E-Mobility+ Mar-Apr Issue 2021

M A R C H

POWERING

SMART,

ELECTRIC,

EFFICIENT

HOW ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES ARE DRIVING THE

REVOLUTION? PERSPECTIVE

HOW SUPPORTIVE IS THE CURRENT EV POLICY ECOSYSTEM TO DRIVE THE SECTOR FORWARD?

www.emobilityplus.com

|

V O L U M E

2

|

I S S U E 5

MOBILITY

NOITULOVER VE

INSIGHTS

2 0 2 1

CONTENT PERSPECTIVE

22

26

29

HOW SUPPORTIVE IS THE CURRENT EV POLICY ECOSYSTEM TO DRIVE THE SECTOR FORWARD?

ANALYSIS OF INDIA'S ELECTRIC VEHICLE TRANSITION OVER THE YEARS AND THE PRESENT SCENARIO

WHAT ARE SOME POTENTIAL BUSINESS MODELS FOR REDESIGNING THE ELECTRIC MOBILITY LANDSCAPE IN INDIA?

INSIGHTS

20

HOW ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES ARE DRIVING THE EV REVOLUTION?

INDIA NEWS

POLICY DEBEIEF

04

11

IN CONVERSATION

13

15 HEMANT KABRA

NISHCHAL CHAUDHARY

Managing Director, MEW Electricals Limited (BGauss)

Founder, BattRE Electric Mobility

In an insightful interview with EMobility+, Mr. Hemant Kabra - Managing Director, MEW Electricals Limited (BGauss) speaks about the EV journey of BGAUSS and how its product stands out from the others.

In an exclusive conversation with EMobility+, Mr. Nishchal Chaudhary, Founder, BattRE Electric Mobility speaks about the journey of his company BattRE and what factors led to its success.

17 HIMANSHU JADHAV CEO & Director, Jendamark India Pvt. Ltd. To start with, we know that 2020 has been a tough year overall for all of us. Kindly tell us how have you tackled this year?

EDITING

ADVERTISING

CONTENT

Sangita Shetty

Smriti Singh

Ashwini Chikkodi

editorial@firstviewgroup.com

Meghna Sharma

Sadhana Raju Shenvekar Sanjana Kamble publishing@firstviewgroup.com

DESIGNING

CIRCULATION

SUBSCRIPTION

Radha Buddhadev

Kunal Verma

subscribe@firstviewgroup.com

design@firstviewgroup.com

PUBLISHING

PRINTING

Firstview Media

Vaibhav Enterprises

Ventures Pvt. Ltd.

INDIANEWS All vehicles compatible with the CCS fast-charging standard can use the latest EV charging station in Calicut.

PARTNERSHIPS MG Motor And Tata Power Deploy The First 50 KW Superfast EV Charging Station At Calicut Rapidly advancing the EV infrastructure in India, MG Motor and Tata Power have deployed the 50 kW Superfast public EV charging station in Calicut, popularly known as The City of Spices.

The deployment is in line with MG’s vision to enhance the national EV charging ecosystem with 50 kW and 60 kW DC superfast charging stations.

MG has so far installed 22 superfast charging stations across 17 cities in India, which is the highest by any Auto OEM. All vehicles compatible with the CCS fast-charging standard can use the latest EV charging station in Calicut. MG extends a 5-way charging ecosystem to its customers, which includes a free-of-cost AC fast-charger (installed at the customer’s home/office), extended charging network, a plug-and-charge cable onboard, and charge-on-the-go with RSA (Roadside Assistance).

Central Railway Collaborates With UNEP & Tata Power To Launch Electric Vehicle Charging Points At Mumbai’s Railway Stations Central Railway, Mumbai, in association with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Tata Power have announced the launch of their novel green initiative for promoting e-mobility in Mumbai. In the first phase, key railway stations have been lined up including CSMT (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus), Thane, Dadar, Parel and Byculla for which work orders have already been floated. The second phase will cover the next set of stations including Kurla LTT (Lokmanya Tilak Terminus), Bhandup, Panvel and Kurla. Areas at the entry-exit points of railway stations which have parking facilities have been earmarked for the charging stations as per availability.

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

Amazon India Partners With Mahindra Electric To Help Fulfil Its Commitment Towards Electric Mobility Amazon India announced its partnership with Mahindra Electric to further strengthen its commitment towards electric mobility in the country. In 2020, Amazon India has announced that its fleet of delivery vehicles will include 10,000 electric vehicles (EVs) by 2025 in India. These EVs are in addition to the global commitment of 100,000 electric vehicles in the delivery fleet by 2030 announced in the Climate Pledge signed by Amazon. This partnership with Mahindra Electric is an important step towards India’s progress in the emobility industry to achieve its environmental sustainability goals.

Sterling & Wilson To Enter India’s EV Segment In Partnership With Enel X Sterling and Wilson Pvt Ltd (SWPL) which is one of India’s leading engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) companies has made an announcement that it will enter into the e-mobility segment in India. For this, it is partnering with the global energy solutions provider, Enel X. SWPL will introduce Enel X’s Juice family of high-tech, digital and smart DC and fast AC electrical vehicle chargers in India. The joint venture will be incorporated on April 1 and will start operating from the second quarter of 2021.

MG Motor India Inaugurates New EV Charging Station in Chennai With Tata Power Recently, MG Motor and Tata Power deployed a new 50 kW Superfast public EV charging station in Chennai. The inauguration ceremony was hosted at the MG Dealership. This installation is in line with MG’s plan to enhance the national EV charging ecosystem with 50 kW and 60 kW DC superfast charging stations. MG along with its partners has so far installed 22 superfast charging stations across 17 cities in India. This EV Charging station will facilitate CCS fast-charging. All vehicles compatible with the fast-charging standard can use the latest EV charging station in Chennai. MG extends a 5way charging ecosystem to its customers, including a free-of-cost AC fastcharger (installed at the customer’s home/office), extended charging network, a plug-and-charge cable onboard, and charge-on-the-go with RSA (Roadside Assistance).

This partnership with Mahindra Electric is an important step towards India’s progress in the e-mobility industry to achieve its environmental sustainability goals.

PG 4

PARTNERSHIPS

ELECTRIC VEHICLE PARTNERSHIPS COGOS Partners With Altigreen To Deploy 1000 EVs In Its Logistics Fleet COGOS announced its partnership with Altigreen today by deploying 1000 EVs in its fleet, a step to further strengthen its commitment towards electric mobility in the country. This partnership has materialized at an opportune time as the budget 2021 and the later impositions of green tax and new scrap policy extensively showed the government’s intent to enhance EV adoption in India. COGOS plans to bring in at least 30% of its revenue from green technologies by 2023 and this agreement paves the path to reach their sustainable goals.

CSTEP Signs MoU With Hygge Energy, Partnership To Focus On RE And Electric Mobility Segments One of India’s leading think tanks, the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) has signed an MoU with Canadian clean technology company Hygge Energy Inc. to collaborate in the renewable energy and electric mobility segments. As part of the arrangement, CSTEP and Hygge (pronounced hoo-guh) would jointly promote projects, including in the arena of electric vehicle (EV) charging through the use of renewables, besides conceptualising, designing, and developing pilot projects for demonstration and policy uptake.

“COGOS announced its partnership with Altigreen today by deploying 1000 EVs in its fleet, a step to further strengthen its commitment towards electric mobility in the country.”

CEO- RAMA MOHAN KATTA COGOS TECHNOLOGIES EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

PG 5

INSIGHTS

India’s Vehicle Scrappage Policy Presents Opportunity To Nearly Four Million Vehicles The voluntary vehicle scrappage policy under the Indian Union Budget 2021-22 will drive the sales of new fuel-efficient and environment-friendly vehicles, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. According to GlobalData’s Automotive Intelligence Center, India had a light vehicle parc of 37.4 million vehicles in 2019, with growth to 44.7 million vehicles forecast by 2024.

Vehicles aged 13 years and older constitute 12.7% or 4.74 million units of the total parc, with more than half of that total being more than 20 years old.

Without the scrappage policy, GlobalData expects the vehicle parc of vehicles aged 13 years and older to grow at a CAGR of 14% between 2019 and 2024.

Flipkart Aims For 100% Electric Mobility By 2030 By Deploying More Than 25,000 EVs In Its Supply Chain Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, announced that it will deploy more than 25,000 electric vehicles by 2030. This is in line with Flipkart’s public commitment to transition to electric vehicles across its city logistics fleet and help set up charging infrastructure around delivery hubs and offices to fast track the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in India. Flipkart has already started deploying 2-wheeler and 3-wheeler electric vehicles in multiple locations for delivery across the country, including in Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Guwahati and Pune, to name a few.

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

NITI Aayog And RMI India Report: India’s EV Financing Industry Projected To Be Worth Rs 3.7 Lakh Crore In 2030 NITI Aayog and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) India released a new report ‘Mobilising Electric Vehicle Financing in India’, which highlights the role of finance in the India’s transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and analyses that the transition will require a cumulative capital investment of USD 266 billion (Rs 19.7 lakh crore) in EVs, charging infrastructure, and batteries over the next decade. The report also identifies a market size of USD 50 billion (Rs 3.7 lakh crore) for the financing of EVs in 2030—about 80% of the current size of India’s retail vehicle finance industry, worth USD 60 billion (Rs 4.5 lakh crore) today. End-users currently face several challenges, such as high interest rates, high insurance rates, and low loan-to-value ratios. To address these challenges, NITI Aayog and RMI have identified a toolkit of 10 solutions that financial institutions such as banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), as well as the industry and government can adopt in catalysing the required capital.

Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, announced that it will deploy more than 25,000 electric vehicles by 2030.

PG 6

BUZZ

New Electric Scooter Okinawa Dual Launched Electric two-wheeler manufacturer Okinawa Autotech has launched the Okinawa Dual, priced at ₹ 58,998. According to the company, the Okinawa Dual has been designed to transform the delivery sector and enhance efficiency for businesses, as well as offer solutions for last mile logistics. The B2B electric two-wheeler is described as having the largest loading capacity ever on a two-wheeler, with dual loading capacity on the front as well as the rear of the vehicle. The Okinawa Dual is also offered with additional customised accessories such as delivery box, stackable crates, cold storage box for medicines, cylinder carrier, lab on wheels etc. that can seamlessly and safely carry products.

Gulf Oil Lubricants India Set To Explore Opportunities In EV Charging Space The company Gulf Oil Lubricants India Ltd (GOLIL) has entered into an agreement with Gulf Oil International (GOI) to participate and co-invest in Gulf Oil International’s recent investment along with the Clean Growth Fund (CGF – a UK venture capital fund) in a UK-based smart energy and electric vehicle technology company Indra Renewable Technologies. As the charging station market is expected to have a good potential in coming years wherein around 50-60 per cent is expected to be in residential charging solutions, Indra Renewable Technologies will be a part of it. This gives access to Gulf India to an established technology in electric vehicle (EV) charging space to adopt the same for Indian conditions and leverage its wide distribution and brand strengths to extend Gulf Branded residential and commercial charging points as per the evolving needs of Indian consumers.

Omega Seiki Launches Electric Three-wheeler – Rage+ Frost Omega Seiki Mobility unveiled its refrigerated electric three-wheeler Rage+ Frost in collaboration with TransACNR for the last mile delivery, particularly COVID-19 vaccine, at the India Auto Show at NESCO Bombay exhibition Center, Goregaon Mumbai. The company said that this all-new Rage+ Frost, which aims at providing 360-degree logistic solutions, will be available panIndia in a couple of months. It has a refrigerated carriage that has been designed for pharmaceuticals and food delivery, with the battery-powered vehicle having the capacity to store vaccines for 72 hours in a stationary state at a temperature as low as -20 degrees celsius. The e-vehicle runs on zero maintenance Lithium-ion battery technology with a swappable option.

The aerodynamic design offers a low cost of running at Rs. 0.5/km.

Detel Launches New Electric Two-wheeler PiMo: PiBeam Electric Launches First Utility Electric Two-Wheeler PiBeam Electric, an IIT Madras incubated electric vehicle (EV) startup has launched its first sustainable, uniquely designed, and affordablypriced electric two-wheeler (E2W) ‘PiMo’. The company claims that PiMo is India’s first urban utility EV, with a 50 Km Range at a speed of 25 Km/hr that charges under 2 Hrs of charging time. The e-bike is equipped with a 600 Wh Li-Ion Battery with a 250 W BLDC Motor. The e-bike has a dual telescopic suspension that ensures a smooth ride fitted with a sturdy frame with a Swing Arm that allows the e-bike to run over every type of road. The e-bike also has powerful dual disc brakes. It is priced at INR 30,000 and comes with six different color variants.

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

Detel, an Indian EV startup unveiled an electric two-wheeler “Detel Easy Plus” at India Auto Show 2021 in Mumbai. The company will launch the new twowheeler in the month of April.

The company had launched an electric two-wheeler-Detel Easy in 2020. The company claims that Detel Easy Plus will be the best fit for Indian roads in its price range. It will be available in four colour variants which includes Yellow, Red, Teal Blue and Royal Blue. In addition to this the company is also planning to bring out a commercial e-vehicle- Detel East Loader by the end of year 2021.

