Bengaluru: SUN Mobility has launched a modular battery-swapping technology designed for Heavy Electric Vehicles (HEVs), in collaboration with Bangalore-based bus manufacturer Veera Vahana. This initiative was unveiled at the Prawaas 4.0 event, showcasing India’s first 10.5-meter battery-swappable buses intended for intercity and mofussil routes.

Key features of the Smart Battery™ solution include its applicability to various vehicle sizes, from light to heavy trucks and buses with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) ranging from 3 tonnes to 55 tonnes. The introduction of battery swapping is projected to reduce the upfront cost of these buses by 40 percent, aligning their costs with traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) buses. This financial adjustment, combined with accessible financing options, aims to facilitate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) among fleet operators.

Operationally, battery swapping is expected to lower fleet operational costs by up to 20 percent. The quick swapping process, which takes less than three minutes, enhances vehicle uptime and utilization. Additionally, the compact design of the battery allows for increased payload capacities.

Currently, buses and trucks constitute approximately 5 percent of the total vehicle population but are responsible for about 50 percent of tailpipe emissions. In the commercial vehicle sector, which is predominantly privately owned and lacks subsidies, battery swapping could potentially drive a 30 percent increase in EV adoption, contributing significantly to India’s target of achieving zero carbon emissions in heavy commercial vehicles.

Ashok Agarwal, CEO of HEV at SUN Mobility, stated, “SUN Mobility has revitalized HEVs by overcoming major obstacles for bus operators such as high entry costs, inadequate financing, extended downtime from lengthy charging periods, and the challenges of deploying charging infrastructure.”

K Srinivas Reddy, Managing Director of Veera Vahana, remarked on the partnership, highlighting the company’s commitment to quality and innovation in transportation. He emphasized the importance of leveraging indigenous innovation to develop effective electric mobility solutions.

Chetan Maini, Co-Founder and Chairman of SUN Mobility noted the company’s progress since its inception in 2017. SUN Mobility has integrated over 26,000 vehicles across various fleet segments and operates more than 630 battery-swapping stations nationwide. The company reports approximately 1.6 million kilometers traveled and 60,000 battery swaps daily, reflecting an 84 percent increase in utilization from the previous year.

With a recent joint venture with IndianOil, SUN Mobility aims to combine its battery-swapping technology with IndianOil’s extensive network of over 37,000 fuel stations, enhancing accessibility for EV users across the country.

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