for roadside assistance and depots as the grid catches up,” he said.
Trinity Cleantech executive director Raj Kumar added that the product is made under a patented licence from Germany’s ME Energy GmbH and is ready for rollout across India. “It offers a scalable, economical path for companies serious about decarbonising their operations,” he noted.
Inspired by Nitin Gadkari’s ethanol mission, the launch was attended by leaders from India’s clean mobility sector, including Chandramouli Vemula from SIDBI, who praised it as a perfect fit for the nation’s green-finance goals.
The rapid charger 150 isn’t just for EVs stranded on highways. It’s also ideal for remote depots, logistics hubs, mining zones, and even construction sites where grid access is tricky. Beyond transport, it could replace diesel gensets in residential and commercial spaces, offering both power and charging in one eco-friendly package.
With over 1,000 chargers across 60 cities, ThunderPlus has already become one of India’s fastest-growing EV charging companies, working with giants like Tata Motors, Olectra, and Mahindra. Trinity Cleantech, meanwhile, continues to push the boundaries of clean energy innovation.
Together, the two firms are proving that India’s future runs not just on electricity, but on ethanol-fuelled ingenuity. It’s not just a new charger on the block; it’s the start of a cleaner, cleverer India on the move.
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Uber launches hotel bookings feature in partnership with Expedia
From hotel bookings to room service at your door, the ride-hailing giant is making its boldest push yet into everyday life
CALIFORNIA: Uber is done being just a taxi app. At its annual GO-GET product event, the world’s leading mobility and delivery platform unveiled a sweeping set of new features designed to plant itself at the centre of how people travel, eat and shop, hotel bookings included.
The headline move is a partnership with Expedia Group that lets Uber users in the United States book hotels directly within the Uber app, with access to a catalogue that will eventually grow to more than 700,000 properties worldwide. Uber One members get 10 per cent back in Uber One credits on all hotel bookings and savings of at least 20 per cent on a rolling list of more than 10,000 hotels globally. Vacation rentals from Vrbo, Expedia Group’s home-rental brand, will be added later this year. The partnership is expected to expand beyond the United States. From June, Uber rides will also be integrated directly into the Expedia app, with push notifications sent to travellers ahead of hotel check-in to book discounted Uber rides for the duration of their stay.
Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive of Uber, framed the expansion in terms of the modern condition. “Uber is becoming an app for everything, helping people go, get, and now travel all in one place,” he said. “We’re all living through a moment of real cognitive overload: too many apps, too many decisions, too much noise. At the end of the day, our job is to help people reclaim their time, spending less of it managing the logistics of life and more of it actually living.”
Ariane Gorin, chief executive of Expedia Group, struck a similarly ambitious note. “Travel should feel effortless, and this partnership gets us one step closer to offering a seamless traveller experience,” she said. “By connecting our two-sided marketplace with Uber, we’re bringing Uber rides directly into the Expedia app and Expedia Group’s lodging inventory into the Uber app through our Rapid API technology. Together, we’re helping travellers spend less time planning and more time enjoying the journey.”
Beyond hotels, the product announcements come thick and fast. Travel Mode, available within both the Uber and Uber Eats apps, offers curated recommendations on local favourites, tourist destinations, OpenTable restaurant reservations and on-demand delivery to hotel rooms. Uber One International means the membership programme now works globally, allowing members to earn credits on rides abroad that can be redeemed once back home. A new Shop for Me feature lets users request items from any store, even those not listed on the app. Eats for the Way allows riders in select cities booking an Uber Black or Uber Black SUV to have a drink or snack waiting for them in the car. Voice Bookings, powered by artificial intelligence, lets users book a ride conversationally, without touching their phone. And a redesigned One Search bar consolidates results for places, food and items across the entire Uber platform in a single query.
Uber has now logged more than 72 billion trips since it launched in 2010. The question it is now answering is what comes after the ride. The answer, apparently, is everything else. Whether users want a hotel in Paris, a coffee in the back of a car or a snake plant from the local garden centre, Uber would very much like to be the one to provide it. The app economy’s land grab has a new front-runner.
NOTE: The image used is AI generated and only for representational purposes.
