Ahmedabad: March 16, 2020: Is the rise in prices of petrol or LNG troubling you? But still can’t buy an electric scooter because it is very costly? There is a solution for you. Get your bicycle customized with EVkit at a fraction of cost. Ahmedabad-based and GUSEC-incubated start-up E-Vega Mobility has started a new program named PROJECT CHAKRA. Under this program, people can get their two-wheelers customized into electric vehicles. Commencing with bicycles, the start-up aims to bring out the bicycles placed idle in the corners of houses to the place where they are supposed to be – on the roads. It is also in talks with government organizations for collaborations.
Founder Shubham Mishra (M.Tech Gold Medalist, Electrical Infrastructure) started E-Vega after getting rejected from reputed EV Silicon Valley Company even after having the skills needed for the position due to several reasons. During the Job in the renewable sector, Shubham realized the gap to be filled in the field of Urban Mobility Pollution & Traffic congestion levels. After several studies of consumer behavior, the E-Vega team started this project with the name Project CHAKRA under which they offer EV customizing/transformations as a sustainable and affordable answer to the rising pollution in the city and daily fluctuations in the price of petrol.
“At a nominal cost, one can upgrade their old bicycle and to a brand new e-bike”, he added. He wants every existing two-wheeler to be converted into electricity which not only benefits the air standards but also the harm of land pollution can be reduced by avoiding scraping. The customized comes with an additional benefit of advanced Li-ion batteries for enhancing product reliability. One of the technicians in their team stated that “This unit goes superbly with a wide scope of autos and offers a smooth, proficient and stress-free drive.”
The company feels that if the government joins hand with them, it can give a major boost to promote the use of electric vehicles in the country. The company has received encouraging enquires and many advanced bookings in spite of limited outreach exercise. In the first phase, customizing cycles will be carried out and gradually other two-wheelers will also be customized with EV kits. While the central government has ambitious plans to encourage electric mobility in the country, there are some critical bottlenecks. Components, particularly the batteries of electric vehicles are imported from different countries, for example, China.
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This not only raises the cost of vehicles for the buyers but also costs the country precious foreign exchange. This customizing or transformation solution is the simplest and economical way to battle pollution and environmental change as well as enable the country to save precious foreign exchange by reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels. The startup is incubated and supported by Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council, which is Gujarat University’s startup incubator supported by more than 180 startups and innovators since2016. GUSEC offers co-working space, mentorship, networking, access to government grants to incubated startups.
There is a growing need to tackle traffic congestion, air contamination, and issues related to the scrapping of old vehicles. The solution offered by E-Vega Mobility can play an important role in realizing the goals of government in the form of promoting the use of electric vehicles. According to a recent study, Ahmedabad has witnessed a 114.71% rise in the pollutants in a year. Vehicles running on diesel and petrol are the biggest contributors. Of these, close to 72% are two-wheelers. A recent study by a strategy team of cab-aggregator Ola stated that the central government’s ElectricMobility Mission for 2030 can be accomplished only if there are sufficient incentives that can reduce the buying cost of new vehicles.
The total cost of ownership incorporates the immediate and roundabout expenses of acquiring, running and maintaining the electric vehicle. With these overheads, the expense of proprietorship is significantly higher for electric vehicles right now. A concerned citizen can do their bit by doing daily chores like bringing milk, vegetables or iron clothes by using such affordable e-cycles instead of motorbikes. This can make our city a better place to live in.
Along with Project CHAKRA, E-Vega started the affordable electric bicycle named Cyber Bike after getting inspired by Elon Musk’s CYBERTRUCK
