BENGALURU: From electric tractors to foldable e-bikes, Karnataka government’s electric vehicle (EV) expo in Bengaluru kicked off to much excitement on Friday.
To promote battery-run vehicles, Bescom is conducting ‘EV-Abhiyaana’ at Chamara Vajra, Palace Grounds; the expo will conclude on July 3.
Electric tractors by Hyderabad-based startup Cellestial E-mobility grabbed the attention of many participants. According to the firm, battery-run tractors could substantially reduce diesel consumption as well as maintenance cost. With diesel prices soaring, electric tractors will help farmers shift to an environment-friendly option, they said.
Cellestial, which is now a subsidiary of Murugappa group company Tube Investments of India (TII), said they have unveiled three tractors ranging from 27HP to 55HP and commercial sales are expected to commence in three months. The maximum speed of electric tractors is 25kmph and the price is expected to be between Rs 6-Rs 8 lakh.
An average diesel tractor cost around Rs 4.5-Rs 6.5 lakh. “An electric tractor will be fully charged in two hours and runtime will be six hours. Operational cost is very cheap. An average of 2-3 litres of diesel are required every one hour for fuel-run tractors (27HP). For instance, for a diesel tractor, the average cost is Rs 220 per hour in terms of fuel consumption. In case of an electric tractor, the cost would be down to Rs 10-Rs 12 per hour,” said a spokesperson of Cellestial.
He said electric tractors are designed with minimum parts, so both maintenance and service costs are low. “It is noise and emission free. It’s also easy to charge via any home AC outlet. Further, it is designed to work in both wet and dry conditions. There is a provision for battery swap, which makes it easy to replace a depleted battery with a fully charged one without delay,” the spokesperson added.
Other firms, including VST Tillers Tractors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Escorts, Eicher and Sonalika International Tractors, too are planning to launch electric tractors.
Another attraction at the expo is Ahmedabad-based Svitch Bikes, which has come up with three models of foldable electric bikes. “The battery range varies from 40-120km and price varies from Rs 66,000-Rs 1.1 lakh. The weight of these e-bikes is between 23kg and 31.5kg. They are foldable, lightweight and easy to carry,” said a spokesperson from Svitch.
Wriddhish Smart Vehicles, also an electric scooter firm, claimed that they are using 100% water- proof motors for their vehicles. “We have introduced a new 80kmph high-speed electric scooter, which can provide a mileage of 85km per charge at a cost of around Rs 87,000. It has Bluetooth connectivity, anti-theft security system, detachable battery, special speed control mode system, remote controls, USB mobile charger, reverse gear mode, cruise mode and special assistance repairing switch,” said Sanvit Chalana, chairman of Wriddhish, which has a collaboration with a Chinese firm. Chalana said the motors in their scooters are water-proof, which means customers don’t need to worry about flooded roads or rainwater ruining the motor.
The expo has several stalls displaying EV products, solutions and technologies. Among the participants are manufacturers of battery-run vehicles and fleet operators.