Ola To Deploy ABB Robotics And Automation Solutions At Its Mega-factory For Electric Scooters Ola announced that it has selected ABB as one of its key partners for robotics and automation solutions for its mega-factory in India that will roll out the much-anticipated Ola electric scooter. Ola’s scooter mega-factory, billed to be the world’s largest scooter factory, is expected to be ready and operational in the coming months. Ola will utilise ABB’s automation solutions in its factory’s key manufacturing process lines, including its painting and welding lines, while the ABB robots will be deployed extensively for the battery and motor assembly lines. These include ABB’s “IRB 5500” paint and “IRB 2600” Integrated Dressing robots in its painting and welding lines, and “IRB 6700” robots for assembly and material handling in the battery and motor assembly areas. ABB robots will be digitally integrated into Ola’s AIenabled mega-factory, to optimize robot performance, productivity and product quality.

PG 7

BUZZ Ampere Electric Plans Investment Of INR 700 Crores For E-mobility Manufacturing Plant In Ranipet, Tamil Nadu Ampere Electric, the wholly owned electric mobility subsidiary of Greaves Cotton Ltd, announced a phased investment potential of INR 700 crore over 10 years to set up a world class e-mobility manufacturing plant in Ranipet, Tamil Nadu. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed by the Company, with the Government of Tamil Nadu. Ampere Electric’s Ranipet plant will have the potential to start manufacturing 100,000 units in its first year of operation, and has the potential to scale to 1 million units per annum. This facility will be operational by 2021, providing employment opportunities to the local population. To be built on the principles of Industry 4.0, the Ranipet Plant will boast an advanced automation process for superior manufacturing capabilities.

Service eBikeGo Secures Best Funding Of $1.5 Million For Last Mile EV Expansion eBikeGo which is a EV logistics platform has raised $1.5Mn funding from a group of Overseas and Indian investors. The company plans to expand to 30 cities, touch 20 million deliveries and save 4,000 tons of Co2 emissions by 2022 while continuing to be an asset light business. The company partners with franchisee owners, NBFCs and OEMs through asset leasing models and is able to consistently offer 25%+ IRR to asset partners due to high asset utilization & lower O&M costs. The company is investing heavily into transportation data science that not only helps to run highly optimized delivery operations but also “enhances asset life”, but also increases asset ROI and cuts downtime by 30-40%.

BestRaises Service Vogo Automotive 11.5 Million USD To Accelerate EV Growth Vogo Automotive which provides a self-ride two-wheeler rental service announced that it has raised USD11.5 million capital as an extension of series C round, from its existing investors including Lightrock, Kalaari, Matrix Partners and Stellaris Venture Partners.The funds will be utilised to expand and electrify the fleet, to increase focus on achieving profitability by improving unit economics, asset utilisation and to optimise marketing growth through better consumer understanding. The company was founded in 2016 by the alumni of IITs and IIMs, Anand Ayyadurai, Padmanabhan Balakrishnan and Sanchit Mittal.It is a personal mobility solution provider that offers flexible, affordable and reliable two-wheeler rides to daily commuters. VOGO has served more than 10 million rides covering about 130 million km since 2016. Post pandemic, VOGO has witnessed an overwhelming response from the cities and are registering a strong month-onmonth growth.

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

Triton EV Plans To Enter India With Two EV Models New Jersey-USA headquartered Triton Electric Vehicle LLC has unleashed its firm plans to enter India with its manufacturing facility set up. The company is in discussion with a few Indian states for setting up a well-equipped EV car manufacturing base in India with all the advanced technologies and state of the art infrastructure. The upcoming manufacturing facility of Triton EV will produce EV Cars for India and other countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Middle East region and Africa. An MoU was signed recently between Triton EV and BEL (Bharat Electronics Ltd) to develop the batteries and EV technologies. The two organizations will work on Energy Storage Systems & Electric Vehicles development.

Piaggio’s Ape’ Electrik FX Electric Vehicle Range Launched The company Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd (PVPL) launched their FX range (fixed battery) of electric vehicles in both the cargo and passenger segments recently. The Ape’ E-Xtra FX comes with an introductory price of Rs 3.12 lakh while Ape’ E-City FX is priced at Rs. 2.83 lakh (all prices ex-showroom, India), post-Fame-II subsidy benefit. The new Ape’ E-Xtra FX claims to be the most powerful electric cargo in the segment with 9.5Kw power output. It comes with a full metal body architecture fitted with a 6ft cargo deck length. It is also customizable for applications like the delivery van, garbage collector, etc.

EV Startup Matter To Launch Twowheelers In 2021 Ahmedabad-based technology and electric start-up company Matter plans to launch electric vehicles (EV) two wheelers in the fourth quarter of calendar year 2021. The company is led by one of the Lalbhai scions. Mohal Lalbhai who is Matter founder and chief executive officer said that the two wheeler will be designed to cater to the mass adoption market and the vehicles will be eligible for FAME-II subsidies. Matter will be manufacturing these motorcycles at its local plant in Ahmedabad prior to mass distribution across the country. The company will manufacture EV twowheelers with an initial capacity of 60000 units per annum.

PG 8

BUZZ Etrio Launches ‘E-lease’ Model For Its Made-In-India Electric Three-Wheeler Etrio, India’s fastest growing electric vehicle start-up with an aim of electrifying intra city logistics has launched an attractive leasing model called ‘E-Lease’ for its newly launched completely made-in-India cargo three-wheeler EV “Touro” Mini with an easy monthly rental starting from just Rs. 6300 /- per month for a tenure of three years. With a powerful certified range of 100 km on a single charge, this vehicle could carry a payload of up to 350 kgs. Touro Mini comes with an unmatched warranty of 3 years or 1 lakh km for its lithium-ion battery pack with convenient buy-back options. This coupled with a 3 year or 60000 km powertrain warranty makes the vehicle truly electric and completely maintenance-free.

Touro Mini cargo and passenger lithium-ion variants are available starting at a price of 1.87 lacs (ex-showroom).

Indian EV Startup Detel Plans To Raise INR 150 cr This Year Indian Electric vehicle manufacturer Detel said it is planning to raise INR 150 crore by the end of this year. The funds will be utilised for developing new product lines for tier-2 and tier-3 markets at a competitive price. The brand had unveiled the advanced model of Detel Easy i.e Detel EV Plus catering to the needs of the B2C segment and Detel Easy Loader for B2B at the Auto Show 2020.

The company will be creating an R&D facility and manufacturing unit in Gurugram as it plans to manufacture 100% localised EV components here itself.

Jaguar Land Rover Retailer Network Gears Up For Launch Of The All-Electric Jaguar I-PACE In India Jaguar Land Rover India has announced the readiness of its Retailer network to welcome its first All-Electric Performance SUV, the Jaguar I-PACE. Twenty two Retail outlets across 19 cities are now EV ready in terms of infrastructure, as well as sales and after-sales support. The current Jaguar Land Rover Retailer charging infrastructure extensively covers the metro cities and key urban hubs across the country. Currently over 35 EV chargers have been installed at Retailer facilities across India and more are underway. In addition, Jaguar Land Rover customers will be able to charge their Jaguar I-PACE using Tata Power’s EZ Charge Network with over 200 charging points across the country.

Magenta In Collaboration With HPCL Installs First Set Of Street Lamp Integrated EV Charger – ChargeGrid Flare “ChargeGrid Flare” street lamp integrated charger, a unique initiative by HPCL and Magenta, has opened at HPCL Bandra Kurla Complex outlet in Mumbai and Nitimarg T&E outlet in Delhi. This class of EV charging points are first in India, to incorporate within energy-efficient street lamp columns, which will encourage EV adoption for flexible and low-cost charging solutions. The ChargeGrid Flare is a smartly built, inclusive power saving efficient LED lamp, robust street light pole & Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment made for Indian climatic conditions enabling online and remote monitoring of the chargers. It has an automated payment gateway through the ChargeGrid App, thereby eliminating the need of having a station marshal to monitor, maintain & operate the chargers at the location.

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

Euler Motors Raises Additional INR 30 Crores As Part Of Ongoing Series A Fundraise Euler Motors, an automotive technology OEM focused on electric commercial vehicles (EVs) raised INR 30 crores as a part of its ongoing Series A round, led by existing investors, Inventus India and Jetty Ventures.

Euler Motors plans to use these funds for a new production facility, R&D activities, and expansion of charging & servicing infrastructure. Euler Motors has so far raised INR 50 crores in its series A fundraise and has raised nearly INR 65 crores since the company’s inception. This investment is significant as it comes at a point when the company is gearing up to launch its first electric cargo three-wheeler in Q2 2021 and expand to new markets in the country. The company plans to expand its customer base in sectors like retail, FMCG, pharma, and utility. Euler Motors will also strengthen its supply chain in India by investing in technology and working closely with vendors to achieve high levels of localization of EV manufacturing in India.

EV Startup LightSpeed Mobility Eyes To Raise INR 5 Crore As the demand for bicycles is growing, Ahmedabad-based e-mobility startup, LightSpeed Mobility Private Limited, which manufactures electric bicycles, saw its sales volumes double during the pandemic. When it comes to an electric bicycle, it is akin to a regular bicycle but provides the ease of moving without pedaling and using it on the motor as needed. Only initially, the driver needs to pedal the electric bicycle as later on the motor helps it move. This means it provides the flexibility for commuting as well as for workouts. LightSpeed Mobility designs, manufactures, and sells electric bicycles and assembles them at its workshop in Saraspur area of Ahmedabad. It offers five models.

PG 9

BUZZ

COGOS Technologies To Employ 500 Women In Its EV Fleet In 2021 India’s fastest growing logistics company, COGOS Technologies on the occasion of International Women’s Day announced its commitment to employ and train 500 women drivers in its EV fleet by December 2021. The company will provide training, support in order to build entrepreneurial skill-sets in women drivers under its full-stack platform. As part of the pilot, they have already successfully trained and hired 50 women under the aegis of this initiative. They aim to target onboarding 100K truckers including women and a revenue growth of 3X YoY by the end of 2021.

Volvo Reveals XC40 EV In India, To Be Launched Soon Volvo is soon set to enter the Indian EV market with its XC40 Recharge and join the electric bandwagon in the luxury segment in India. The Volvo XC40 Recharge will be available for bookings from June with the deliveries of the first batch of the electric vehicle starting from October. It has a claimed range of over 400 kilometres and a certified range of around 335 kilometres. It boasts of a 78 kWh battery pack at its core. The XC40 electric also claims to hit 100 kmph in 4.7 seconds and – much like all Volvo cars being rolled out now – have a capped top speed of 180 kmph.

Mahindra & Mahindra To Set Up Separate Verticals For Last Mile And Personal EVs Mahindra and Mahindra has created a new structure – with a clear focus on the last mile transport solution and the first mile – personal SUV EVs. The company is focusing on its core of SUVs and may be rationalizing the hatchback and sedan EVs in the future. The company has divided the EV business into two verticals. The first being – Last Mile Mobility and the second – EV Tech Centre. This is a significant shift for M&M from its core of diesel engine to petrol and electric vehicles.

Nexzu Mobility Launches Its Disruptive, TechnologicallyAdvanced Supercycle Rompus+ Nexzu Mobility, India’s leading end-to-end sustainable mobility provider, has added yet another cutting-edge electric bicycle to its portfolio of best-in-class EVs. Running on a powerful 36V,250 Watts HUB BLDC Motor, the Rompus+ offers an exceptionally powerful ride. It sports an in-frame 36V, 5.2AH Lithium-Ion battery which gives it an impressive 750 cycle battery life and full charge in just 2.5 to 3 hours. With a comfortable speed of 25 kmph and auto cut off feature, the versatile EV offers longer riding range of 25km on throttle mode and 35km on eco pedelec mode. The motor and battery also offer 18 months warranty, further cementing the brand’s customer-centricity. Rompus+ is priced at INR 31,983 (Includes all basic accessories).

Triton Electric Registers New Unit In India Triton Electric Vehicle LLC which is a US-based company made an announcement that it has registered a subsidiary in India as part of setting up a business in the country. The subsidiary has been registered under the name of Triton Electric Vehicles India Pvt Ltd. This new entity will work towards building the country as one of the biggest markets for Triton EV outside the US. The company said its manufacturing facility in the country would cater to the Indian market and other countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Middle East region and Africa.

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

PG 10

POLICYDEBRIEF GOVERNMENT: CENTRAL Gadkari: Govt To Bring Out A Policy On Advanced Battery Tech To Power EVs Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the government will adopt an integrated approach and come out with a policy to make India self-reliant in the area of advanced battery technologies to power electric vehicles and other applications.Pitching for an integrated approach for developing indigenous fuel cells in the field of electric vehicles, he said India today stands at the cusp of becoming the world leader in this field as well as automobile manufacturing. He stressed the need for advanced and concerted planning as this is one area where there is good scope for becoming the world leader as the automobile sector which has a turnover of Rs 4.5 lakh crore is set to take it to Rs 10 lakh crore in future.

