Etrio launches first certified retrofitted electric LCV

Telengana based, electric vehicle start-up, eTrio launched the country’s first certified retrofitted electric light commercial vehicle (eLCV). With a production capacity of 5000 vehicles annually, the company’s 30,000 square feet manufacturing facility is based out of Hyderabad.

eTrio’s eLCV is powered with a lithium-ion battery of 20 KWH on a 96 V system and has a certified range of 120 kms. The vehicle with a rated motor power of 15KW delivers a torque 120 NM and can overcome a gradient of 7 degrees. Etrio Track, a telematics app, provides critical health metrics at a vehicle and component level, enables key safety features including geo-fencing, remote immobilization and delivers data driven insights through unique driver scorecards to drive operational efficiency.

Commenting on the announcement, Deepak MV, co-founder and CEO, eTrio said, “It is a transformational move with the capacity introduction at this level. We are proud to launch Etrio’s eLCV which through our scientific retrofitment process revives the earning of the driver owner by saving almost 60% of the operational expenses and makes diesel guzzling LCV into a green productive vehicle. This will not only reshape the e-commerce logistics space but also have a deeper impact on the EV ecosystem. We have already received interest of over 1200 eLCV as we speak.”

Retrofitment allows the over 20 lakh Tata Aces’ plying on the road, a new lease of life with over five years of life extension. Vehicle selection for retrofit starts with a 150-point checklist followed by stripping of the vehicle of its internal combustion parts. This is followed by mechanical and electrical retrofitment processes. The final cog in the machine is the testing and quality inspection process, post which vehicles are rolled out for customers.

The product is used by over 10+ leading e-commerce and logistics companies including LetsTransport, Ikea, BigBasket, Mahindra Logistics.The e-LCV pricing starts at 775,000 (on road- Delhi)

Some of the eTrio users gave a thumbs up to the move. KBN Nagaraju, head of innovation, BigBasket said, “We are one of the pioneers in introducing EVs in our fleets in the country. We partner with players who have the same synergies as us.”

Pushkar Singh, co-founder & CEO, LetsTransport said, “With high delivery costs in India, recasting incumbent cost structure is inevitable. Having aggregated over 60,000 mini truck owners, we know first-hand that this underserved community feels the brunt of the cost of ownership the most when compared to any owners of any other vehicle segment, including passenger segment. I congratulate eTrio for this launch and look forward to our association in enabling this ecosystem forward.”

Echoing the sentiment, Preet Dhupar, CFO, Ikea comments, “Sustainability is key to our agenda and therefore, electric mobility becomes the part of our agenda as well. Our goal is to have deliveries via zero carbon emissions.”

“It is an exciting time for EVs, especially Etrio with this launch. Their retrofitment technology is great and such a change will create more value and will give a good chance for the entire ecosystem to be formed.” Aravind Sivakumar, Product Head, Milk Run, and Last Mile, Mahindra Logistics shared.

Autocar Professional had already published details about eTrio developing a new electric three-wheeler and will target its existing B2B clients in the L5 cargo category in its August 1 issue.