Energetica India Magazine March 2022

Hero Electric, SUN Mobility Partner to Deploy 10,000 Electric 2Ws with Swappable Battery in 2022-23 Charge+Zone Sets up 20 EV Charge Points on Gujarat-Maha- rashtra National Highway 58 energetica INDIA- Mar_2022 In line with Finance Minister Nirma- la Sitharaman’s Budget announcement to introduce a battery swapping pol- icy and recognizing battery as a ser- vice to accelerate electric vehicles (EV) adoption in India, Hero Electric has entered into a partnership with SUN Mobility to deploy electric two-wheel- ers (2Ws) integrated with the latter’s smart-swappable battery technology. Under the partnership, electric 2W major Hero Electric and SUN Mobil- ity, a leading provider of energy in- frastructure and services for EVs, will jointly start deployments in the next 3 months with a target of around 10,000 electric 2Ws by the end of this year. Commenting on the partnership, So- hinder Gill, CEO, Hero Electric, said, “Battery Swapping is emerging as a good catalyst for the exponential growth of the E two-wheelers in India. It reduces the upfront cost of buying a two-wheeler, eliminates the range anx- iety and the apprehensions about the useful life of the batteries. It certainly makes a lot of sense for the B2B cus- tomers as the swapping stations can be placed in the working zones for the riders to allow them to run their bikes without waiting for the recharging of the batteries. As this concept evolves it will also become an attractive proposi- tion for the retail customers.” He further added “we have now de- veloped E two-wheelers that will seamlessly integrate with Sun Mo- bility’s hi-tech swapping stations so as to give years of trouble-free per- formance of the composite solution. Through this partnership, we will be offering a variety of solutions to the customers suiting their needs and giving them the ultimate pleasure of adopting eco-friendly economical and convenient mobility solutions. Battery swapping has also been declared a fo- cus area in the recent budget and we are in discussions with the govt to help create a cost-effective ecosystem that can support a large-scale conversion of customers from the dirty fuel ve- hicles to zero-emission clean mobility solutions.” Hero Electric has been now expanding its existing R&D facilities to manufac- ture the next generation of Low-speed, City Speed and High-speed vehicles for discerning consumers. ELECTRIC VEHICLES Electric vehicle (EV) chargers installer Charge+Zone has set up a network of 20 unmanned, app-driven EV charging points along the 1,000 kms of Guja- rat-Maharashtra National highway (NH). “Through this, the company has suc- cessfully cracked Dealer Owned Com- pany Operated (DOCO) and Company Owned Company Operated (COCO) Models for Public Charging Network on Highways,” said Charge+Zone in a statement. These charging stations have been de- signed for both personal and public e-mobility, and have been installed as part of the company’s larger goal of electrifying 10,000 kms of National and State Highways over the next 3-5 years. Deployed at convenient and strategic locations along the highway, Charge+- Zone’s charging stations are Rapid DC charging points with CCS2 as charging protocol, catering to electric four-wheel- ers. These stations can provide up to 80 per cent charge in 45-60 minutes and a full charge in 90-120 minutes depending on the EV’s battery size. Commenting on the development, KartikeyHariyani, Founder & CEO, Charge+Zone said, “we are immensely proud to have accomplished this mile- stone as part of our larger vision of building a robust network of one million EV charging points by 2030. Through our national highway electrification program, we have successfully imple- mented full stack EV charging solutions across multiple cities and states that are accessible, affordable and easy to use.