Under FAME-India Scheme, Rs 212 cr Released For Procurement Of Ebuses Under the second phase of FAME-India Scheme, about Rs 212.31 crore has been released for the procurement of electric buses as of January 31 this year. Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the Department of Heavy Industry had invited the Expression of Interest (EoI) from million-plus cities, smart cities, state/UT capitals and cities from special category states for submission of proposal for deployment of electric buses on operational cost basis. After that, 86 proposals from 26 states/UTs for the deployment of about 15,000 ebuses were received. He said that the project implementation and sanctioning committee has sanctioned 5,565 electric buses to 65 cities/ state transport corporations for intra-city operation; 600 electric buses for intercity operation and 100 electric buses for last mile connectivity to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

Gadkari: Govt To Provide Subsidies For 62,000 E-cars, Buses; 15L Electric 3-, 2-wheelers Recently, the parliament was informed that to boost electric mobility, the government aims to support through subsidies about 62,000 electric passenger cars and buses, besides 15 lakh electric three- and two-wheelers.Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari told the Lok Sabha that there will also be focus on creating electric charging infrastructure. Phase-II of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme is being implemented with a total budgetary support of Rs 10,000 crore, he added. He informed that all vehicles will continue to be registered as long as they meet the requisite safety and emission standards. As on February 8, 2021 a total of 98 electric vehicle models (32 two-wheelers, 50 three-wheelers and 16 four-wheelers) have been registered under FAME India Scheme Phase-II.

Transport Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari Launches ‘Go Electric’ Campaign in the August Presence of Power Minister Shri RK Singh Shri Nitin Gadkari in the presence of Shri R. K. Singh, the Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship launched the “Go Electric” Campaign to spread awareness on the benefits of e-mobility and EV Charging Infrastructure as well as electric cooking in India. Shri Gadkari while launching the nationwide campaign said that electric fuel is a major alternative for fossil fuels which have an import bill of Rs. 8 lakh Crore. He also said the Go Electric Campaign is an important initiative that would help in reducing the import dependence of our country in the coming years and would be an important step towards a cleaner and greener future. The campaign is aimed at creating awareness at PAN-India level and is expected to boost the confidence of Electric Vehicle manufacturers.

NTPC In Plans To Start Fuel Cell E-bus Services Between Delhi And Jaipur, Delhi And Agra Recently, power and renewable energy minister R K Singh said that NTPC Ltd which is India’s largest power producer and a central PSU under the Ministry of Power is planning to start premium fuel cell electric bus services between Delhi and Jaipur and Delhi and Agra. Fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) services will also be run in Delhi. At the launch of the Go Electric campaign, the minister said – “We are going to start these premium bus services with FCEV.,” He did not, however, specify any time frame for the beginning of these services. Earlier in April 2020, NTPC’s wholly-owned subsidiary, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN) Limited, had issued a global expression of interest (EoI) for ten FCEVs for public transport in Leh and New Delhi.

Gadkari: Road Transport Ministry Is Taking Initiative To Explore Alternate Fuels Union minister Nitin Gadkari recently told reporters after inaugurating a leather cluster at the Central Leather Research Institute that the Road Transport Ministry has taken the initiative to explore alternative fuels like lithium-ion batteries and hydrogen cells for electric vehicles in the wake of increasing fuel prices. Also on the anvil were aluminium-ion and steel-ion batteries. He also mentioned that recently he launched a bio-CNG run tractor and noted that this fuel can be made from cotton straw, rice straw and bagasse.

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

PG 11

GOVERNMENT: STATE Kailash Gahlot: Delhi Government To Start Registration Of E-autos Soon Transport minister Kailash Gahlot said that the Delhi government will soon start facilitating registration of e-autos that can save up to Rs 29,000 as compared to their CNG equivalents.

The government is planning to focus on adoption of electric three-wheelers, including e-autos, e-rickshaws, and e-carts under its ‘Switch Delhi’ campaign. The Switch Delhi campaign is an eight-week electric vehicle mass awareness campaign to sensitise Delhiites about the benefits of switching to electric vehicles. As three-wheelers are one of the major contributors to vehicular emissions in Delhi, the Delhi policy lays special focus on incentivising the transition of this segment to electric.

Delhi Government To Switch To E-vehicles In Six Months The Delhi government has to set an example to promote the adoption of electric vehicles. Hence, it has taken a step and decided that all vehicles hired by its departments will switch to electric mode within six months. Every vehicle hired by Delhi government’s departments, autonomies bodies and grantee institutions under it will switch from petrol, diesel or CNG-run vehicles to electric ones. The government has also decided to gradually replace all its end-of-life vehicles with EVs and made these measures mandatory. Transport department will be the nodal department to monitor the progress of the transition from existing diesel or petrol vehicle fleets to EVs. All departments will have to show it monthly action reports on the transition to EVs by the fifth of every month.

Meghalaya Comes Up With New EV Policy 2021 The Indian state of Meghalaya has decided to go green with the introduction of Meghalaya Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy 2021. The policy will come into effect from April 1. Under the policy, there are many purchase incentives for early adopters in 2W, 3W, 4W and buses. The policy is made to facilitate the adoption of at least 15% EVs in the State by 2025. The aim is to add around 20,000 EVs in the State during the policy period. This will save about 50 lakh liters of fuel, resulting in a reduction of about 10,000 Kg of CO2 per day, which will reduce more than 36.5 lakh Kg of CO2 per year, the policy said.

Bihar Government Commissions 12 Electric Low-floor Buses For The State

Nitin Gadkari: Scrapping Incentives To Be Provided Under Delhi EV Policy The parliament was informed that scrapping incentives including up to Rs 7,500 per vehicle for auto and light commercial vehicles will be provided by the Delhi government under Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy 2020. The Delhi EV Policy aims to establish the feasibility for large scale adoption of electric passenger four wheelers, through transitioning its entire government fleet to electric.

Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Road Transport, Highways and MSMEs Minister informed that – “Under the provision, all leased/hired cars used for commute of GNCTD officers shall be transitioned to electric within a period of twelve months from the date of issue of this policy.”

Odisha Govt To Provide Incentives To Buyers Of Electric vehicles The government of the state of Odisha has proposed to offer attractive incentives to buyers of electric vehicles. As per the draft Electric Vehicle (EV) policy, EV buyers are likely to get a 15% subsidy on the purchase.

A maximum of Rs 5,000 subsidy would be given to buyers of two-wheeler buyers, while it would be Rs 12,000 for three-wheelers and Rs 1 lakh for four-wheelers. Government employees would get a 100% interest free loan to purchase electric vehicles as per the draft notification. Setting up of charging infrastructure shall be mandated in the housing policy by the housing and urban development department. The government will provide a grant for purchase of charging equipment up to Rs 5,000 for the first 20,000 such points-notified the policy.

The Bihar government has taken a step in a bid to maintain an eco-friendly environment and commissioned 12 electric low-floor buses in the state. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar flagged off these buses. In addition, 70 more luxury and semi-luxury buses were also rolled out over the roads of Bihar. Two buses would run between Patna to Rajgir and Patna to Muzaffarpur. Besides, eight buses would be operating on different routes of Patna.70 other buses are scheduled to travel between all 38 districts in the state.

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

PG 12

INCONVERSATION

HEMANT KABRA MANAGING DIRECTOR, MEW ELECTRICALS LIMITED (BGAUSS)

I n a n i n s i g h t f u l i n t e r v i e w wi t h E Mo b i l i t y + , Mr . He ma n t K a b r a Ma n a g i n g Di r e c t o r , ME W E l e c t r i c a l s L i mi t e d ( BGa u s s ) speaks about the EV journey of BGAUS S a n d h o w i t s p r o d u c t s t a n d s o u t f r o m t h e o t h e r s . He also spoke about how the brand plans to grow and contribute to the Indian EV sector in the c o mi n g y e a r s .

Please tell us how did your EV journey begin and how has it been so far?

Th e wo r l d i s s e t t o e x p e r i e n c e k e y c h a n g e s i n mo b i l i t y i n t h e c o mi n g t i me s ; wi t h e l e c t r i f i c a t i o n b e i n g t h e ma j o r o n e . Th e r e h a v e b e e n ma n y k e y d e v e l o p me n t s a n d i n v e s t me n t s i n I n d i a i n t h e electric vehicle sector.

Looking into the future of mo b i l i t y , t h e r e n o w s t a n d s a chance to develop a t r a n s p o r t a t i o n s y s t e m wh i c h c a n facilitate thriving and vibrant c o mmu n i t i e s i n o u r c i t i e s a n d t o wn s . F u t u r e mo b i l i t y i s a b o u t s t r i v i n g t o wa r d s e n v i r o n me n t f r i e n d l y , i n t e g r a t e d , a u t o ma t e d and personalized travel ond e ma n d .

S u s t a i n a b l e mo b i l i t y i s t h e n e e d o f t h e h o u r . Ou r b r a n d l e g a c y and in-house expertise in electric & electronics equipped us to t a k e a s t e p i n t h i s d i r e c t i o n wi t h t h e l a u n c h o f BGAUS S .

We h a v e s e e n a v e r y p o s i t i v e response all across our d e a l e r s h i p wi t h i n s u c h l i t t l e t i me .

People are very keen and set to change for the better.

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

''LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY, THERE NOW STANDS A CHANCE TO DEVELOP A TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM WHICH CAN FACILITATE THRIVING AND VIBRANT COMMUNITIES IN OUR CITIES AND TOWNS.'' There is a lot of competition in the electric 2W segment. How will your products stand out with respect to the same?

BGAUS S i s a d y n a mi c , s t y l i s h , p r e mi u m- y e t a f f o r d a b l e a u t o mo b i l e b r a n d .

I t i s a r a n g e o f p r e mi u m e l e c t r i c a u t o mo b i l e s , designed especially for urban and developing areas, wi t h a n o b j e c t i v e t o e l e v a t e lifestyles and conserve the e n v i r o n me n t . Wi t h a f l u i d d e s i g n , e a s e , c o mf o r t , l o w ma i n t e n a n c e , g r e a t p o we r , q u i c k c h a r g i n g a n d mo r e f e a t u r e s t h a t ma k e e v e r y d a y l i f e e a s i e r a n d mo r e convenient.

The market is very huge for all electric scooters. We have to understand what best we can deliver to our consumers.

And people will accept our design , style , product and technology.

It’s important for people to see the technology that we’re working with and touch and feel our product.

We have made sure we give an elegant design product along with technology at an affordable price with the trust that the company is always there to address customers queries with a better experience . We always believe in customer first approach.

What do you have to say about the recent EV policy initiatives announced by the government?

Government is taking a lot of efforts to promote EV sales by giving FAME 2 Subsidy and also reducing the GST to 5% , maximum states are not charging road tax and also state wise schemes have been introduced which gives customers benefits of extensive reduced price . Government is also investing in setting up charging stations, with the active participation of public sector units and private players.

PG 13

Kindly enlighten us with your views on how electric mobility will define the future of transport? How do you see BGauss contributing towards it?

Wi t h e l e c t r i c mo b i l i t y g a i n i n g mo me n t u m wo r l d wi d e a n d t h e E V s e c t o r wi t n e s s i n g ma n y d e v e l o p me n t s t h e future for this sector looks positive.

Th e r e h a s b e e n a d i s r u p t i o n i n t h e a u t o mo b i l e s e c t o r a n d wi t h Go v e r n me n t p o l i c i e s l i k e F AME I I a n d NI T I Aa y o g , c e r t a i n l y t h e r e i s a h u g e p o t e n t i a l f o r t h e E V s e c t o r . Th e r e n o w s t a n d s a c h a n c e t o d e v e l o p a t r a n s p o r t a t i o n s y s t e m wh i c h c a n f a c i l i t a t e t h r i v i n g a n d v i b r a n t c o mmu n i t i e s i n o u r c i t i e s a n d t o wn s . F u t u r e mo b i l i t y i s a b o u t s t r i v i n g t o wa r d s e n v i r o n me n t - f r i e n d l y , i n t e g r a t e d , a u t o ma t e d a n d p e r s o n a l i z e d t r a v e l o n d e ma n d . S u s t a i n a b l e mo b i l i t y i s t h e n e e d o f t h e h o u r .

Ou r b r a n d l e g a c y a n d i n - h o u s e e x p e r t i s e i n E l e c t r i c & Electronics equipped us to take a step in this direction wi t h t h e l a u n c h o f BGAUS S .

So the future looks positive and there is a huge p o t e n t i a l f o r t h e e - s c o o t e r ma r k e t t o g r o w i n o u r country.

We always believe in customer first approach

What are your EV goals and ambitions for the current year 2021?

Ou r o v e r a l l g o a l i s t o ma r k t h e c o u n t r y ’ s p r e s e n c e a s a ma j o r p r o d u c e r a n d e x p o r t e r o f e c o - f r i e n d l y v e h i c l e s .

We a i m t o a c h i e v e a t o p 3 p o s i t i o n i n t h e E V s e g me n t l i k e o u r o t h e r RR Gl o b a l c o mp a n i e s .

Cu r r e n t g o a l o f 2 0 2 1 i s t o c r e a t e a 7 0 d e a l e r s h i p n e t wo r k a l l a c r o s s s o u t h a n d we s t I n d i a a n d a c h i e v e sales of 16000 units.

WE HAVE MADE SURE WE GIVE AN ELEGANT DESIGN PRODUCT ALONG WITH TECHNOLOGY AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE WITH THE TRUST THAT THE COMPANY IS ALWAYS THERE TO ADDRESS CUSTOMERS QUERIES WITH A BETTER EXPERIENCE.''

