Spreading The Electric Mission

In a coversation with BW Disrupt, Saurav Kumar, Founder & CEO, Euler Motors talked on electric vehicles and many of its aspects:

The logistics sector has grown with ecommerce, now looking at electric vehicles (EV) as a first option. What has been your experience? 

The surge in demand for ecommerce and intracity logistics which is expected to grow four times from USD 84 billion in 2021 to USD 350 billion by 2030 has enabled the logistics industry to shift towards EVs. There will be deployment of over 1,60,000 new vehicles by 2030. To cater to the demand, we have orders of over 3,500 EVs from players such as Flipkart, BigBasket and Udaan, on which we are banking.

What are the challenges you foresee as the industry transitions and how do you recommend overcoming these? 

Electric vehicles are still in a nascent stage in India. There are challenges related to lack of robust supporting infrastructure, high acquisition cost, range anxiety, limited options of powerful vehicles, and financing. While these challenges are getting addressed, we need to take more pragmatic steps, focusing on creating a strong indigenous ecosystem and collaborating with various stakeholders to fast forward the electric transition in the country. 

Did the recent EV fires dampen expectations? 

EV is still an evolving technology and OEMs need to deeply focus on cell quality and robust battery packaging. We should work collectively to address issues that are arising of late. At Euler Motors, we have invested and designed our own battery packs, with advanced Battery Thermal Management Systems and Liquid Cooling technology that aligns with global norms.

What are the key trends you see in the sector? 

EVs have become the preferred choice in the two- and three-wheeler segments providing customers with a better value proposition. The EV sector is picking pace with new manufacturing hubs, increasing charging infrastructure, improving the vendor ecosystem, and providing financial incentives. EVs have progressed from complicated charging and low-power vehicles to simple-to-charge and high-performance transport solutions – especially for first- and last-mile operations. 

The market is buoyant with massive EV demand in this space, as some of the largest ecommerce businesses, such as Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato and BigBasket, have committed to electrifying their delivery fleets in the coming years.