By Priya Singh
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Updated On: 08-Aug-2022 01:31 PM
Altigreen is aggressively ramping up its R&D and production capabilities while developing a robust pan-India distribution network to offer the best and cleanest last-mile transportation, thanks to a fresh round of Rs 300cr investment led by Sixth Sense Ve
Quick EV charging is gaining traction; Altigreen and Exponent have partnered to make 15-minute rapid charging for electric commercial cars a reality.
Altigreen, an electric 3-wheeler maker, put its product, the Altigreen neEV, through a 150-kilometre inter-city test drive to prove its toughness and battery range. The Altigreen neEV three-wheeler cargo vehicle accomplished the 150+ km interstate travel between two prominent Karnataka locations, Mysore Palace and Bangalore Palace, on a single charge in around six hours, powered by a lithium-ion charged all-electric drivetrain.
Exponent Energy has collaborated with Altigreen Propulsion Labs, a provider of electric last mile connectivity. Through this collaboration, they announced the quickest charging electric three-wheeler, which charges from 0 to 100 per cent battery capacity in 15 minutes. The Exponent-enabled Altigreen neEV HD has an 8.19 kWh e^pack, which is the Exponent's battery.
According to the company, the vehicle has an 80-85 km city driving range and charges in 15 minutes at the Exponent's e^pump network. This is accomplished by the e^pump supplying 600A of current to the e^pack while regulating individual cell properties such as thermals to assure safety, extended battery life, and consistent performance even at 50 degrees Celsius.
Dr. Amitabh Saran, Founder & CEO, of Altigreen Propulsion Labs, remarked about the first-ever 15-minute quick charging deployment for CVs, "At Altigreen, we are continually trying to push the boundaries of innovation for both vehicles and technology. Our priority has always been the driver; we strive to surpass their expectations, which is why we top the market in driving range, ground clearance, volumetric load capacity, and vehicle speed. This collaboration with Exponent will now make us the fastest charging 3-wheeler, providing flexibility and independence to our customers while also allowing them to earn more."
Altigreen is aggressively ramping up its R&D and production capabilities while developing a robust pan-India distribution network to offer the best and cleanest last-mile transportation, thanks to a fresh round of Rs 300cr investment led by Sixth Sense Ventures, Reliance New Energy, Xponentia Capital, and others. The same will be used to make Exponent's 15-minute rapid charging available throughout India.
Arun Vinayak, Co-founder and CEO of Exponent Energy, elaborated on the collaboration, saying, "For all of India to go electric, EVs need to charge faster and last longer. With 15-minute rapid charging and a 3000-cycle life warranty, our e^pack and e^pump make this possible (a new industry standard). We can scale considerably faster by becoming cell agnostic and leveraging the current manufacturing ecosystem that manufactures LFP and NMC cells. Altigreen's engineering-first approach provided us with the confidence to collaborate with them and convinced us that they are the perfect partners for us. Engineers at Exponent and Altigreen deserve credit for turning quick charging from a concept to a roadworthy reality in such a short amount of time."
Exponent acquired data for thousands of charging cycles (equal to several lakhs of kilometres) throughout 18 months of e^pack’s evolution. The solution has gained market maturity after 6 months of combined development and on-road testing with Altigreen. Some of the achievements include performing 5 back-to-back quick charge cycles on a car for a 400-km run in a single day and driving over 10,000 km in 40 days!
Exponent Energy is ramping up its e^pack’s production and installing 100 e^pump across Bengaluru in its first leg, thanks to recent fundraising that included the family office of Dr Pawan Munjal, Chairman and CEO of Hero MotoCorp. Other cities will follow suit, in collaboration with Altigreen.
Exponent Energy has so far raised $6 million from notable investors including Motherson Group, a leading global supplier of automotive components, YourNest VC, 3one4 Capital, AdvantEdge VC, and angel investors Rajesh Yabaji, Co-founder & CEO, BlackBuck, and Pushkar Singh, Co-founder & CEO, LetsTransport.