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

PG 14

INCONVERSATION

NISHCHAL CHAUDHARY FOUNDER, BATTRE ELECTRIC MOBILITY I n a n e x c l u s i v e c o n v e r s a t i o n wi t h E Mo b i l i t y + , Mr . Ni s h c h a l Ch a u d h a r y , F o u n d e r , Ba t t RE E l e c t r i c Mo b i l i t y s p e a k s a b o u t t h e j o u r n e y o f h i s c o mp a n y Ba t t R E a n d wh a t f a c t o r s l e d t o i t s s u c c e s s . He g i v e s u s t h e h i g h l i g h t s o f t h e i r 2 wh e e l e r s a n d t h e c o mp a n y ’ s l o n g t e r m e x p a n s i o n a n d g r o wt h p l a n s .

How has the journey of BattRE been so far? How do you plan to take this journey ahead, scale up and expand?

Ba t t R E wa s c o n c e p t u a l i s e d i n No v 2 0 1 7 , t o o f f e r a f f o r d a b l e e l e c t r i c mo b i l i t y t o t h e I n d i a n ma s s e s . We s t a r t e d wi t h j u s t a 2 me mb e r t e a m a n d l a u n c h e d E l e c t r i c Cy c l e s t h a t we r e s o l d o n l y On l i n e . Go o d c u s t o me r feedback gave us confidence t h a t we c a n g e t i n t o a l a r g e r g a me i n t h i s s p a c e , a n d t h a t ’ s wh e n we s t a r t e d wo r k i n g o n o u r Electric Scooters.

We l a u n c h e d o u r f i r s t E l e c t r i c S c o o t e r Mo d e l “ B a t t R E ONE ” i n J u n e 2 0 1 9 , o n T h e Wo r l d E n v i r o n me n t Da y . B a t t RE On e wa s a mi d - s e g me n t p r o d u c t p r i c e d a t R s 7 4 0 0 0 , a n d c a me wi t h l o t s o f p o we r p a c k e d f e a t u r e s l i k e p o we r e d b y L i t h i u m Ferro Phosphate Battery, Fast Ch a r g e r , Du a l Di s c B r a k e s , S ma r t Keys etc. The product took off a n d we ma n a g e d t o a p p o i n t 3 0 d e a l e r s b y De c 2 0 1 9 , p r i ma r i l y i n S o u t h a n d We s t I n d i a .

''IN JAN 2020, WE LAUNCHED OUR ENTRY LEVEL SCOOTER “BATTRE LOEV", PRICED AT RS63000, WHICH WE CALL AFFORDABLE PREMIUM SCOOTER, AS IT OFFERS ALL THE FEATURES THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT IN A PREMIUM SCOOTER.'' I n J a n 2 0 2 0 , we l a u n c h e d o u r e n t r y l e v e l s c o o t e r “ Ba t t RE L o E V" , p r i c e d a t Rs 6 3 0 0 0 , wh i c h we c a l l Af f o r d a b l e P r e mi u m S c o o t e r , a s i t o f f e r s a l l t h e f e a t u r e s t h a t y o u wo u l d e x p e c t i n a p r e mi u m s c o o t e r .

Ba t t R E L o E V h e l p e d u s i n t h r e e wa y s – increasing throughput at existing dealers, increasing depth of d i s t r i b u t i o n i n t h e e x i s t i n g d is t r i c t s and also in driving spread of d i s t r i b u t i o n i n mo r e d i s t r i c t s a n d i n new geographies – like in East and No r t h I n d i a .

We n o w h a v e 1 3 0 + De a l e r s i n 1 5 states of India and are rapidly i n c r e a s i n g b o t h i n t e r ms o f s p r e a d a n d depth.

I n o r d e r t o me e t e v e r i n c r e a s i n g ma r k e t d e ma n d we a r e n o w d o u b l i n g o u r p l a n t s i z e b y J u n e 2 0 2 1 a n d we wi l l b e a b l e t o d e l i v e r mo r e t h a n double of our current production capacities.

We t a r g e t t o c r o s s 2 5 0 d e a l e r s b y Ma r c h 2 2 .

WE NOW HAVE 130+ DEALERS IN 15 STATES OF INDIA AND ARE RAPIDLY INCREASING BOTH IN TERMS OF SPREAD AND DEPTH.''

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

Since the launch, your company has really grown and become one of the promising names in the EV sector. What according to you have been the major factors that propelled you towards success?

I believe our focused approach towards building sustainable distribution has helped us in building scale. In less than 20 months of launch, we have been able to create the right kind of spread and depth of distribution.

In addition, we have introduced many services that have helped in building acceptability towards electric vehicles in general and BattRE in particular, like – Roadside Assistance, Extended Warranty Program, deployment of 150+ RE:Charge Stations.

We have also focused on delivering only high quality products, such that consumers are delighted and help us with more references and recommendations.

PG 15

Please give us the highlights and unique features of your electric 2W. We a r e t h e o n l y c o mp a n y t h a t h a s l a u n c h e d v a r i a n t s wi t h b o t h Bl u e t o o t h c o n n e c t i v i t y ( Ba t t RE I OT ) a n d S I M Co n n e c t i v i t y ( Ba t t RE g p s : i e ) .

Ba t t R E I OT o f f e r s f e a t u r e s l i k e Na v i g a t i o n a s s i s t o n t h e s p e e d o me t e r , c a l l a l e r t o n t h e s p e e d o me t e r , R i d e s t a t i s t i c s , Ri d e p a t t e r n b a s e d AI s u g g e s t i o n s , d e t a i l e d diagnosis of the vehicle and state of charge on the Ba t t R E a p p .

Ba t t R E g p s : i e o f f e r s GP S t r a c k i n g , r e mo t e i mmo b i l i s a t i o n , d r i v e r b e h a v i o u r r e p o r t s , t r i p r e p o r t s , secure park, geofencing and state of charge on the app.

In addition to the connected scooters – RE:charge stations can also be located, navigated to, booked and p a i d f o r c h a r g i n g t h e s c o o t e r s t h r o u g h Ba t t R E a p p itself.

What are your long-term plans? Where do you see your company in the next 5 years?

Ba t t R E i s a n e f f o r t t o wa r d s o f f e r i n g a f f o r d a b l e e l e c t r i c mo b i l i t y t o I n d i a n ma s s e s . I n t h e l a s t c o u p l e o f y e a r s we h a v e g a t h e r e d a d e c e n t mo me n t u m, a n d we a r e n o w a r g u a b l y t h e 4 t h l a r g e s t e l e c t r i c mo b i l i t y c o mp a n y i n t e r ms o f d i s t r i b u t i o n a n d s a l e s o f L i t h i u m b a t t e r y p o we r e d e l e c t r i c v e h i c l e s .

Ou r e f f o r t i s t o c o n t i n u e t h e mo me n t u m, b y k e e p i n g o u r s e l v e s a h e a d o f t h e c u r v e i n t e r ms o f n e w technology adoption, creating right products for d i f f e r e n t s e g me n t s / u s e c a s e s a n d c o n t i n u o u s l y e x p a n d i n g o u r s a l e s a n d s e r v i c e n e t wo r k .

We a r e l a u n c h i n g o u r E l e c t r i c Bi k e v e r y s o o n a n d we are proud of the fact that it has been conceptualised, designed and prototyped inhouse, a n d a l l c o mp o n e n t s i n i t a r e Ma d e i n I n d i a . We h a v e b e e n l u c k y t o g e t s u p p o r t f r o m l a r g e a u t o mo t i v e s u p p l i e r s i n d e v e l o p me n t o f t h i s b i k e .

I n t h e n e x t 5 y e a r s , we l o o k a t o u r s e l v e s p l a y i n g a s i g n i f i c a n t r o l e i n t h e e l e c t r i c mo b i l i t y i n d u s t r y ( d o u b l e d i g i t ma r k e t s h a r e ) a n d h e l p i n g I n d i a breathe cleaner air.

WE ARE LAUNCHING OUR ELECTRIC BIKE VERY SOON AND WE ARE PROUD OF THE FACT THAT IT HAS BEEN CONCEPTUALISED, DESIGNED AND PROTOTYPED INHOUSE, AND ALL COMPONENTS IN IT ARE MADE IN INDIA.

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

We target to cross 250 dealers by March 22.

PG 16

INCONVERSATION

HIMANSHU JADHAV CEO & DIRECTOR, JENDAMARK INDIA PVT. LTD.

To start with, we know that 2020 has been a tough year overall for all of us.

Kindly tell us how have you tackled this year?

F o r 2 0 2 0 c a me a s s u r p r i s e t o u s a n d c a u g h t u s o f f g u a r d . Bu t i t o p e n e d o u r e y e s i n t e r ms o f o u r r e a d i n e s s f o r s u c h u n e x p e c t e d h u r d l e s . Wi t h s h e e r d e t e r mi n a t i o n a n d s e l f - b e l i e f , we ma n e u v e r e d t h r o u g h t h e s e h u r d l e s . Ou r f i r s t p r i o r i t y wa s t h e s a f e t y o f o u r e mp l o y e e s . Bo t h p h y s i c a l a n d e mo t i o n a l . We mo v e d o u r I T a s s e t s t o e v e r y o n e ’ s h o me t o a l l o w t h e m t o c a r r y o n wo r k , o r g a n i z e d s e v e r a l t r a i n i n g p r o g r a ms a n d mo s t i mp o r t a n t l y a s s u r e d everyone of the financial stability of the c o mp a n y a n d s e c u r i t y t o t h e i r j o b s !

J e n d a ma r k I n d i a b e i n g ma n u f a c t u r i n g based industry all activities can’t h a p p e n f r o m h o me . S o , we h a d t o g e t s o me o f o u r g u y s t o wo r k . Bu t we o p e n e d a d o r mi t o r y f o r t h e m s o t h a t t h e y wo u l d n o t n e e d t o v e n t u r e o u t .

Th e i r f o o d , d a i l y n e e d s a n d a c c o mmo d a t i o n we r e t a k e n c a r e o f b y u s . S o me o f t h e i mp r o v i s a t i o n s t h a t t h e y had to do ended up being adopted by u s f o r o u r ma i n s t r e a m u s e . F o r e x a mp l e , s i n c e i t wa s p r a c t i c a l l y i mp o s s i b l e t o me e t wi t h o u r c u s t o me r s , a h a l t e d design approval process during the i n i t i a l s t a g e s o f a p r o j e c t me a n t f u r t h e r delays in the project’s life cycle. t wa s d u r i n g t h i s t i me , t h a t o u r t e a ms d e c i d e d t o i mp l e me n t Au g me n t e d Re a l i t y i n t h e DAP wi t h t h e h e l p o f wh i c h o u r c u s t o me r s c o u l d r e mo t e l y a p p r o v e the designs, and provide their feedback f o r t h e s a me . Th e r e s u l t s i t h a s s h o wn us have been very effective and Au g me n t e d Re a l i t y e n d e d u p b e i n g a p a r t o f o u r n e w a n d i mp r o v e d DAP . We a l s o d e v e l o p e d Od i n He a l t h Ap p t o l o g a n d mo n i t o r Te mp e r a t u r e a n d Ox i me t e r r e a d i n g s . Th i s d e c i s i o n p a i d o f f wh e n o u r e mp l o y e e s c a me b a c k t o wo r k wi t h a f r e s h e r mi n d s e t a n d r e f i n e d s k i l l s .

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

''AMONG THE UNIQUE ASSEMBLY SOLUTIONS THAT WE ARE USING FOR ASSEMBLING EV COMPONENTS, TWO PARTICULAR SOLUTIONS WE CAN FOCUS ON ARE THE SEALANT DISPENSING STATION AND THE AUTO TIGHTENING STATION.'' Please help our readers to understand the automation services provided by Jendamark.

J e n d a ma r k i s a o n e s t o p s o l u t i o n f o r o u r c u s t o me r s f r o m c o n c e p t t o r e a l i z a t i o n . We o f f e r turnkey solutions in the field of a u t o ma t i o n f o r p r o j e c t s i n p o we r t r a i n a s s e mb l y l i n e s (engine/ axle/ differential), Ca t a l y t i c c o n v e r t e r a s s e mb l y l i n e , E l e c t r i c v e h i c l e a s s e mb l y l i n e , a e r o s p a c e a n d Di g i t a l f a c t o r y s e r v i c e s . Ou r f o r a y i n t o t h e E V ma r k e t i n c l u d e s b a t t e r y p a c k a s s e mb l y l i n e s , mo t o r lines, rotor lines, inverter lines a n d u n i v e r s a l l i n e s f o r VCU ( v e h i c l e c o n t r o l u n i t ) , MCU ( Mo t o r c o n t r o l u n i t a n d L DC. Th e u n i q u e f e a t u r e o f o u r l i n e s is that all our lines are equipped wi t h o u r l a t e s t . Own d e v e l o p e d I n d u s t r y 4 . 0 s o f t wa r e s o l u t i o n s c a l l e d ODI N E c o - s y s t e m. (www. o d i n ma n u f a c t u r i n g . i o)

FORTUNATELY, LONG BEFORE THE PANDEMIC HIT, JENDAMARK HAD ALREADY MAPPED A CLEAR PATH THROUGH THE TECHNOLOGICAL MAZE OF THE 4TH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION. PG 17

Could you give us some brief ideas about your unique assembly solutions?

