Globally, there is a clear shift to move to cleaner and more efficient means of transportation that does not pollute the planet and gives a scalable and reliable alternative. Electric vehicles are the answer to that and Bengaluru based SUN Mobility has launched a very intelligent and practical battery solution for EVs
Whenever anyone thinks of EVs they have a few concerns that immediately comes to the fore. The first and most important one is the fact that the existing fossil fuel based delivery mechanism is a well-oiled machine that can makes refueling a breeze – you drive in, you fuel up, you pay and you leave. The electrical option though needs you to patiently charge the vehicle for hours before taking your car out to work. Then there is the psychological barrier of range anxiety, after a full charge, you keep looking at how much battery is left and how long you can go before the next recharge. Those of us who need to travel long distances suffer more from this. Then there is the big economic factor of acquisition cost of electrical vehicles being higher than conventional ones. These reasons are major hurdles that stand between EVs and mainstream adoption now.
Bengaluru based SUN Mobility spearheaded by Chetan Maini and Uday Khemka have come up with a very efficient solution that can address all these issues and really help people move on to EVs.
They are trying to make the battery somewhat like the LPG cylinder that we all use at home. What they are going to do is effectively remove the battery out of the equation and make it like fuel for your car. So when you buy a car that is electric, your car maker will give you a car minus the battery. You will have “battery bunks” where you will go and get batteries installed on new vehicles and then when they are about to run out, you drive into a bunk and they swap out the depleted smart battery with a fully charged one. The smart battery is not just a simple cell, it has intelligence and IoT sensors built-in and is a combination of great hardware and thoughtfully written software features.
So in effect, what they are trying to do is take us into the electric and clean future that awaits our vehicles and make it actually affordable for us to do so. They are also removing the hassle of everyone charging their cars overnight and the need for many individual charging points. They have worked out means to do this for all categories of vehicles from two wheelers to heavy vehicle fleets.
SUN Mobility, led by Chetan Maini (Founder of India’s first electric car, Reva) and Uday Khemka (Vice Chairman of SUN Group), today launched its global, interoperable smart mobility solution for two and three-wheeler electric vehicles at their brand new 47,500 sq. ft. technology development centre in Bengaluru. SUN Mobility’s energy infrastructure platform is a first of its kind universal architecture solution that works across various two and three-wheeler vehicles. This solution is being launched just two months after SUN Mobility showcased its world class smart mobility solution for buses, in partnership with Ashok Leyland at Auto Expo 2018.
The SUN Mobility solution for two and three-wheelers comprises of three key elements—a) Modular Smart BatteriesTM that are intelligent enough to customize themselves to each vehicle type and versatile enough to be used in combinations of one or multiple batteries to meet customers’ different performance and range expectations. b) Quick Interchange StationsTM that can be easily installed across a city, enabling customers to swap batteries quickly and conveniently in less than one minute, addressing any concerns around refueling time. c) Smart Network that connects modular Smart BatteriesTM and Quick Interchange StationsTM, optimizes battery performance and allows customers to locate stations and make payments via an app.
Speaking on the occasion, Uday Khemka, Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of SUN Mobility, said, “As we move forward on our global mission to enable mass transportation fueled by clean electric energy, we’re happy to showcase the diverse technology portfolio that can redefine the future of mobility. By enabling the electrification of two wheelers, three wheelers and buses through our comprehensive smart mobility ecosystem, we are addressing the current urban mobility crisis and consciously exploring solutions to change the way the world commutes.”
SUN Mobility’s Energy Infrastructure Platform enables electric two and three wheelers to be cost neutral versus conventional diesel/petrol ones. This unique platform shall be offered in collaboration with multiple OEMs and solution providers and will support a range of new models as well as retro-fit applications. SUN Mobility, along with its partners, plans to roll out this network of Quick Interchange Stations in a phased manner across various major cities, thus enabling customers to adopt electric mobility using an innovative pay-per-use model that reduces not only their initial cost of purchase but also overall operating cost.
“With over 18 million two wheelers and three wheelers sold in the country last year, we have introduced the world’s first interoperable solutions for electric two and three wheelers that will transform the way people commute.” said Chetan Maini, Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of SUN Mobility. “SUN Mobility is enabling the electric mobility ecosystem in the country by offering solutions that are convenient, cost-effective and scalable,” he added.
