Like an IC engine automobile where the engine and the driveline make up the key aggregates, in EVs the key aggregates are the battery and the motor. While an IC engine may account for 23 to 30 percent of the total cost and the driveline component such as a gearbox, propeller shaft, transaxle or a differential may together cost another 15 to 20 percent of the total vehicle cost, in the case of an EV, it may not be that simple.
It is therefore necessary to find out about the battery and motor replacement cost before buying an EV. A young Canadian owner – Kyle Hsu – of Hyundai Ioniq 5 was thrown out of his seat almost when he found out that the warranty was void on the battery pack of his one-year-old electric vehicle and it would cost him a little over $ 60,000 to replace it! The car was bought in 2022 for $ 56,000.
Hsu was driving to the interior of British Columbia, according to the YouTube channel Motormouth which has highlighted the development, when he avoided something on the road. On the cautionary side, he dropped at the dealer to get the car checked after he returned from the trip.
The battery cover underneath the e-car was founded to have been scratched. The dealer conveyed that the battery behind the cover had been impacted and should be replaced since it may explode. It was not repairable.
Hsu took the help of the insurance company once he was told that it would cost over $ 60,000 to replace the battery. The insurance company told him that his vehicle IDV was less than the cost of replacing the battery. If he were to choose to replace the battery, the insurance costs were likely to go up by 50 percent despite his clean driving record.
Responding to Motormouth, the Hyundai Canada PR Manager Jennifer Mcarthy is known to have said that it amounts to a very rare situation and Hyundai Canada’s customer experience team should have had the opportunity to access the situation prior to sharing of costing.
The cost of battery replacement depends on the nature of the damage, type of battery and repairs required. There is no one set price for ever replacement while battery cost is a challenge for the business. Pricing strategy for batteries that is reasonable, fair and in line with market competitiveness is being worked on, Mcarthy is known to have expressed further.
In his column in The Guardian newspaper recently, actor and automobile enthusiast Rowan Atkinson stated that he loves electric vehicles and was an early adopter. He however felt increasingly duped.
An electrical and electronic engineer by education, Atkinson is of the opinion that electric motoring does not seem to be quite the environmental panacea it is claimed to be.
Stating that electric cars have zero exhaust emissions, which is a welcome development, particularly in respect of the air quality in city centres, Atkinson said in his column, if you zoom out a bit and look at a bigger picture that includes the car’s manufacture, the situation is very different. “The problem lies with the lithium-ion batteries fitted currently to nearly all electric vehicles: They’re absurdly heavy, huge amounts of energy are required to make them and they are estimated to last only upwards of 10 years,” he averred.
Drawing attention to solid-state battery development, Atkinson expressed that if hydrogen wins the race to power trucks and as a result every filling station stocks it, it could be popular and accessible choice for cars.
Till then, keeping the old petrol vehicle may be better than buying an EV since it costs far less to make and can last for 30 years with tender loving care.
If the majority of the first owners would retain their vehicles for over five years, it would result in an amount of CO2 reduction brought about by new cars being put on the road. The entire chain of raw material selection to manufacture, to the end of the road has its share of carbon emissions.
Though it may be better to reduce our reliance of IC engine vehicles, it would be worth considering that the existing vehicles have already paid their environmental dues – cost to the environment – during their manufacturing process. A lot of technological development has also made them far less polluting and reliable than they were a few years or decades ago.
Also, the possibility of writing off a one-year-old EV because its battery replacement cost exceeds the vehicle purchase cost is countered by the engine, gearbox or a body part being repairable in case of an IC engine vehicle.
Many of you would also remember the head honchos of some auto companies in India saying that BS VI emission compliant vehicles will only emit water through the tailpipe and will be cleaner than the ambient air.
The time is ripe to understand what is ‘actually’ environment friendly, an EV or an IC vehicle. The time is right to test and analyse if it the automobiles that are causing more pollution in Indian cities or there are other sources. An air filled with so much dust does not seem like the handiwork of automobiles rather than the gigantic civil projects that being worked on.
- Montra Electric
- Tube Investment of India
- TII
- Murugappa Group
- electric vehicle
- electric Small Commercial Vehicle
- e-SCV
- Vellayan Subbiah
- TIVOLT Electric Vehicles
- TI Clean Mobility
Murugappa Group’s TIVOLT Electric Vehicles set to launch e SCV under Montra Electric brand
- by MT Bureau
- May 13, 2024
TIVOLT Electric Vehicles, part of Murugappa Group and a subsidiary of TI Clean Mobility, is gearing up to launch an e-Small Commercial Vehicle (e-SCV).
Once launched, the vehicle is expected to bring about a significant change in India's mid-mile and last-mile mobility sectors, thanks to its cutting edge technology, distinctive design, strong performance, and durable build quality. The company says the development of the e- SCV will be a culmination of extensive research and rigorous testing.
Founded in February 2022 as a subsidiary of Tube Investments of India (TI), TICMPL is foussing on clean mobility solutions. With the inclusion of e-SCVs as its fourth EV platform, TICMPL is now positioned to offer complete mobility solutions to enterprises and logistics companies, serving their needs across intercity, intracity, and last-mile applications.
