Battery Swapping: Key to future of e-auto rickshaws in India

Over the decades, driving an autorickshaw has been one of the major options for generating livelihood for the irregular sector workforce in the Indian cities. In the conventional mode, autos, despite ferrying millions of passengers daily, are also considered to be a major source of noise and air pollution.

E-autorickshaws emerge as a potent solution in such a scenario. They are significantly less noisy and don’t cause air pollution as they have zero emissions and nearly noiseless operation.

They are a lot more lucrative for the drivers as well. The operating cost of an ICE auto was observed to be about Rs 2.2 per km in Bangalore, and only Rs 0.4 in the case of an e-autorickshaw. Thus, it is not surprising to note that the e-autorickshaw segment is set to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 45.2 per cent until 2024.

This lower cost of operation of e-autorickshaws is likely to directly lead to affordable fares for the commuters especially now when rising fuel prices are expected to make conventional auto and app-based taxi services costlier. These advantages of e-autorickshaws are not lost upon the authorities. Central, as well as several state governments, have been taking measures to support the growth of electric vehicles in the country.

For instance, the Gurugram Municipal Corporation has decided to set up e-vehicle zones. These are dedicated areas where diesel autos will not be allowed. Work is also underway to phase out diesel autos. This includes no registration of new diesel autos and subsidy offers for the autorickshaw owners who switch to electric vehicles.

The Delhi government also recently launched a pilot project by commissioning electric autos on the road. With sustainability being the core premise of future mobility, it won’t be long
before other states launch such initiatives and encourage electrification of public transportation across the country.

The most challenging problem faced by e-autorickshaws is range anxiety. The batteries run out after a specific number of kilometres and recharging them takes several hours, effectively reducing the operational ability of these vehicles. When seen in the backdrop of the higher cost of acquisition of electric autos, the reduced operational range impacts viability, and mass adoption.

As highlighted in the case of e-rickshaws, and strongly backed by the central government, battery swapping services are the most efficient and affordable when it comes to keeping EVs moving on roads. Unlike charging which takes hours, battery swapping ensures that the vehicle can get back on road in as little as 2-5 minutes. The e-autorickshaw owners don’t need to own or maintain the battery, and that makes ownership, and operations a lot more affordable, and the upfront investment is reduced even for the fleet owners.

In the battery swapping setup, an e-autorickshaw driver would drive into a swapping station, when the battery is about to completely discharge, and get it replaced with a fully charged one within a few minutes. Thus, the range limit becomes immaterial as whenever the battery is about to be drained, it can be swapped at the nearest station. Thus, the refueling of e-autorickshaws becomes almost as easy as the conventional process. The battery swapping process can make EVs cheaper by 20 per cent to 40 per cent, and reduce operational costs.

Advanced technology-driven battery swapping stations help in the standardization of battery technology to facilitate easier operations. The software-driven operations ensure performance optimisation of the batteries leading to greater range and operational efficiency. With the need to electrify public mobility across the country, e-autorickshaws supported by battery swapping stations’ networks are going to be the key!

(The writer is founder & chief executive officer of Chargeup)