The Authorities of India’s car registration dashboard, Vahan, recorded the registration of over 18.1 lakh e-rickshaws throughout the nation as of November 2024. E-rickshaws are seeing widespread adoption since they don’t require a separate allow and are comparatively extra inexpensive as they’re additionally backed by supportive authorities subsidies. A much less bodily taxing different to cycle rickshaws and a extra environment-friendly different to inner combustion engine (ICE) three-wheelers, e-rickshaws are sometimes the prime mode of transport in small cities and villages. E-rickshaws additionally supply first-and-last-mile connectivity in city areas and are utilized by about 60 million daily passengers in India.
Whereas the adoption of e-rickshaws has been fast, the standard, security and technological development of the car itself has been sluggish. E-rickshaws have primarily been working on lead-acid batteries (LABs) since their formal introduction on Indian roads in 2010. The latest concentrate on electrical mobility and superior battery chemistries has led the e-rickshaw business to discover lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), however adoption has been sluggish. This weblog seems at the advantages and challenges of the 2 battery applied sciences and the scope for innovation.
Present E-Rickshaw Battery Ecosystem
The battery constitutes about 30-40% of an e-rickshaw’s upfront price and impacts efficiency in addition to the operational price of the car. Due to this fact, it determines the revenue of the e-rickshaw driver. At current, LAB e-rickshaws account for about 90% of the market (primarily based on numbers from Vahan dashboard and FAME II subsidy information), and LIB e-rickshaws account for the remaining 10%.
LAB e-rickshaws have been the dominant alternative within the e-rickshaw market as a consequence of their low upfront price, good resale worth of the battery and ease of battery servicing. Nevertheless, LABs are cumbersome and contribute to loads of e-waste as they usually want alternative yearly. As per a NITI Aayog report, about 90% of those Finish of Life (EoL) batteries have been recycled informally, which is each inefficient and unsafe.
Coverage measures corresponding to subsidies underneath Quicker Adoption and Manufacturing of Electrical Automobiles in India Part II (FAME II) for superior battery applied sciences have enabled the gradual adoption of LIB e-rickshaws. LIBs present increased vitality density, which reduces the battery weight by virtually three to 4 instances as in comparison with LABs. They provide decrease charging time and extra charge-discharge cycles than LABs, even with deep discharge. Nevertheless, the upper preliminary price of an LIB – common battery pack price per kWh for LIB is round ₹16,600 and for LAB is round ₹6,000 – is a serious roadblock for e-rickshaw operators with restricted funds. Moreover, LIB manufacturing requires resource-intensive supplies like lithium and cobalt, elevating issues about its sustainability and environmental influence. Provide chain challenges, together with restricted availability and dependency on imports, additionally restrict LIB’s scalability within the e-rickshaw market.
Alternate Battery Know-how for E-Rickshaws
Whereas LIBs have grow to be a notable different to LABs within the e-rickshaws market, different battery applied sciences with potential e-rickshaw purposes are rising. Since e-rickshaws are low-powered EVs, they will make the most of batteries with a wider vary of chemistries, together with these with decrease vitality density than LIBs. Current collaborations and initiatives that discover the compatibility of alternate battery chemistries for three-wheelers are more likely to pave the way in which for the event of extra selections for e-rickshaws:
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IOC Phinergy Personal Restricted, in collaboration with Mahindra Electric, examined aluminum-air battery know-how on Mahindra’s Treo three-wheeler mannequin. The know-how has been demonstrated in an e-rickshaw as well. This battery makes use of aluminum as an vitality provider – a steel that’s plentiful in India and is absolutely recyclable and reusable with practically 100% material recovery.
It gives fast refueling (by changing the aluminum plates and electrolyte) which might resolve charging-related points. This battery can also be anticipated to be cheaper than LIBs and has the potential to carve its place within the Indian e-rickshaw battery market. -
KPIT Technologies is performing subject trials utilizing sodium-ion battery packs in electrical three-wheelers. They count on sodium-ion battery packs to have lesser charging time and value 25-30% lower than LIBs, with a cycle life of 3000-6000 cycles (till 80% State of Well being). Nevertheless, regardless of sodium’s plentiful availability, varied consultants predict that originally, these batteries might not be cheaper than LIBs as a consequence of underdeveloped provide chains for sodium-ion batteries, resulting in restricted manufacturing and barely increased bills.
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Offgrid Energy Labs, a startup engaged on ZincGel Battery technology, is growing batteries tailor-made for low-powered mobility purposes, particularly focusing on two-wheelers and three-wheelers. This know-how makes use of zinc-based supplies and is predicted to have an extended life and decrease price in comparison with LIBs. The startup is already piloting its battery in e-rickshaws.
Means Ahead
Whereas innovation within the e-rickshaw battery ecosystem is choosing tempo, commercialization and ecosystem improvement for newer battery chemistries remains to be a number of years away. The next steps might be taken to encourage the event of a aggressive and supportive ecosystem for different e-rickshaw battery know-how:
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Develop a coverage and know-how roadmap to assist the event, adoption and sustainable progress of different battery applied sciences for e-rickshaws, maintaining in thoughts the wants and constraints of drivers.
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Coexistence of LAB and LIB (and different future battery applied sciences) ought to be inspired to supply customers with extra selections as per their necessities. The incentives focused at selling the adoption of e-rickshaws ought to be battery technology-agnostic.
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Elevating consciousness amongst e-rickshaw drivers about the advantages and efficiency of the accessible battery applied sciences and the price of possession in the long term.
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Constructing a proper ecosystem for battery financing, notably for superior battery chemistries, as these could also be much less inexpensive for e-rickshaw drivers as a consequence of increased upfront prices.
Regardless of its function in city and suburban transportation, the e-rickshaw battery ecosystem has seen sluggish progress in security enhancement, innovation and availability of selections since its inception. Promising battery know-how options can’t solely additional incentivize their uptake however might additionally handle current challenges by way of decrease prices, higher efficiency, lowered useful resource consumption, and so on. Higher consciousness and wider battery selections for e-rickshaws will help be sure that they continue to be a viable, atmosphere pleasant and cost-effective last-mile different for passengers throughout the nation.