According to you, what technology trends are we likely to see this year? How is your esteemed company keeping up with the same?

Th e e v e n t s f r o m l a s t y e a r h a v e e x p o s e d s o me r e a l l y we a k l i n k s i n t h e ma n u f a c t u r i n g i n d u s t r y . Th i s h a s e n a b l e d c o mp a n i e s t o r e t h i n k a n d r e d e s i g n t h e i r ma n u f a c t u r i n g p r a c t i c e s , a n d t h e y a r e o p e n t o a d o p t i n g n e we r technologies to avoid experiencing these setbacks again.

Na t i o n wi d e , we a r e e x p e c t i n g t o s e e wi d e s p r e a d i mp l e me n t a t i o n o f I n d u s t r y 4 . 0 s o l u t i o n s i n t h e ma n u f a c t u r i n g i n d u s t r y . F o r t u n a t e l y , l o n g b e f o r e t h e p a n d e mi c h i t , J e n d a ma r k h a d a l r e a d y ma p p e d a c l e a r p a t h t h r o u g h t h e t e c h n o l o g i c a l ma z e o f t h e 4 t h I n d u s t r i a l Re v o l u t i o n . Th e a d d i t i o n o f t h e s e s o l u t i o n s t o o u r p r o d u c t s helped us to be better prepared for these setbacks. The star p e r f o r me r f r o m o u r ODI N E c o s y s t e m wa s ODI N Wo r k s t a t i o n .

ODI N Wo r k s t a t i o n i s a p r o c e s s s e c u r i t y s o l u t i o n t h a t consists of operator guidance, traceability, and production p l a n n i n g . Wh e n t h e p a n d e mi c h i t , c o mp a n i e s h a d l o s t a huge portion of their labor. It put them in a very difficult p o s i t i o n o f h i r i n g a n d t r a i n i n g n e w wo r k e r s a n d g e t t h e i r p r o d u c t i o n b a c k o n t r a c k . ODI N Wo r k s t a t i o n ’ s o p e r a t o r g u i d a n c e s y s t e m, wh i c h i s b u i l t t o p r o v i d e v i s u a l s t e p - b y s t e p wo r k i n s t r u c t i o n s t o l i n e wo r k e r s h e l p e d o u r c u s t o me r s a c h i e v e t h e c o n f i d e n c e t o p u t n e wl y h i r e d wo r k f o r c e o n t o the production lines. Its capability of tracing back the o p e r a t i o n s h e l p e d o u r c u s t o me r s t o r e s u me p r o d u c t i o n r i g h t f r o m wh e r e t h e y h a d s t o p p e d . Du e t o t h i s , o u r c u s t o me r s c o u l d s u s t a i n t h e r a mp - u p i n p r o d u c t i o n wi t h o u t facing any difficulties. Industry 4.0 solutions have really h e l p e d u s f a c e t h e s e h u r d l e s wi t h o u t a n y h i c c u p s , a n d we are confident about being able to navigate through any s i mi l a r s e t b a c k s we mi g h t f a c e i n t h e f u t u r e .

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

Amo n g t h e u n i q u e a s s e mb l y s o l u t i o n s t h a t we a r e u s i n g f o r a s s e mb l i n g E V c o mp o n e n t s , t wo p a r t i c u l a r s o l u t i o n s we c a n f o c u s o n a r e t h e S e a l a n t Di s p e n s i n g S t a t i o n a n d t h e Au t o Ti g h t e n i n g S t a t i o n .

S e a l a n t s a r e u s e d i n t h e a s s e mb l y o f t h e b a t t e r y c a s e e n c l o s u r e . Th e ma i n o b j e c t i v e o f t h e s e a l a n t s i s t o p r o t e c t t h e mo d u l e f r o m a n y mo i s t u r e i n t r u s i o n o r c h e mi c a l l e a k a g e s a n d p r e v e n t i n g t h e i n s i d e o f t h e b a t t e r y f r o m e x p o s u r e t o t h e e n v i r o n me n t . T h u s , it is essential for us to ensure that the sealant fits t h e r e q u i r e d s t a n d a r d s l i k e t h e c o r r e c t we i g h t o f dispensed sealant, the right bead profile (thickness o f s e a l a n t ) , e t c . I t ma y s e e m c o mp l e t e l y d o a b l e wi t h a t r a i n e d o p e r a t o r a n d a ma n u a l l y o p e r a t e d sealant gun, but there is a huge scope for errors, a n d t h a t i s wh a t we a r e t r y i n g t o p r e v e n t . Ou r Au t o S e a l a n t Di s p e n s i n g S t a t i o n i s c a p a b l e o f d i s p e n s i n g 4 t y p e s o f s e a l a n t s ( 2 o f wh i c h h a v e t o b e mi x e d right before being applied), inspecting the bead p r o f i l e s f o r a n y e r r o r s wi t h t h e h e l p o f v i s i o n s y s t e ms , a n d i s c o mp l e t e l y a u t o ma t e d .

Co mp o n e n t s l i k e P CB s ( p r i n t e d c i r c u i t b o a r d s ) t h a t g o i n t o a n E V h a v e n u me r o u s mi n u t e c o mp o n e n t s that are bolted to it. Traditionally, the bolting a c t i v i t y t o o k p l a c e ma n u a l l y wh e r e a n o p e r a t o r wa s g i v e n a r a c k f u l l o f ( e x t r e me l y ) t i n y b o l t s t h a t h e wa s t h e n s u p p o s e d t o b o l t t o t h e b o a r d a l o n g wi t h t h e r e q u i r e d c o mp o n e n t . Th e o p e r a t o r h a d t o b e t r u s t e d wi t h r e me mb e r i n g t h e s e q u e n c e o f b o l t i n g , a n d t h e i r v a r i a b l e t o r q u e s . F o r a c o mp o n e n t l i k e t h e P CB, e v e n a t i n y l o o s e b o l t c a n e v e n t u a l l y c r e a t e a s a f e t y h a z a r d , h a mp e r i n g t h e o v e r a l l s a f e t y o f t h e v e h i c l e . Ou r Au t o Ti g h t e n i n g S t a t i o n a u t o ma t i c a l l y feeds the bolts to the right location, in the right s e q u e n c e , a n d t i g h t e n s t h e m wi t h t h e r e s p e c t i v e torque.

Nationwide, we are expecting to see widespread implementation of Industry 4.0 solutions in the manufacturing industry.

PG 18

Please tell us about your pioneering partnership with Mahindra Electric.

J e n d a ma r k ’ s J o u r n e y i n E V s t a r t e d wh e n Ma h i n d r a e l e c t r i c a wa r d e d u s t o b u i l d s I n d i a ’ s f i r s t P r i s ma t i c c e l l Au t o ma t i c Ba t t e r y P a c k As s e mb l y L i n e wi t h Di g i t a l Wo r k e r I n s t r u c t i o n s a n d t r a c e a b i l i t y .

J e n d a ma r k ’ s p h i l o s o p h y i s t o a l wa y s s t a y a h e a d o f c u r v e a n d wi t h t h i s a p p r o a c h , we i n J e n d a ma r k conceptualized, designed and delivered State of art As s e mb l y l i n e s wi t h I n d u s t r y 4 . 0 s o l u t i o n s a n d p r o c e s s p o k e y o k e s . I t wa s a u n i q u e c h a l l e n g e a s s u c h a c o n c e p t d i d n o t e x i s t a n d a l s o t h e p r o d u c t wa s n o t c o n c e p t u a l i z e d f o r a u t o ma t i o n . Bu t o u r t e a ms i n I n d i a a n d S o u t h Af r i c a p u t t o g e t h e r a u n i q u e c o n c e p t t h a t wa s b o t h t e c h n i c a l l y a n d c o mme r c i a l l y we l l t h o u g h t o f f . We g o t e x c e l l e n t s u p p o r t f r o m t h e Ma h i n d r a E l e c t r i c t e a m wh o we r e wi t h u s t h r o u g h o u t t h i s j o u r n e y . S i n c e t h e 1 s t p r o j e c t , t h e c o l l a b o r a t i o n h a s g r o wn s i g n i f i c a n t l y .

We h a v e e x e c u t e d t h e f o l l o wi n g p r o j e c t s a n d a f e w mo r e a r e i n d i s c u s s i o n wi t h Ma h i n d r a E l e c t r i c . a . Ba t t e r y P a c k As s e mb l y L i n e b . P o we r E l e c t r o n i c s L i n e c . Un i v e r s a l Bo x Bu i l d L i n e f o r VCU / MCU / L DC d . e K UV b a t t e r y Mo d u l e L i n e e . I n t r o d u c t i o n o f n e w v a r i a n t s i n Ba t t e r y P a c k L i n e f . I n t e g r a t i o n wi t h Te s t i n g f a c i l i t i e s

Could you tell us how Jendamark has ensured it is keeping up with the digitalisation trend with respect to its products and processes.

I n t h e p a s t wh e n e v e r o u r c u s t o me r s r e q u e s t e d f o r s o f t wa r e s o l u t i o n s , b e i n g a n a u t o ma t i o n c o mp a n y , o u r i n i t i a l a p p r o a c h wa s t o t a k e a s s i s t a n c e f r o m I T f i r ms h a v i n g e x p e r t i s e i n s o f t wa r e d e v e l o p me n t . B u t s o o n we r e a l i s e d t h a t t h e y l a c k d o ma i n k n o wl e d g e a n d c a n n o t p r o v i d e e x a c t s o l u t i o n s i n t e g r a t e d wi t h t h e ma n u f a c t u r i n g t e c h n o l o g y . He n c e we d e c i d e d t o i n v e s t i n o u r o wn S o f t wa r e d i v i s i o n a n d f o r me d a d i g i t a l s o l u t i o n p l a t f o r m c a l l e d Od i n . No w 3 y e a r s a n d mu l t i p l e s o l u t i o n s l a t e r we a r e c o mp l e t e l y s e l f - r e l i a n t i n c r e a t i n g s t a t e - o f - t h e - a r t s o l u t i o n s t o c a t e r t o o u r c u s t o me r s . Od i n i s a i me d a t p r o v i d i n g s o l u t i o n s f o r a l l f u n c t i o n s o f a t y p i c a l f a c t o r y l i k e p r o d u c t i o n , ma i n t e n a n c e , ME , HR , To p Ma n a g e me n t a n d t r u l y ma k i n g i t a S ma r t F a c t o r y .

Od i n wo r k s t a t i o n g u i d e s o p e r a t o r f o r s t e p b y s t e p a s s e mb l y a n d p r o v i d e s t r a c e a b i l i t y . Od i n Ma i n t e n a n c e i s a i me d a t p r o v i d i n g S e r v i c e a n d Do c u me n t a t i o n s u p p o r t t o p r o d u c t i o n a n d Ma i n t e n a n c e Te a ms . De s i g n a p p r o v a l s a r e ma d e e a s y wi t h Vi r t u a l Re a l i t y & Au g me n t e d Re a l i t y . P r e d i c t i v e ma i n t e n a n c e c a n b e d o n e b y t r a c k i n g a n d mo n i t o r i n g c r i t i c a l p a r a me t e r s r e mo t e l y a n d a v o i d i n g s u d d e n ma c h i n e s t o p p a g e wi t h t h e h e l p o f ODI N I o T. E mp l o y e e h e a l t h a n d s e c u r i t y c a n b e e n s u r e d wi t h Od i n He a l t h .

F o r a n y ma n a g e me n t t o t a k e a n y i mp o r t a n t d e c i s i o n a c c u r a c y o f i n f o r ma t i o n i s i mp o r t a n t a n d ODI N I n s i g h t e x a c t l y d o e s t h a t wi t h Ad v a n c e d An a l y t i c s , Co n v e r s a t i o n a l AI . I n s h o r t , we h a v e e n s u r e d t o c o v e r a l l n o o k s a n d c o r n e r s o f t h e Ma n u f a c t u r i n g i n d u s t r y b y c o v e r i n g t h e m wi t h s o me o r o t h e r d i g i t a l s o l u t i o n .

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

What are some challenges that your company overcame on the journey to its current successful state?

