By Elton Gomes
Bengaluru based start-up, Sun Mobility, plans to establish the first batch of battery-swapping stations for electric two and three wheelers by the end of the last quarter of this fiscal year.
Chetan Maini, co-founder and vice-chairman at SUN Mobility, said in an interview that his company will deploy “test stations in the field in the next couple of months since the technology has been developed,” Live Mint reported. Maini said further, “In the last quarter of this year, we will put 50 to 100 of them out there.”
The stations will use modular batteries that suit all types of e-vehicles (EV). They will be set up at current bus depots around the country, in northern Indian to cater to e-rickshaws, and in southern India to charge electric two-wheelers. Maini said, “Different cities will have different solutions because the consumer profiling is very different,” as per the Live Mint report.
Sun Mobility looks to revamp sustainable transport in India
Maini is the founder of India’s first electric car, Reva. Although Reva might not have enjoyed a favourable track record, Maini’s company seems eager to make a mark in the electric vehicles scene in India.
In March 2018, Business Standard reported that Sun Mobility is planning to invest Rs 16.7 billion to develop charging infrastructure for EVs in Andhra Pradesh. Maini said that the long-term investment will be carried out over a period of three to five years.
The report further mentioned that Sun Mobility proposes a pilot program at Visakhapatnam before moving on to other cities. Maini plans to bring in additional investment in the project. He said, “We are also in discussions with multiple partners who want to invest and work on this,” as per Business Standard.
In 2017, the Bengaluru-based start-up entered a strategic alliance with Ashok Leyland to develop electric buses with swap-and-charge battery technology. The joint enterprise revealed Circuit S – which was India’s first electric bus with swappable batteries. The fully charged batteries can power the bus for 50 to 60 kilometres and take less than four minutes to swap.
Electric vehicle infrastructure in India
The Indian government has been attempting to rid Indian roads of petrol and diesel cars. The Centre has plans to transform India into a purely electric market by 2030. The intended transformation will definitely reduce fuel bills and harmful emissions. The Indian automotive industry would also be witness to monumental changes, and India would perhaps be on its way to becoming a leading electric vehicle market.
India’s power ministry, in March 2018, aimed to release guidelines for power distribution companies and EV charging service providers by the end of the month. “We had set up a committee with the Central Electricity Authority. So, they had drawn up some (recommendations) which they will present to me…It’s almost ready. Within 20 days, I think I should be able to come out with both the policy as well as regulations,” India’s power minister R.K. Singh said as per a Quartz report. This was treated as a welcome move by industry stakeholders after Union minister Nitin Gadkari dropped the idea of an EV policy.
With regards to vehicle charging infrastructure, India could be expecting business worth Rs. 2 lakh crore from the infrastructure in the next five years. Vijay Karia, chairman, Elecrama 2018, an exhibition focusing on e-transportation and battery systems, said, “We see huge opportunity, as, just the electric charging infrastructure will require a minimum investment of ?2 lakh crore. We will be manufacturing and supplying these,” the Hindu reported.
An article in Firstpost claims that “There is no plan for the government to develop nationwide charging infrastructure. Instead, the government hopes that by promoting the uptake of electric vehicles, it will create the ecosystem by which charging networks will become a necessity.” It can be said that India has ambitious plans for electric vehicles, however, comprehensive policies are crucial for the government to fulfil their 2030 goal.
Elton Gomes is a staff writer at Qrius
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