In this episode we go back to the charging infrastructure sector and speak to a unique new startup charge point operator co-founded by a team of people who bring a myriad of experience from the consulting, advertising, manufacturing and even the film industry. The one thing that this team has in common is a passion for clean mobility and cleaner air in our cities.
Their operating model for charging infrastructure is different as well, as they use their chargers as outdoor digital advertising opportunities, generating alternative revenue streams for the business. We speak today with two of the co-founders of Sunfuel Electric, Gul Panag and Sudhir Nayak who together with their team through in-depth usage accessibility and ergonomics research have designed what could become one of the most unique chargers designs in the country.
During the last 18 months on this program, we have covered conversations with the entire EV ecosystem in India including regulators, grid operators, vehicle manufacturers, battery manufacturers and charge point operators. What has become a very evident lesson is that the various elements of the EV ecosystem dance to their own tune and are not yet at the point of working in cohesion and mostly prefer to do their own thing. For example, the reason it takes a long to charge an EV today is because we need the battery manufacturer, BMS software developers, vehicle OEMs and charging manufacturers to all dance together in a delicate symphony in order to design a vehicle powered with batteries and managed by BMS that would safely take hypercharge or supercharge.
How far away are we from this reality today? It is a very unique problem and this problem is exactly what Bangalore based start-up Exponent Energy is furiously working to address. We speak today on the very same subject with the Co-founder Arun Vinayak.
Unlike ICE vehicles, where the ecosystem was built over the last 100 years, the Electric Vehicle sector is still waiting for all parts of the ecosystem to talk to each other. Until that happens EV drivers and fleet owners will not have a seamless mobility experience. We often hear of the concept of range anxiety, in order to address this we don’t just need more chargers or charging stations on the road, instead, the entire ecosystem will need to dance in harmony for the end-user, the power grid, the charging infrastructure, the charging protocol and standards that are implemented, ChargePoint operations the possibility of customers roaming between CPO’s and then, of course, the GSM connectivity and paywall software operations.
We have a chicken and egg conundrum today in India with each part of the ecosystem making leaps forward, but in isolation rather than in harmony. Having said that an important layer addressing range anxiety today is in fact the size and the reliability of the ChargePoint Operator. The CPO sector has seen a significant amount of investment in the last 12 months in India, with numerous fast-charging stations being installed around the highways in the country. This is just the beginning; the best is yet to come.
Today we welcome back the CEO of one such ChargePoint Operator Kartikey Hariyani, Managing Director of ChargeZone, who has visited our studios only a year ago but today manages a business that is radically different from the one we have examined at that time.
During the recent annual budget presented by the finance minister in February 2022, she made firm policy announcements on battery swapping infrastructure and it’s evident that policy objectives are clearly towards massive swift to clean mobility by 2030. We already have determined that the present buying cycle for ICE vehicles is likely the last one where EVs marks the logical procurement choice and that when the vehicles bought this year come up for a replacement in 3 or 5 years; the natural buying decision will likely be an EV rather than an ICE vehicle unless the EV industry itself messes up the golden opportunity presented to it.
As of February 2022, India has a few million electric Rickshaws of varying battery technologies including lead-acid and lithium-ion chemistries. There are some 200 thousand electric scooters, a few thousand electric buses, but less than 20,000 personal electric cars. The passenger car segment, in particular, has a low level of penetration in India with only a few OEMs offering electric vehicles. New launches planned in 2022 this year includes at the top-end the Mini Cooper Electric, the Volvo XC40 Electric and the Mercedes-Benz EQA. At the other end of the spectrum, TATA, and MG plan to launch new electric vehicles models in the 10 to 15 lakhs price spectrum, but the choice for buyers for electric cars continues to be very limited and the disconnect is looming. So, what’s the go? What is the industry doing wrong? What is hampering OEMs from keeping up with the hype that they themselves have created?
Post COP26 most major economies have set themselves aggressive targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with many releasing objectives to achieve zero-emission mobility through battery-electric and hydrogen mobility within this decade. Even the big oil companies are jumping on to surf this new energy wave. Notice how French oil company Total subtly changed its name to Total Energies and how Reliance + British Petroleum (now referred to as Beyond Petroleum) have come together in India to create Jio-BP, a joint venture that will also roll out a large EV charging network.
With over 15,000 electric cars, a few hundred thousand electric bikes, and some 2 million electric rickshaws on roads in India already, the big move to electric is well underway. But new EV buyers continue to have doubts when making the decision to switch wondering for example, are EVs truly 100% clean mobility? What happens to your new EV after the useful life of the battery? Does one need to buy a whole new set of batteries for example? When will the finance industry get their heads around financing electric vehicle procurement and most importantly how can the EV industry address the issue of sustainability and the second life of the batteries?
These are some of the issues that we will dive into with an industry leader best place to answer some of these questions. In this episode, we speak with Rajeev CHABA, President & Managing Director of MG Motors India.