Th e b i g g e s t c h a l l e n g e wa s c r e a t i n g o u r b r a n d i d e n t i t y i n t h e ma r k e t a n d s e l f - b e l i e f i n o u r e mp l o y e e s . We h a d s t r o n g s u p p o r t b o t h i n t e r ms o f t e c h n i c a l a n d ma n a g e r i a l f r o m o u r He a d o f f i c e i n S o u t h Af r i c a . S o we we r e c o n f i d e n t t h a t o u r s o l u t i o n s a n d s t r a t e g y wi l l b e s u c c e s s f u l . B u t we n e e d e d t o c r e a t e a n a wa r e n e s s o f o u r e x p e r t i s e i n t h e ma r k e t . Th i s wa s a c h a l l e n g e a s t h e ma r k e t i s c r o wd e d wi t h s e v e r a l a u t o ma t i o n c o mp a n i e s f o r y e a r s a n d i t ’ s d i f f i c u l t f o r t h e c u s t o me r s t o s o me t i me s p a r t wa y s d u e t o t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p t h e y h a v e wi t h e x i s t i n g s u p p l i e r s . Th e t r a d i t i o n a l a p p r o a c h wo u l d h a v e b e e n t o e n t e r wi t h v e r y l i t t l e price and use costs as a tool to break the entry b a r r i e r . Ou r a p p r o a c h wa s d i f f e r e n t . I n s t e a d o f r e d u c i n g c o s t s , we d e c i d e d t o a d d v a l u e . We a l s o decided to focus on only specific areas in a u t o mo t i v e ma r k e r ( p o we r t r a i n ) a n d n o t b e a g e n e r a l a u t o ma t i o n c o mp a n y . We f o r a y e d i n t o a r e a s wh e r e n o t ma n y wo u l d i n d u l g e i n . F o r e . g .

Ca t a l y t i c c o n v e r t e r a s s e mb l y l i n e s , E l e c t r i c v e h i c l e a s s e mb l y l i n e s , Own s o f t wa r e d e v e l o p me n t t e a m a n d a s u c c e s s f u l I 4 . 0 ODI N e c o - s y s t e m, q u a l i f y i n g f o r Bo e i n g f o r t h e i r d e f e n s e p r o g r a ms . Th e s e a mo n g s t f e w o t h e r t h i n g s s e t u s a s i d e a n d established our credentials as an engineering c o mp a n y wi t h a s t r o n g t e c h n i c a l u n d e r s t a n d i n g a n d o f f e r i n g i n n o v a t i v e s o l u t i o n s . Al s o , we t r u l y believe that ‘success is not a ‘state’. it’s a journey a n d we h a v e j u s t g o t s t a r t e d .

What is your growth and expansion plan for the coming years?

We h a v e a c r y s t a l c l e a r r o a d ma p f o r t h e f u t u r e . B u t a t t h e s a me t i me , we a r e a l s o v e r y f l e x i b l e t o a d a p t t o a n y n e w c h a l l e n g i n g a n d e x c i t i n g d e v e l o p me n t t h a t mi g h t h a p p e n a n d we a r e wi l l i n g t o a l t e r o u r c o u r s e t o s u i t o u r s e l v e s f o r i t . ‘ Ch a n g e i s t h e o n l y c o n s t a n t ’ , t h i s p h i l o s o p h y i s s t r o n g l y e mb e d d e d i n o u r DNA, r i g h t f r o m t h e Bo a r d me mb e r s a n d c o l l e a g u e s f r o m S o u t h Af r i c a .

Th e l a s t 5 y e a r s h a v e s e e n e x p o n e n t i a l g r o wt h i n t e r ms o f o u r r e s o u r c e s , f l o o r s p a c e , r e v e n u e a n d mo s t i mp o r t a n t l y o u r l e a r n i n g s o f t h e ma r k e t a n d o u r c u s t o me r s . I n t h e n e x t f e w y e a r s , we a i m t o d i s r u p t t h e Di g i t a l t r a n s f o r ma t i o n s p a c e wi t h o u r ODI N e c o s y s t e m a n d c o n t i n u e o u r t h r u s t i n e n g i n e e r i n g a n d t e c h n o l o g i c a l e x c e l l e n c e . We a r e on the path already to establish ourselves as a s t r o n g p a r t n e r f o r t h e E V b u s i n e s s a n d we wi l l continue to develop and provide unique solutions t o s u i t o u r c u s t o me r s ’ d e ma n d s . A L o t o f R e s e a r c h a n d d e v e l o p me n t i n t h i s a r e a wi l l b e o u r p r i me f o c u s i n t h e c o mi n g y e a r s .

PG 19

INSIGHTS HOW ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES ARE DRIVING THE EV REVOLUTION?

M NATISH REDDY JOINT MANAGING DIRECTOR, NDS ECO MOTORS PVT LTD.

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

We see new technological interventions emerging with each passing month and thus we see the EV industry witnessing a remarkable growth. Although the demand for EVs is growing exponentially driven by favourable government policies and increasing environmental awareness amongst users, it is the new technological interventions in the form of advanced batteries, IOT, AI, longer and fast charging batteries with BMS, charging infrastructure, chargers with CAN BUS, Electric Motors and Controllers, etc that are helping EVs achieve ideal growth and an immense uptake globally.

PG 20

We h a v e s e e n a d v a n c e me n t s i n b a t t e r y t e c h n o l o g y wi t h s t e a d y i mp r o v e me n t i n t e r ms o f c e l l c h e mi s t r y , better fabrication processes ensuring safety, longer a n d f a s t c h a r g i n g wi t h BMS , b e t t e r p e r f o r ma n c e , e t c . S i mu l t a n e o u s l y t h e r e a r e s o me e x c i t i n g d e v e l o p me n t s i n o t h e r a l t e r n a t i v e s t o l i t h i u m- i o n b a t t e r i e s . S o l u t i o n s l i k e mi c r o - c a p a c i t o r s , t i t a n i u m b a t t e r i e s , a n d o t h e r s o d i u m b a s e d a l t e r n a t i v e s . An d t h i s o n c e b e i n g p r o v e n mi g h t r e p l a c e t h e e x i s t i n g l i t h i u m- i o n i n t h e n e a r f u t u r e .

Ch a r g i n g i n f r a s t r u c t u r e a l s o p l a y s a n i mp o r t a n t r o l e i n E V a d o p t i o n . Th e i mp l e me n t a t i o n o f e l e c t r o mo b i l i t y r e q u i r e s t h e e s t a b l i s h me n t o f a r o b u s t c h a r g i n g i n f r a s t r u c t u r e n e t wo r k b e t a k e n i n t o a c c o u n t . Bu i l d i n g a r o b u s t c h a r g i n g i n f r a s t r u c t u r e n e t wo r k i n v o l v e s c o o r d i n a t i n g t h e c u r r e n t s t a t u s o f charging infrastructure to be located in bus depots, a p a r t me n t s , ma l l s a n d c o mp l e x e s p a r k i n g a r e a , wo r k p l a c e s , p u b l i c b u i l d i n g s , e t c , a n d a l l o wi n g p r i v a t e r e t a i l i n g o f p o we r , a n d se t t i n g u p s y s t e ma t i c p a y me n t o p t i o n s , e t c . wh e r e we s e e ma n y s u c h a d v a n c e me n t s a n d i n s t a l l a t i o n s o f c h a r g i n g s t a t i o n s h a p p e n i n g i n ma j o r c i t i e s .

I mp r o v e me n t s a n d i n n o v a t i o n s i n s o f t wa r e s u c h a s c o n n e c t i v i t y , s a f e t y i n f o r ma t i o n , I OT, Ar t i f i c i a l I n t e l l i g e n c e a r e g o i n g t o b e c o me t h e t r e n d f o r t h e n e x t g e n v e h i c l e s . Th e s e i n n o v a t i o n s wi l l s h a p e t h e future of EV charging and accelerating the EV a d o p t i o n a mo n g t h e y o u n g s t e r s .

Th u s , s u c h a d v a n c e d s p e c i f i c a t i o n s a n d t e c h n i c a l features considering the safety aspects of both the d r i v e r a n d v e h i c l e , c o n c e r n t o wa r d s t h e e n v i r o n me n t i s g e t t i n g i mp l e me n t e d o n e a f t e r t h e o t h e r i n o r d e r t o me e t t h e g r o wi n g r e q u i r e me n t s o f t h e ma r k e t .

Co n s i d e r i n g s u c h p o s i t i v e i mp a c t f r o m E Vs t o wa r d s e n v i r o n me n t a n d s o c i a l b e n e f i t s we s e e we l l established innovators, entrepreneurs are evolving n e w b u s i n e s s mo d e l s o n e me r g i n g t e c h n o l o g i e s a r o u n d t h e e l e c t r i c v e h i c l e s e g me n t f o r i t s f a s t e r and successful adoption.

Building a robust charging infrastructure network involves coordinating the current status of charging infrastructure to be located in bus depots, apartments, malls and complexes parking area, work places, public buildings, etc, and allowing private retailing of power, and setting up systematic payment options, etc.

| DECEMBER ISSUE 2020 EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

PG 20

PG 21

PERSPECTIVE HOW SUPPORTIVE IS THE CURRENT EV POLICY ECOSYSTEM TO DRIVE THE SECTOR FORWARD? Being one of the largest global automotive markets, India has a big role to play in the Electric Vehicle (EV) revolution. Extensive usage of EVs is a viable solution for our country’s myriad commuting-related challenges, whether it be air pollution, noise pollution, energy conservation, or rising fuel prices.

The Government of India has taken early steps in terms of promotion and incentivisation of EV manufacturing, sales and usage, via policy frameworks and budgetary strategies. It has also demonstrated a strong commitment in introducing electric mobility in India and announced a very ambitious plan of making India a primarily electric car driven nation by 2030.

With this strong emphasis of the Indian government on EVs, the country has a huge potential of becoming one of the largest electric vehicle markets in the world. This will provide several opportunities for automobile manufacturers, electric vehicle component manufacturers and other players along the electric vehicle value chain, and promote employment generation, greenfield investments, technology development and transfers, amongst others.

There are other economic and environmental benefits linked to growth of EV sector that include reduction in physical imports of oil and depletion of foreign exchange reserves through reduced import bill, promotion of energy security, creation of better investment opportunity in generation of clean energy, and a lower cost of integrating renewables through “smart charging”, etc.

With this in mind, let us read what our experts have to say about the current EV policy ecosystem in the country...

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

PG 22

ANANTHA LAKSHMI PALADUGULA RESEARCH SCIENTIST, CENTER FOR STUDY OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND POLICY (CSTEP)

In India, the electrification of the transportation sector is considered a vital strategy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and air pollution. Therefore, the central and state governments have introduced policies, financial schemes, guidelines, and standards to accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles (EV). In addition to its favourable impact on the environment, transition to electric mobility can also expedite India’s nationally determined contribution (NDC) goals to reduce GHG emission intensity of its gross domestic product (GDP) by 33-35% by 2030, from 2005 level. Though EVs have been around for a long time in India, recent developments in the policy ecosystem have been catalytic in the electrification of the transportation sector in the last decade.

Central Policies In 2010, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) under the Alternate Fuels for Surface Transportation Program (AFSTP) incentivised EV purchase. While this program is a shortterm plan with fewer incentives, a long-term plan called National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 (NEMMP) was launched in 2013. The aim was to promote the uptake of electric and hybrid vehicles mainly to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and oil dependency and focus on fast-tracking the EV manufacturing sector. The plan proposed 6-7 million sales of electric and hybrid vehicles in India by 2020. However, the uptake has been slow with only about 5.7 lakh EVs being registered since 2012.

In 2015, as part of the NEMMP, 2020, the Department of Heavy Industry (DHI) implemented the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India (FAME) India Scheme. Under phase I of the scheme, about 2.78 lakh electric and hybrid vehicles were supported and 465 buses sanctioned.

Phase II of this scheme, started in 2019 for a period of three years, will cover 7000 e-buses, 5 lakh e-3 wheelers, 55,000 e-4 wheeler passenger cars and 10 lakh e-2 wheelers.

Creating an Enabling Ecosystem As a result of various policy measures, EV sales in the country grew by 20% in 2019-20; sales for the year 20202021 were disrupted due to the pandemic. However, for a smooth and widespread transition to electric mobility nationwide, both central and state EV-specific policies, schemes, guidelines, and standards need to be aligned. As urban transport is a major source of GHG emissions and air pollution in cities, policy measures such as regulation of conventional vehicle registration, taxing entry in congested zones, and supporting cleaner fuel and green mobility options such as EV, should be encouraged.

With the current rise in fuel prices and increased demand for personal vehicles, EV uptake can be pushed as an integrated policy/measure by the central and state governments. Reducing range anxiety, and providing access to safe, affordable, reliable charging infrastructure and customer acceptance will be critical components for EV policies. That said, to drive the clean mobility transition in India, an enabling EV policy ecosystem is vital.

The aim was to promote the uptake of electric and hybrid vehicles mainly to reduce carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions and oil dependency and focus on fasttracking the EV manufacturing sector.

Other EV-friendly measures include the sale of electric vehicles without batteries, and reducing the upfront cost of EVs by 3040%. Additionally, the vehicle scrappage policy announced recently in the Budget will come into effect from 1st April 2022.

The policy is expected to remove old vehicles, while promoting the adoption of green fuel and a shift to EVs.

State Policies States have a significant role in the successful implementation of policies formulated by the Centre. In 2019, the Government of India requested states to incentivise EVs and introduce them in shared mobility and public transport operations. Other important measures suggested by the Centre include green registration plates for zero-emission vehicles, exemption of EVs from permit for plying as transport vehicles, and license to those in the age group of 16-18 years to drive E-scooters. State governments are also formulating policies focussing primarily on adoption EVs in the two and three-wheeler segments and public transport.

States are also considering pairing renewable energy with EVs, and encouraging investments in the EV manufacturing ecosystem and public charging infrastructure.

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

PG 23

AWADHESH JHA, VICE PRESIDENT CHARGE & DRIVE AND SUSTAINABILITY, FORTUM INDIA PVT LTD.