Vellayan Subbiah, Executive Vice Chairman, TII said “Montra Electric represents our commitment to enhancing life through eco-friendly mobility solutions, ushering in a new era of growth and innovation for us. The electric vehicle industry is experiencing an exciting phase of development, not only in India but globally as well. We have dedicated our top resources and time to develop this product, and we are looking forward to the customer response upon its launch in the coming months. At Montra Electric, our goal is to offer products and solutions that are beneficial for both our customers and our business, ensuring practicality and sustainability.”
He further stated that India is poised to lead the global adoption of electric vehicles, second only to China.
“TICMPL is making impressive strides in the electric vehicle sector with a substantial commitment of INR 3,000 crore. Currently, we are developing four platforms, including the successful MHCV truck and electric three-wheeler already in the market. What excites me the most is our upcoming Small Commercial Vehicle (SCV) platform. SCV represents the largest category in the commercial vehicle segment, making our entry into this arena particularly thrilling. This segment is primed to adopt EVs swiftly, supported by policies, government initiatives, and increasing adoption rates. Our dedication to becoming the foremost player in this segment in India is unwavering. The TIVOLT e-SCV is poised to be a standout product, a definite winner in the market,” concluded Vellayan Subbiah.
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Add Comment- Mahindra Last Mile Mobility
Mahindra Last Mile Mobility Sets Up Three-Wheeler EV Charging Stations In Mumbai Suburbs
- by MT News
- February 22, 2023
Mahindra Last Mile Mobility (LMM), a division of the Mahindra & Mahindra Group, has set up several charging stations near autorickshaw stands, auto driver home clusters and junctions. LMM has done this through strategic charging vendors. The division has done so to boost EV penetration in Mumbai and its suburbs.
Chargers have also been installed at Mahindra outlets and Mahindra Mitra Technician spots wherein customers can charge their three-wheelers. The charging points have been positioned in strategic locations like Malad, Kandivali, Mira Road, Navi Mumbai, Vasai, Virar, Andheri and so on. This is an ongoing process and the Mahindra team, along with key stakeholders, has identified additional charging spots in and around Mumbai and with due approvals, will commence work. The auto driver partners, too, have been notified of these additional charging points.
In addition to this, more than 60 mechanics have been trained by LMM’s service personnel to handle Mahindra three-wheeler EVs.
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Six robust DC fast EV charging stations have been installed at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 of Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). They are available for service as Public Charging Stations (PCS) for passengers as well as guests visiting the airport.
The EV station at Terminal 1 is at P1 - Multi-level Car Parking (MLCP). At Terminal 2, it is at P5 – MLCP. There is another station at the Airside of Terminal 2 as well. The owners of private EVs and commuters who will avail of the charging stations at MLCP in either terminals will be billed only for the charging sessions. They will be given a deduction against the parking fees.
Adhering to all the requirements, policies and protocols outlined by the regulators, the charging stations at either terminal of CSMIA are of the CCS Type II Dual Gun 60 kW and GB/T (DC 001) Dual Gun 40 kW Charger type and compatible with all the prevailing EV cars in the country. There would be augmentation of 60 kW and 240 kW capacity EV chargers to cater to the needs of Airside logistics.
CSMIA runs on 100 percent renewable energy with its onsite solar power plant, Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) and procures green power. For EV charging, the airport will source 100 percent green power, according to sources in the know of the development.
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Add Comment- BluSmart
- Mahendra Singh Dhoni
- MS Dhoni
- Cricket
- Sumant Sinha
- Sameer Tirkar
- responsAbility Investments
- Punit Goyal
BluSmart raises INR 2 billion in pre-Series B Round
- by MT Bureau
- July 15, 2024
BluSmart, a leading electric vehicle cab service and EV charging infrastructure network company, has raised $24 million (INR 2 billion) in pre-Series B funding round.
The company saw investment from responsAbility Investments (a leading impact asset manager); Sumant Sinha (a leading player in the Renewable Energy sector); MS Dhoni Family Office (former Indian cricket team captain); existing investors and BluSmart founders.
The funding the company says will be deployed to expand its operations in India, as well as grow its EV charging infrastructure and assets.
Interestingly, the company claims it has grown its fleet of 70 electric vehicles in January 2019 to 7,500 EVs plying across Delhi NCR and Bengaluru. Its EVs have clocked over half a billion (500+ million) electric kms and delivered over 16 million electric trips saving nearly 40 million kgs of CO2 emissions since launch. The company has over 9,800 driver partners and also operates one of the largest EV charging infrastructure with 50 EV Charging Hubs spread across 2 million sqft.
BluSmart states it recently crossed INR 5.5 billion ARR ($65 million Annual Revenue Run-rate).
Punit Goyal, Co-Founder, BluSmart said, “BluSmart is building an integrated energy-infrastructure, mobility and technology company to take the full advantage of the EV revolution. Our latest fundraise of $24 million is an important step in our journey to scale the e-mobility fleet and EV Charging Infrastructure.”
Sameer Tirkar, Head of Climate Infrastructure Investments APAC at responsAbility Investments AG said, “We are happy to continue our partnership with BluSmart through our second round of funding. BluSmart has been able to lead the way in building from the grounds up an entire EV ecosystem to disrupt the conventional modes of commute without compromising on reliability and convenience. We believe in their vision and capabilities in creating positive environmental and social impact by reducing carbon emissions in urban transportation.”
Sumant Sinha said, “The future of mobility is electric, and e-mobility is a crucial step in making the shift to cleaner, emissions-free transportation. India’s growing economy and favourable policies provide ample impetus to this transition. I am excited to partner with BluSmart in their growth journey.”
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