EV tie ups & expansions: The ecosystem buzzes as India goes electric

The Electric Vehicle (EV) sector in India has been heating up with activity in the past few months. Very recently, e-Sprinto, an Indian electric two-wheeler brand, launched 26 dealership showrooms across the country. In September, Revamp Moto began production of its first 120 bikes at India’s first microfactory in Nasik.

In August, Oben Electric, a homegrown performance electric motorcycle brand, opened its first company-owned experience centre in HSR layout, Bengaluru for customers. The company has plans to open more FOFO (Franchise Owned, Franchise Operated) experience centres across Bengaluru and expand its footprint to all metro cities of India by the end of this fiscal year ensuring wider access to its groundbreaking performance electric motorcycle.

Tie Ups

The Indian EV industry’s rapid growth is driving up battery demand just as swiftly, which also indicates an incoming battery waste crisis. This proliferation of EVs in the system has led to several partnerships in the ecosystem.

Most recently, Log9 Materials partnered with Gamma Technologies (GT), an innovator in multi-physics system simulation software, and has selected its GT-SUITE software to aid in the thermal engineering of Log9’s battery cells. Log9 develops advanced Li-Ion cells for EVs which are developed and manufactured in India.

GT’s simulation software, GT-SUITE, enables system integration, analysis, and optimization through physics-based libraries. The company also develops the leading electrochemical simulation software, GT-AutoLion, used by battery suppliers and OEMs for cell and pack design.

In October, Lohum, an Indian producer of sustainable energy transition materials via recycling, repurposing, and refining tied up with Log9, an Indian Deep Tech company specializing in advanced EV battery technology to solve the arbitrage of trust, transparency, and accountability of the residual value of the lithium-ion batteries and to accelerate the Net Zero materials transition efforts of Log9, maximizing the utility of their annual production of 250 MWh LTO EV batteries after they reach end-of-first-life, by repurposing them to make second-life solutions for renewable energy storage.

Also in October, Quantum Energy, an EV startup tied up with Bijliride, an EV two-wheeler rental company to power a large fleet of approximately 5000 e-scooters with its Bziness Pro in the last mile delivery space. Quantum Energy also tied up with Bluwheelz to deploy 5000 electric scooters called the Quantum Bziness Pro e-scooter in September.

In August, Revamp Moto, an EV manufacturer tied up with ReadyAssist, a provider of automotive assistance services, to deliver 24/7 roadside assistance for electric two-wheelers. Revamp Moto is set to deploy 15,000 adaptable electric two-wheelers by the end of the year its specific target groups being microentrepreneurs, delivery riders, and gig workers. Under this collaboration, every Revamp Moto vehicle sold in the market whether that is to direct customers or to business partners will include ReadyAssist’s Roadside Assistance, Extended Warranty, and AMC services. So riders can rely on a nationwide coverage network of service professionals for assistance in any location.

In July, Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty tied up with REGRIP, an Indian startup that re-engineers tyres. Also, Hyderabad based Quantum Energy, an EV startup specializing in the design, development, manufacturing and sales of electric scooters, tied up with ScooEV, an EV two-wheeler rental company.

International Tie Ups

In September, Taiwan-headquartered multinational technology corporation Acer and Indian electric mobility platform eBikeGo joined forces to introduce the Acer MUVI-125-4G, a cutting-edge electric two-wheeler designed for urban commuters seeking elegance, efficiency, and eco-friendliness. With this, the MUVI-125-4G becomes the first EV model to be launched under the Acer brand for India. Under a license agreement with Acer Incorporated, the MUVI-125-4G shall be designed and manufactured by eBikeGo.

Our nation’s mission to achieve cleaner transportation benefits from the innovation and commitment displayed by companies like eBikeGo. I trust they will continue to maintain the momentum in fostering a sustainable mobility future for India
Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways commented, “The introduction of products such as the Acer-branded MUVI-125-4G indicates a promising step towards sustainable transportation solutions. Our nation’s mission to achieve cleaner transportation benefits from the innovation and commitment displayed by companies like eBikeGo. I trust they will continue to maintain the momentum in fostering a sustainable mobility future for India.”

In August, Mumbai-based TruBoard Partners, an independent asset management company for renewable assets in India tied up with Norway’s Bazefield, an off-the-shelf renewable energy system in the global market. As per this partnership, Bazefield’s monitoring and analytics platform will be integrated with TruBoard Partners’ asset management solution suite, which will enable the latter’s energy clients to gain unprecedented insights into their operations.

In August, GPS Renewables, a Bengaluru headquartered biofuels technology company, acquired Germany-based Proweps Envirotech GmbH, a leading design and engineering company that specializes in technologies to utilize municipal and industrial organic waste and agri-residue for biogas production. Biogas is one of the most important sources of energy from a climate perspective, as it can be further upgraded to produce RNG (also known as bioCNG or CBG), which is a cleaner alternative for CNG or clean electricity. Proweps has extensive international experience in the construction business of waste treatment, anaerobic digestion and biogas upgrading plants.

Navanwita Bora Sachdev

Navanwita is the editor of The Tech Panda who also frequently publishes stories in news outlets such as The Indian Express, Entrepreneur India, and The Business Standard