SUN Mobility showcased its modular battery-swapping technology for heavy electric vehicles (HEVs) at an event in Chennai. The event was attended by around 100 private bus operators and operator associations from Tamil Nadu.
During the occasion, SUN Mobility signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with many local bus operators to promote the use of EVs in the heavy vehicle sector. The session addressed a cost-benefit analysis, the company’s products, and the potential for converting from diesel-powered buses to battery-swapped electric buses with a similar cost structure and refueling experience.
Recently, SUN Mobility and bus manufacturer Veera Vahana presented a fully integrated mobility solution for electrifying bus and truck fleets at Prawaas 4.0, an international conference organized by the Bus & Car Operators Confederation of India (BOCI). The event raised awareness of the need to electrify commercial fleets, particularly heavy vehicles, in order to reduce emissions, enhance air quality, and boost operating efficiency. The technology on exhibit resulted in over 10,000 requests for electric buses.
The modular battery-swapping technology solves a number of issues faced by bus operators, such as high upfront costs, limited financing options, lengthy charge periods, and the need for a significant infrastructure for charging. According to Ashok Agarwal, CEO-HEV at SUN Mobility, the strategy aims to reduce the initial cost of electric buses by 40%, bringing them on par with buses powered by internal combustion engines (ICEs). Additionally, it lowers operating expenses by up to 20% and increases bus utilization by reducing downtime through a swapping method that takes less than three minutes.
