The suspect claims of Triton EV’s Himanshu Patel

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Editor's note: Himanshu Patel visited a premier research institute in Mumbai in early November to great fanfare. The founder and CEO of New Jersey, US-based Triton EV came dressed to the nines in a big, shiny car with Gujarat registration and a VIP number plate. Then he made an unusual request. He needed gate passes for the armed security guards accompanying him.  “I have seen celebrities visiting the campus but this was another level,” says a person in the know, requesting anonymity. “This man was flashy and it seemed like a carefully created and nurtured character, always ready for performance.” His description of Patel’s entry reminded me of the glorious Come Fly With Me scene from the Steven Spielberg movie Catch Me If You Can. At the institute, Patel talked a good game. He spoke about energy systems and went into granular details of battery technology. He explained how lithium-ion technology is dead and how everyone is now investing in hydrogen-powered vehicles. He spoke about challenges like he has overcome them, even the ones that are theoretically impossible to overcome. He did …