Click it and Unblock the Notifications
Sun Mobility And Veera Vahana Introduce First Modular Battery Swapping For Heavy Vehicles In India
SUN Mobility, a leader in energy infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs), has introduced the world's first modular battery-swapping technology for Heavy Electric Vehicles (HEVs).
Partnering with Bangalore-based bus manufacturer Veera Vahana, they launched India's first 10.5-meter battery swappable buses at Prawaas 4.0, an international conference by the Bus & Car Operators Confederation of India (BOCI). This technology is compatible with all Veera Vahana vehicles.
Electrifying commercial fleets, especially heavy vehicles, is crucial for reducing emissions and improving air quality. SUN Mobility's Smart BatteryTM solution caters to light, medium, and heavy trucks and buses, ranging from 3-tonne to 55-tonne Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW).
Battery Swapping Benefits
Battery swapping can reduce the upfront cost of buses by 40%, aligning them with traditional ICE buses. This cost reduction, coupled with easier financing access, lowers entry barriers for fleet owners adopting EVs. Additionally, operational costs can drop by up to 20%, while uptime increases due to the swift swapping process under three minutes. The compact battery design also allows higher payload capacities.
Today, buses and trucks account for about 5% of the total vehicle population but contribute roughly 50% of tailpipe emissions. With 90% of commercial vehicles privately owned and unsubsidized, battery swapping could boost EV adoption by an additional 30%. This would significantly aid India's goal of zero carbon emissions in heavy commercial vehicles.
"Our partnership with Veera Vahana marks a significant milestone as we introduce India's first modular swapping technology that will provide a practical and cost-effective solution for operators, enhancing efficiency, and reducing operational costs," said Ashok Agarwal, CEO- HEV, SUN Mobility.
"We are proud to partner with world pioneers in battery swapping and leverage indigenous innovation and engineering potential to develop truly world-class electric mobility solutions," said K Srinivas Reddy, Managing Director, Veera Vahana.
SUN Mobility has been leading the charge in revolutionizing electric mobility over the past seven years. Their solutions have significantly impacted the two-wheeler (2W) and three-wheeler (3W) segments.
"Our latest innovation for HEVs will disrupt the commercial vehicle sector and accelerate the electrification of this crucial segment," said Chetan Maini, Co-Founder and Chairman of SUN Mobility. He added that this partnership with Veera Vahana could unlock a multi-billion dollar opportunity for OEMs, fleet operators, and financiers.
Since its inception in 2017, SUN Mobility has integrated over 26,000 vehicles across two-, three-, and small four-wheeler fleet segments. The company operates more than 630 battery swapping stations nationwide, facilitating around 1.6 million kilometers and 60,000 battery swaps daily—an impressive 84% increase from last year’s utilization.
Strategic Partnerships
SUN Mobility's recent joint venture with IndianOil combines IndianOil's extensive network of over 37,000 fuel stations with SUN Mobility's advanced battery-swapping technology. This collaboration aims to make EV charging as accessible as conventional fuel stations across India. It will streamline customers' EV experiences by offering Battery as a Service (BaaS) nationwide.
Veera Vahana is a renowned bus coach builder based in Bangalore since its establishment in 2004. Known for its focus on research and development (R&D), it has achieved many industry-firsts. The company follows a holistic make-in-India approach and now plans to expand internationally.
SUN Mobility's innovative approach addresses key challenges faced by bus operators such as high ownership costs due to insufficient HEV financing and long downtimes from extended charging periods. Their modular swapping technology offers a practical solution that enhances efficiency while reducing operational costs.
This initiative marks a significant step towards achieving India's zero carbon emission goals in heavy commercial vehicles through increased EV adoption facilitated by battery swapping technology.
Continue with Google