Energizing India Podcast is produced by Ador Digatron Pvt Ltd
Today our show meets someone very interesting as we feature a senior policymaker and regulator for the transport sector in one of India’s most progressive states, Kerala. In this very engaging conversation, we cover how the great CORONA lockdowns impacted mobility and the economy of the state. We also discuss why Kerala has some of the most progressive EV implementation policies in India and how the state expects to achieve its target of 1 million vehicles converted to Zero-Emission Mobility within the next 3 years. We also talked about why Kerela has embarked on hydrogen mobility for public transportation including buses and boat ferries.
We talked today with the Principal Secretary Transport for the state of Kerala Mr. Jyotilal who has had a distinguished career across India as part of the Indian Administrative Service or IAS and has a reputation for pushing the boundaries of what is possible on all fronts, policy, regulation as well as technology and it happens.
Our program has now been running for twelve months now, and we have covered a host of subjects including battery chemistries, the potential for Giga-factories in India, charging standards, government policies, mobility technologies and the challenges for the ChargePoint operators.
In this episode we have a freewheeling discussion on a range of subjects including whether China controls the Indian EV sector with a tight fist and the role of media in facilitating faster adoption of E Mobility in India This was a fun episode as we talked to Alisha Sachdev, a journalist and TV anchor with CNBC TV-18. Alisha was a former news anchor with NDTV and writes for the business pages of The Hindustan Times. She is one of India’s preeminent media experts covering the auto sector, given that she has interviewed almost every business and every CEO in this industry. Enjoy!
In this episode, we address the subject of faster adoption of electric mobility in India from an entirely different perspective. So far, we talked to original equipment manufacturers of both Cars & 2-wheelers, ChargePoint operators, Electricity distribution companies, etc. Today we explore Research & Development & Government Policies in order to achieve the electric dream.
We speak with Mr. Sajid Mubashir, Chief Scientist with the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. Sajid has been with the Ministry of Science and Technology since 2016, reporting directly to the principal secretary. Sajid’s team actively works on creating a road map for R&D in all sectors of Electric mobility including, battery & charging infrastructure, vehicle system integration, electric components, materials, and manufacturing. Enjoy
Today we focus on mass public transport, the electric bus sector and speak with Nishant Arya Vice Chairman & MD, JBM Auto Ltd., the flagship company of the $2.2B Indian conglomerate JBM Group that recently under his stewardship enter the electric vehicle sector and is finding significant success. Nishant studied at Bradford University and then the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom and worked with multinational corporations in both Europe and Japan before returning to lead the JBM group’s foray into the Electric Vehicle sector in India. Their investments now include not just manufacturing Electric buses, but also Lithium batteries, charging infrastructure, and ChargePoint operations. In effect, JBM will operate in all parts of the EV ecosystem in India. JBM has introduced the ECOLIFE Electric bus in both 9 and 12-meter length variants and these are already redefining the dynamics of public transports in many cities in India.
In this episode, we cover one of the automotive world’s romantic icons which in its new avatar is also working to rapidly contribute to a greener future for India. Founded in 1924, MG had a rich history in racing and set numerous land speed records, pioneering its way through a bleeding-edge performance. After a roller coaster journey, today MG is cutting a path-breaking journey in India with the MG ZS- EV, arguably one of the best-looking EVs in India.
We grabbed the opportunity to talk with Mr. Gaurav GUPTA, CCO at MG India during an evening commute in Delhi in an MG EV. The conversation covers MG’s plans for electrification, focus areas for growth in India, the brands aspirations in India and also recreating the golden era of MG.
Range anxiety is one of the primary causes of dissonance in the minds of potential buyers of Electric Vehicles and it always ends up with the same chicken and egg story. Which comes first? Electric Vehicles or long distances charging infrastructures.
Fast chargers are expensive and yet without the network, only the early adoptive adventure seekers will lean towards driving an Electric Vehicle. Charge-point operators or put more simply companies that invest in the infrastructure to provide EV users with the ability to charge at multiple locations will play a very important role globally not just in India in facilitating the penetration of EV’s to the point that they are ubiquitous in our lives.
The CPO space globally is made up of either the nimble or very fast-growing start-ups or the other end of the spectrum large investments made by power utility companies to ensure they can keep or sequester this sector directly for themselves.
In India, we are yet to see how this will play out and the market is experiencing so very exciting investments right now. Some 40 start-ups are already operating in the country as CPOs. But, will Reliance create a Jio wave in this sector as well? Will Adani come to dominate it soon? That’s what we need to find out.
In this episode, we explore the CPO sector in India and speak with Kartikey Hariyani the founder and Managing Director of one of India’s largest charge point operators CHARGE+ZONE
In this episode, we cover one of the automotive world’s romantic icons which in its new avatar is also working to rapidly contribute to a greener future for India. Founded in 1924, MG had a rich history in racing and set numerous land speed records, pioneering its way through a bleeding-edge performance. After a roller coaster journey, today MG is cutting a path-breaking journey in India with the MG ZS- EV, arguably one of the best-looking EVs in India.
We grabbed the opportunity to talk with Mr. Gaurav GUPTA, CCO at MG India during an evening commute in Delhi in an MG EV. The conversation covers MG’s plans for electrification, focus areas for growth in India, the brands aspirations in India and also recreating the golden era of MG.