India, like many nations of the world, is looking to promote the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) with the aim of reducing vehicular emissions that contribute to air pollution and climate change. The efforts of the industry and the government so far have, however, met with only modest success. Driving adoption of EVs and creating a nationwide ecosystem for it is still an ongoing process. India could look at countries that have achieved a fair degree of success in this direction, for ideas.

How the world leaders in EV adoption went about it Norway has the highest per-capita representation of EVs in the world. Over the past couple of decades, the government there has exempted EVs from various taxes and tolls and offered them free parking in large cities. High-emission vehicles pay higher taxes, while low and zero-emission vehicles pay lower, or no taxes. Norway has also invested heavily in charging points and infrastructure and is welcoming private investors.

California, which accounts for about half the EVs on American roads, offers a point-of-sale price reduction on EV purchases, depending on the battery capacity. The State has invested heavily in putting battery-electric, plug-in hybrid, and hydrogen fuel-cell cars on its roads. The Californian Governor has also issued an executive order mandating sale of only zero-emission passenger vehicle cars by 2035.

China, which accounts for half the world’s EVs sales, achieved its numbers on the back of generous subsidies offered by the Government since 2009. Last year, China instructed automakers that EVs should constitute 40 percent of their sales by 2030.

China is planning to augment its large EV charging stations network on the back of an infrastructure stimulus package announced last year.

The policies and strategies of Norway, US or China may or may not be replicable in India, but they do open up lines of thought.

Positive signs in India’s existing EV tax and tariff regimes

Tariffs for EV charging should be designed in a way that allows DISCOMs to recover their costs while also making EV charging affordable for consumers. Ideally, EV charging should neither get a subsidy nor subsidize any other customer. Presently, EV-specific tariffs are higher than residential tariffs but lower than commercial tariffs in most Indian States and Union Territories.

Features that an EV policy should ideally have EVs are likely to be first adopted in cities. Public spaces should therefore be identified across each city and chargepoint operators should be authorized by the government. A large network of public charging points should be established to cater to a large EV fleet. This should ideally take the form of a plug-and-play model, which seems to work best globally. Moreover, the operations of such services must be entirely digitalized, right down to the mode of payment for end-users.

Delhi is showing the way for the rest of India Delhi’s Electric Vehicle Policy 2020 offers fiscal incentives in addition to those in the FAME-II scheme, including sizable subsidies on two-wheelers and cars. Moreover, road tax and registration fees are waived off for EVs. Delhi is reportedly aiming to have more than 10,000 EV chargers operational by December 2021. All commercial and institutional buildings that have a parking capacity of more than 100 vehicles will be required to reserve at least five percent of their parking space for EVs and slow EV chargers.

Delhi’s building by-laws have already been amended to enable this.

There is no fixed formula for ensuring the success of the ongoing shift towards EVs, but there is certainly no dearth of ideas to go about it.

The FAME-II scheme launched in April 2019 has an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore and seeks to support 10 lakh two-wheelers, 5 lakh three-wheelers, 55,000 four-wheelers and 7,000 buses. On the taxation front, India currently charges a GST of 5 percent on EVs, a minimum of 28 percent on internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, and in excess of 50 percent for some vehicle types. This is a significant arbitrage. India’s EV tax regime is, in this respect, even better than Norway’s.

Power distribution companies (DISCOMs) across the country have been advised to create a database of public charging stations and make separate metering arrangements for public charging. The tariffs for EV charging are different in different States, and many States have declared EV as a separate tariff category. This is a good thing, because any entity or individual can now set up charging stations, creating an additional revenue channel for DISCOMs.

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

Over the past couple of decades, the government there has exempted EVs from various taxes and tolls and offered them free parking in large cities.

PG 24

JEETENDER SHARMA FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR, OKINAWA

India will see a massive uptick in its electric fleet in the coming years. EVs are set to play a much larger role as customers and fleet owners realize their economic and ecological benefits. The pandemic has put the focus back on the environment and over the next two years, the EV space is set to go through many evolutions in terms of advanced vehicles and battery technology. The next year will help drive a more collected view on how India’s electrification will move forward.

As the Indian automobile industry aims to be among the world’s top three in automobile manufacturing by 2026, the path towards e-mobility is a crucial aspect for this. Aligned with growing pollution woes and fuel price hikes, electrification will ensure greater energy security for the country and less dependence on the economy. However, transition to EVs and its successful implementation has multiple challenges right now.

These challenges constitute lack of price parity, absence of charging infrastructure and a conducive EV manufacturing ecosystem and value chain. The government and the private players need to work in tandem to build a thriving local ecosystem, which will help drive demand and make EVs affordable.

When we talk of policy support, the government has certainly taken many pragmatic steps to promote EVs. For instance, the state EV policies from Delhi, Telangana amongst others along with the battery-vehicle registration policy have been critical steps that will drive growth for EVs. The battery policy helps delink the cost of battery from the vehicle and therefore reduces the price of the vehicle substantially. This policy can give way to new batteries on lease business models.

This way, the onus of both the vehicle & battery stays with the OEM, ensuring better performance & safety standards. Some states are laying out several initiatives to promote EVs such as Delhi, where the Delhi Government has been lauded for its efforts to drive mass awareness on the benefits of EVs.

FAME and FAME II are critical steps for EV adoption and will help build an indigenous supplier and manufacturing ecosystem. The recently announced scrappage policy will also pave way for new vehicles and contribute to sustainable mobility, especially in the commercial segment. The scrappage policy will push for low emission and energy efficient vehicles, by phasing out old models. The government continues its focus on localisation and import substitution, and the latest incentives under the PLI scheme will focus on lithium-ion cell manufacturing in India and the role of fabrication units.

We expect the Government to keep introducing concrete measures that support this outlay and kickstart production of lithium-ion cells in India – which are a key component to power EVs. EV financing also remains a major concern and we expect that the government should facilitate loan schemes to make for customers, especially in commercial segments.

In India, large scale adoption of EVs needs to be driven by customer acceptance, which will involve a firsthand experience of the economic benefits that EVs have to offer. However, it is also important that the Government also ensures a successful implementation of the new and existing schemes to make EVs a reality in India.

Continued focus on import substitution, localization and self-reliance will help create a formidable EV ecosystem, while a push towards indigenous R&D will help bring down the cost of ownership and increase adoption of electric vehicles.

For instance, the state EV policies from Delhi, Telangana amongst others along with the batteryvehicle registration policy have been critical steps that will drive growth for EVs. EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

PG 25

PERSPECTIVE

ANALYSIS OF INDIA'S ELECTRIC VEHICLE TRANSITION OVER THE YEARS AND THE PRESENT SCENARIO India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Among the industries that have contributed to this growth has been the automotive industry. The support received from government and welfare schemes have given a boost to the industry and hence the growth.

With the evolution of electric vehicles, India is at the cusp of an e-mobility revolution. Though the path of reaching till here has not been an easy one and we still have a long way to go. But being a global frontrunner in promoting and developing an e-mobility ecosystem, there are many reasons which make this shift in inevitable.

A transition to electric mobility has the potential to reduce oil imports, address air pollution in cities, and help meet India’s climate commitments by reducing the energy intensity of the gross domestic product (GDP).

Electric vehicles promise zero tailpipe emissions and a reduction in air pollution in cities. The Indian government has created momentum through its Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles schemes that encourage, and in some segments mandates the adoption of electric vehicles (EV), with a goal of reaching 30% EV penetration by 2030.

Let's have a closer look at how the Electric vehicles have evolved and transitioned over the years in India. For this, read on as our experts talk about the same...

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

PG 26

TRUPTI DESHPANDE RESEARCH ANALYST, CENTER FOR STUDY OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND POLICY (CSTEP)

‘Lovebird’, the first electric vehicle (EV) in India, was launched in 1993 by Eddy Current Controls. Equipped with a lead–acid battery, which took eight hours to charge fully, the two-seater car had a driving range of 60 km per charge. Zero subsidies, lack of electric power and networks, and inability of the car to climb a gradient above 15 degrees were some major drawbacks back then. The technology, infrastructure, and policy support for EVs is much better today, but the price is still higher when compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

EV Policy Landscape in India Almost two decades later, India started framing policies—such as the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP), and Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) schemes—for promoting EVs. Given their high upfront cost, most of the policies focus on purchase-price subsidies, but have been unable to bridge the price gap between EVs and their ICE equivalents. The FAME-2 scheme, however, focusses on charging infrastructure along with subsidy. This encourages private players to set up public charging stations. As a result, we see a network of public chargers (government and private) in major Indian cities today. We need more such pragmatic policies to encourage EV adoption in India.

Charging infrastructure issues can be solved by introducing one universal charger and battery type for one vehicle category. This would ensure that people can recharge or replace batteries during their inter-city travels according to their need and availability, thereby achieving the ease of refuelling associated with ICE vehicles.

As the world recovers slowly from the pandemic, people have become more aware of the negative effects of greenhouse gas emissions. With the right initiatives, this could be the moment when EVs take-off in India.

Current Market Scenario According to a Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV) report, though the share of EVs in the Indian market is still 1%–2%, the last financial year (2019–20) saw a 20% increase in sales when compared to 2018–19. This includes sales of 3,400 cars and 1.52 lakh e-scooters. In addition to this, there was an estimated sale of 90,000 e-rickshaws as well.

Challenges Upfront cost, range anxiety, and inconvenience of charging are some of the issues that make people shy away from EVs. Though their upfront-cost is higher, the lifetime cost of EVs is lesser than ICEs. A study by Datalabs revealed that in a span of 6–8 years, the cost of ownership of e-scooters, e-cars, and ebuses would be lesser than their ICE equivalents. E-rickshaws are projected to achieve this within a couple of years. When it comes to range, the current battery capacity (Table 1) is sufficient for intra-city travel in most cities in India, but intercity travel remains a challenge.

Zero subsidies, lack of electric power and networks, and inability of the car to climb a gradient above 15 degrees were some major drawbacks back then.

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

PG 27

AKSHAY KASHYAP MANAGING DIRECTOR, GREENFUEL ENERGY SOLUTIONS

EV sector still at a nascent stage in India Th e d e ma n d f o r E Vs h a s b e e n f a s t i n c r e a s i n g i n I n d i a . Th e r e i s a l mo s t a j u mp o f 2 0 % i n d e ma n d f o r E Vs i n t h e e 2 W s e g me n t . Th i s i s a p i e c e o f g o o d n e ws f o r E Vs ma n u f a c t u r e r s i n I n d i a . As p e r t h i s d a t a , i t i s p r e s u me d t h a t t h e ma i n p l a y e r f o r E V s i n I n d i a wi l l b e 2 Ws , e s p e c i a l l y s c o o t e r s . P r e s e n t l y , i n I n d i a ma j o r i t y o f t h e e 2 W wh i c h a r e a v a i l a b l e f o r c o n s u me r s a r e s l o w- s p e e d s c o o t e r mo d e l s , wi t h a ma x i mu m s p e e d o f 2 5 k mp h . Mo s t o f t h e s e p r o d u c t s a r e ma n u f a c t u r e d u s i n g Ch i n e s e p a r t s a n d t h i s i s o n e o f t h e ma i n r e a s o n s t h a t t h e e n d p r o d u c t r e l i a b i l i t y i s a l wa y s q u e s t i o n a b l e . Th e c o n c e r n h e r e i s t h a t a s t h e s e a r e b a s i c a l l y a s s e mb l e d p r o d u c t s wi t h l i t t l e o r n o e n g i n e e r i n g t h e r e i s l i t t l e o r n o d i f f e r e n t i a t i o n a n d mo r e i mp o r t a n t l y i s n o t n e a r t h e p e r f o r ma n c e o f t h e c u r r e n t I C e n g i n e s c o o t e r s .

A ma j o r s t e p f o r wa r d t a k e n b y s o me I n d i a n c o mp a n i e s i s b y e v o l v i n g a n d s l o wl y mo v i n g t o wa r d s h i g h e r - e n d p r o d u c t s b y R&D i n I n d i a wh i c h g i v e s c o n f i d e n c e t o c o n s u me r s . Th i s s h i f t i n h a v i n g b e t t e r , r e l i a b l e a n d e n g i n e e r e d v e h i c l e s wi l l d e f i n i t e l y b o o s t c o n s u me r c o n f i d e n c e a n d a c c e p t a n c e t h u s a l l o wi n g h i g h e r p e n e t r a t i o n o f E V’ s . S o me No t a b l e v e h i c l e s o r a n n o u n c e me n t s a r e : OL A h a s a n n o u n c e d t h e wo r l d ' s l a r g e s t E V s c o o t e r ma n u f a c t u r i n g f a c i l i t y . Wi t h t h e i r a c q u i s i t i o n o f E t e r g o a n d t h e n ma k i n g i n I n d i a i t i s s o me t h i n g t o l o o k f o r wa r d t o . Amp e r e E l e c t r i c v e h i c l e s i s a n o t h e r o n e , wi t h mo d e l Z e a l , a n e l e c t r i c s c o o t e r t h a t c a n t o u c h a t o p s p e e d o f 5 0 - 5 5 k m/ h . Re v o l t Mo t o r s h a s c r e a t e d a n e l e c t r i c mo t o r c y c l e . Th e c o mp a n y a n n o u n c e d i t s a r r i v a l wi t h a n RV 4 0 0 mo t o r c y c l e , wi t h a t o p s p e e d o f 8 5 k m/ h a n d u p t o a r a n g e o f 8 0 k i l o me t e r s i n o n e c h a r g e . S i mi l a r l y we h a v e At h e r E n e r g y wh i c h i s c h a n g i n g t h e l a n d s c a p e wi t h a we l l engineered product at high speeds.