In this episode we speak to one of the crucial lynchpins of the entire EV movement in India.
As an entrepreneur, he is widely recognized for his role in shaping the Indian Electric scooter industry and also for his contributions to various forums in the Electric Vehicles sector both in India and globally.
He completed his Master’s in Business Administration from Huron University in London, and apprenticed with Land Rover in West Midlands, UK, before returning to India and becoming the first entrepreneur to introduce the electric vehilces to the country in 2001. His EV venture was already selling vehicles in 2007, before Tesla has even sold its first car commercially.
He has held various key positions in organizations such as the YPO or Young President’s Organization and EO, Entrepreneurs Organisation and was previously also Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s New Delhi State Council.
He is the Managing Director of Hero Electric. Naveen MUNJAL.
You sure don’t want to miss this one!
Electric Vehicles powered by Farm Waste
In this episode, we talk to two interesting entrepreneurs, twin sisters Nikita & Nishita from Bhubaneshwar, who are working to create disruptions for the lithium-ion battery sector. Listed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for India, they have invented a battery with the same energy density as lithium-ion but is made from farm waste. Their peptide crystal batteries have been charged 8 times faster than Li-Ion in lab conditions. If this technology takes off, it could address the sustainability challenges of electric mobility globally.
In this episode, we decided to change track and feature a conversation with interesting insights from the perspective of an EV end user. Aakash drove his Tata Nexon 1500 km from Jaipur to Longewala and back and we go over the challenges and joys of an EV on long drives, including tow charging, issues with earthing for AC charging, and how ordinary drivers may be able to do long drives Atma Nirbhar with their own AC chargers today
In this conversation we speak with Reji Kumar PILLAI, President of the India Smart Grid Forum and chairman of the Global Smart Energy Federation, known across the E-mobility and power sectors globally as a result. Working behind the scenes quite like Batman, Reji has been able to influence key policy changes to allow the charge point industry to come about in India and for the convergence in opinions on charging standards in the country
To kick off our 2021 series, Energizing India podcast co-hosts, Trivikram APTE and Sunil BHAMBHANI speak with the MD & CEO of Mahindra Electric, Mahesh BABU. This insightful conversation covered Mahesh’s own journey with Mahindra, the company’s plans to sell 500,000 EVs in India within 5 years, and the fact that Mahindra is focusing these to be 3 and 4 wheeled EVs, the journey so far with the challenges posed by varying charging standards and an ecosystem that has yet to evolve for EVs, battery swap versus charge strategies and how EVs can help provide emergency powers to homes as well
In this fireside chat, we discuss Niti Ayog’s initiatives to facilitate investment establishing over 50 GWH manufacturing capacity in India in the next few years, covering in detail what will happen to battery prices, the geopolitical challenges of importing the raw materials in such large quantities when China dominates the value chain to its advantage, as well as their forecasts for when such a major uplift in capacity will happen in India. Tune in to hear perspectives from different parts of the lithium value chain.
Sulajja FIRODIA Founder & CEO at Kinetic Green Energy is a pioneer of electric vehicles in India, staying true to her family heritage that pioneered the iconic LUNA in the 60s and India’s first gearless scooter, the Kinetic Honda in the 80s. Sulajja is one of India’s well-recognized women entrepreneurs presently working to change the passenger transit and light goods transport segment and how this important aspect of mobility in India is being decarbonized through innovative electric solutions.
Ather Energy is changing the game in India, changing the game in the Indian two-wheeler market with its Ather 450x scooter which is completely electric and runs on lithium-ion batteries. Ather is in effect the Tesla of the two-wheeler mobility market in India, demonstrating that an electric bike need not compromise on its looks, range, speed, or safety. Listen in to hear the journey of Ather from 2013 to today and what is planned for the future. Tarun is candid about the secret of their success and also about policy changes that will help the industry grow faster.
Stefan LOUIS, CEO of Nexcharge speaks with Ravin MIRCHADANI on the evolution of the lithium industry in India. Nexcharge is a joint venture between Leclanché of Switzerland and Exide Industries of India and is focused on manufacturing the latest technology lithium batteries in India. Stefan covers his experience establishing a factory in India, an analysis of government policy on fostering EV growth, and attracting lithium battery manufacturing to India.
The first episode features Maxson Lewis, Managing Director of Magenta – Power | ChargeGrid | Infomatics, one of India’s largest charge point operators. In this candid conversation, Maxson covers his journey establishing a start-up in India that is focused on clean mobility and offers deep insights into a possible road map for full electrification of the mobility sector in India.
“The Energizing India Podcast focuses on electric vehicle mobility in India, the E-Mobility industry, and how rapid change can be brought about to grow this industry. In a series of conversations, Ravin MIRCHANDANI, Chairman of Ador Digatron speaks to major influencers of E-mobility in India including policymakers, regulators, CEOs of electric vehicle manufacturers & electricity distributors, industry leaders managing charge point operators & charging infrastructure companies to uncover the roadblocks that hamper rapid growth in this sector. These conversations are candid, often insightful, and unfiltered.”
Energizing India is an Ador Digatron production giving a voice to the electric mobility sector in India