I t i s p r e d i c t e d t h a t t h e e 3 W s e g me n t o f t h e E V s wi l l h a v e t h e f a s t e s t ma r k e t g r o wt h t h a t wi l l b e c l o s e l y f o l l o we d b y e l e c t r i c b u s e s a n d 2 W. Th e e 3 W ma r k e t i s s e e i n g a l o t o f e x p e r i me n t a t i o n a n d d e v e l o p me n t s p e c i f i c a l ly i n t h e L 5 c a t e g o r y . Th e L 5 Ca t e g o r y i s e x p e c t e d t o b e c o me t h e wo r k h o r s e f o r E - c o mme r c e a n d L a s t mi l e d e l i v e r i e s . He r e a g a i n t h e k e y i s s u e i s the product reliability. In an effort to reduce costs t h e r e l i a b i l i t y a n d mo s t i mp o r t a n t l y u p t i me f o r v e h i c l e s i s n o t b e i n g g i v e n t h e i mp o r t a n c e i t

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

deserves. Such vehicles require strong engineering capabilities from ground up with extremely reliable battery solutions to offer maximum uptime. There is a lot of experimentation going on here to find the right market- product fit. However this commercial vehicle category becomes the obvious choice for electrification because it is economically viable already.

It is our opinion that a reliable and safe TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) product is the one that will make an impact and long-lasting brand in the highly volatile automotive market of India. EV manufacturers must market the product in terms of TCO. The market will only move towards EVs when the probable consumer will realize that the TCO of EVs is less as compared to vehicles driven by petroleum products.

The Indian EV market will move forward at a faster pace than ever, with the consumer belief in the product. The availability of more reliable products in e2W and e3W segments, with higher speed options, will surely boost the EV sector in India.

To meet the challenges thrown by the customers, in terms of reliability companies using cheap Chinese kits will fall behind in near future.

OLA HAS ANNOUNCED THE WORLD'S LARGEST EV SCOOTER MANUFACTURING FACILITY.WITH THEIR ACQUISITION OF ETERGO AND THEN MAKING IN INDIA IT IS SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO. AMPERE ELECTRIC VEHICLES IS ANOTHER ONE, WITH MODEL ZEAL, AN ELECTRIC SCOOTER THAT CAN TOUCH A TOP SPEED OF 50-55 KM/H. REVOLT MOTORS HAS CREATED AN ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE.

PG 28

PERSPECTIVE WHAT ARE SOME POTENTIAL BUSINESS MODELS FOR REDESIGNING THE ELECTRIC MOBILITY LANDSCAPE IN INDIA?

Indian Mobility is undergoing one of the most transformational social, technological and economic shifts of a generation mainly shaped by electric vehicles and alternative fuel vehicles. Sectors are being disrupted, with new markets emerging, while others are converging, and some are disappearing entirely. The automotive, transport and wider mobility market is undergoing a transformational social, technological and economic shift, fundamentally changing the way people and products are moved.

This calls for swiftly adapting business and operating models to adapt to the changes. In India, with the rapid increase in population, urbanization and environmental concerns it is important to adopt new forms of mobility as today’s mobility systems suffer from congestion, inefficiency, accidents and high prices.

The use of electric and connected vehicles is likely to replace our current vehicle ‑ centric system with a radically more efficient, data ‑ enabled and driverless ecosystem – with consumers at its heart. With the transition to electric vehicles, new business models are likely to emerge. The central and different state governments are introducing various policy measures which are also significantly supporting the use of EVs. The electric vehicles have had a promising start but we need to accelerate. EVs will positively impact the shape and pace of development of the new mobility ecosystem and with their use the future looks more promising with less impact to health and the environment.

Let's find out our experts' views on the same...

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

PG 29

DR. PARVEEN KUMAR SENIOR MANAGER, WRI INDIA

ANSHIKA SINGH STUDENT, M.PLAN., SPA, NEW DELHI

BACKGROUND Even after 6 years of Electric Vehicle (EV) adoption and promotion through aggressive schemes and policies, EVs currently constitute less than 1% of total vehicle sales. The underlying challenge still lies with the higher upfront cost and range anxiety for consumers.

On the other hand, EV charging infrastructure (EVCI), being a substantial financial investment, is currently poised with lower utilisation rates, leading to lower returns to the investors. With limited financing options and incentives from the government, the electric mobility market remains a high-risk venture for investors unless innovative mechanisms are explored.

PRESENT EV ADOPTION REGIME At present, the lower total cost of ownership (TCO) and higher utilisation have compelled the adoption of EVs in the commercial vehicle segments guided by a demand aggregation model.

Compounded by a comparative price parity between the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and EV variants, the 2-Wheeler (2W) and 3-Wheeler (3W) segments are witnessing a boom in their electrification. Start-ups in these segments are focussing on providing last-mile connectivity as well as delivery services both in the B2B and B2C sphere, keeping in tandem with the demands of the post-COVID era.

In the case of e-cars, the aggregation and EESL`s bulk procurement model is pushing the adoption. EESL is engaged in decarbonising the government’s fleet of cars by leasing models, procured in bulk from car manufacturers, to government organisations and achieve economies of scale. However, this model met with shortcomings in achieving the set target due to substantial lack of EV model variants, limited range and insufficient demand from organisations.

In the past two years, many start-ups have also ventured into the ride-hailing and car rental market, and some have even tied up with EESL for leasing the vehicles in their fleet. Overall, the electrification of fleet vehicles has gained much traction with aggregators vowing to curb down their emission levels.

EVCI BUSINESS MODELS In the EVCI domain, EESL pioneered its deployment as a charging service provider using its bulk procurement model in Delhi NCR by building partnerships with Urban Local Bodies. Besides this, DISCOMs, vehicle manufacturers and many start-ups are locating their EVCI at suitable sites in partnership with electric ride-hailing operators. However, investment in this space has not been able to reach breakeven costs with limited charging demand at present.

EXPLORING INNOVATIVE & SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODELS The development of the electri c mobi li ty landscape i n Indi a wi ll have to deal wi th the sale of EVs and deploy quali ty EVCI i n a symbi oti c relati onshi p through the enabli ng of i nnovati ve and sustai nable busi ness models. New fi nanci ng opti ons and strategi c partnershi ps between stakeholders can therefore be explored, especi ally i n the form of leasi ng and aggregati on models.

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

Leasing Model: Although the electrification of fleets has gained momentum, the scale of finance required compared with ICE variants remains a barrier that needs to be addressed for encouraging new entrants in this spectrum. Traditional bank lending options limit the scope of funding expensive EVs, requiring a high upfront contribution from investors while placing start-ups with limited credit history and correspondingly higher risk profile at the crux of this paradigm. In this sphere, a leasing model for vehicles could be of major relief.

Companies could foray into vehicle leasing like EESL, by playing an intermediary role between vehicle manufacturers & fleet operators & providing the required EVs on lease to the latter. As EV models are evolving each year with better performances, such leasing mechanisms would cut down on capital extensive initial purchases and concerns over the fleet getting obsolete within a few years.

There is also a bright opportunity for investors to take a cue from the recent regulation on the sale of EVs without batteries by entering into battery leasing ventures. Since batteries constitute 40-50% of the purchase cost of an EV, private customers or fleet operators could lease batteries as a service from battery lessors (battery or vehicle manufacturers) in newly purchased EVs on monthly or annual leases. Separating the lease between the vehicle and battery allows buyers to finance EVs with more competing terms compared to ICEVs. The degraded batteries, after extensive usage, can be repurposed as an energy storage system for fast charging fleets at peak hours or storing surplus renewable energy.

This second life application to batteries will provide the benefits of peak load reduction and integration of green energy in the grid at the DISCOM end and also be an additional revenue resource for battery lessors.

Aggregator Model: As discussed earlier, demand aggregation is playing a crucial role in pushing the electrification regime. Such a model not only helps in better utilization of the asset but also makes an easy case to avail financial resources. Aggregators who can pool risks and achieve better credit control have the opportunity to reduce loan interest rates by lending money from EV specialist lenders. Even fleet operators can collaborate with DISCOMs in identifying suitable charging locations that can help in their smooth operations and contribute to efficient planning of charging infrastructure right from the early stages of deployment.

Conclusion Since the EV ecosystem is a nexus of a multitude of stakeholders, including private consumers, fleet operators, OEMs, DISCOMs, energy operators, etc, strategic alliances providing mutual benefits between these players could help in the better preparedness of the whole ecosystem in the long run. Addressing the uniqueness of challenges associated with the ecosystem through innovative business models is the need of the hour for leapfrogging India’s transition to a green future.

PG 30

PRASAD SREERAM FOUNDER AND CEO, COGOS TECHNOLOGIES

E l e c t r i c Mo b i l i t y i s s t i l l v e r y n a s c e n t i n t h e c o u n t r y a n d a r o u n d t h e wo r l d , t h o u g h t h e r e h a v e b e e n e a r l y a d o p t e r s d e c a d e s a g o , ma n y n e w r e a l ms o f b u s i n e s s a r e a b o u t t o f i n d t h e i r wa y .

Th e c u r r e n t s c e n a r i o a r o u n d c i t i e s c o mp r i s e s h u g e air pollution, dense construction, chaotic traffic, b u s t l i n g s p a c e s wi t h p e o p l e a n d s e r v i c e s , o f t e n i g n o r e d i s t h e q u a l i t y o f l i f e a r o u n d t h i s , wh e r e we b e l i e v e e l e c t r i c mo b i l i t y wi t h a n e w a g e s h a r e d e c o n o my c o u l d d r i v e t h e t r a n s f o r ma t i o n .

Th e l i mi t a t i o n s o f t h e c u r r e n t b a t t e r y a n d d r i v e technology lead to range anxiety, higher upfront costs, highly depreciated assets and no clear resale v a l u e , h o we v e r t h i s i s wh e r e n e w b u s i n e s s mo d e l s c o u l d a r i s e p a v i n g t h e p a t h t o t h e n e x t wa v e o f adoption.

On e s u c h p o t e n t i a l b u s i n e s s mo d e l i s t o h a v e a s e p a r a t e b a t t e r y l e a s e a n d v e h i c l e f i n a n c i n g , wh e r e t h e g o o d d r i v e t r a i n d e s i g n s h a v e a mu c h l o n g e r l i f e beyond the financing period, could be a c o mf o r t a b l e 1 0 ~ 1 5 y e a r s . Th e b a t t e r y p a c k i n t h e l e a s e c o u l d b e r e p l e n i s h e d wi t h a n e we r t e c h n o l o g y 5 ~ 6 y e a r s wi t h a g o o d r e s a l e v a l u e f o r Ho me o r I n d u s t r i a l l i k e Te l e c o m t o we r s o r c o mme r c i a l o f f i c e e n e r g y s t o r a g e , wh e r e i n d r i v i n g a mo r e s u s t a i n a b l e e n e r g y ma r k e t a n d r e d u c i n g t h e d e p e n d e n c y o n h y d r o c a r b o n s f o r p o we r .

Like the erstwhile coin operated telephone boxes, there could be simple AC charge points with transparent billing well democratized across the city to give the EV’s good range. While you have a quick bite or refresh with a snack, could charge the EV as a top-up. Many smaller parking structures with charge points could be created across the city near the key commercial spaces and on the land of unused Petro outlets to free-up valuable road space from parking.

Creating large asset management companies, as there are less moving parts and oils in the EV, consumables are very limited i.e less service and maintenance. Rather than owning the assets, longer term leasing could be encouraged where in per month cost could come down significantly.

New technologies could replace the ageing assets and would increase responsible recycling of resources by asset management companies.

New generation entrepreneurs, especially women like self help groups, can emerge with many new business models in India around E mobility.

Exclusive Solar Charge stations can be established – Off grid – along the highways combined with restaurants and rest places, a winwin situation for business and EV adoption.

THE BATTERY PACK IN THE LEASE COULD BE REPLENISHED WITH A NEWER TECHNOLOGY 5~6 YEARS WITH A GOOD RESALE VALUE FOR HOME OR INDUSTRIAL LIKE TELECOM TOWERS OR COMMERCIAL OFFICE ENERGY STORAGE, WHERE IN DRIVING A MORE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY MARKET AND REDUCING THE DEPENDENCY ON HYDROCARBONS FOR POWER.

EMOBILITY+ | MARCH ISSUE 2021

PG 31

EXCITING CONTENT MADE EVEN MORE ENGAGING. News | Interviews | Insights | Technology | Business | Policy | Webcasts | Web Series

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

CONTENT FROM THE

BUSINESS WORLD OF

SMART, ELECTRIC AND

FUTURE AUTOMOTIVE

SECTOR

FOLLOW NOW

WEBINARS