Grevol partners CATL for lithium cells, to launch e-cargo three-wheeler soon

New Delhi-based Green Evolve (Grevol), a zero-emission automotive technology organisation, has launched its lithium battery packs today. The company is set to launch its own electric cargo three-wheeler (L5N category) soon. The company manufactures zero emission smart, IoT-enabled vehicles and advanced lithium-ion battery packs to meet the requirements of last mile mobility.

Grevol has partnered with Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd. (CATL), the global leader in lithium-ion battery development and manufacturing, for long-term cell procurement.

Jayant Gupta, founder and CEO, Grevol, claims that “using these high-grade cells, we can reduce the charging time to less than 2 hours by providing fast charging option to achieve 200km range/day and a life of 200,000km or up to 8 years.”

Grevol’s CTO, Sanjay Aggarwal, a veteran in power electronics, said, "An EV is essentially a battery pack on wheels, comprising 40-50% of the vehicle cost. The four elements that, together, create this ideal lithium battery pack are cell sourcing, a dynamic battery management system with cell balancing, active thermal management system, and the design and packaging of the battery pack. We conducted comprehensive lab and on-road tests to identify and resolve the challenges associated with adaptability of lithium-ion batteries in the warmer climatic and tough road conditions prevalent in India.”

“Vehicle stability, durability, aesthetics and functionality are as important as the electric drivetrain integration. The foundation of an e-vehicle needs to be built on the existing vendor network of conventional vehicles, with proven performance standards, along with a wide aftermarket component availability,” says  Rakesh Gupta, co-founder and COO, who has had had 30 years’ experience in commercial vehicle development with Tata Motors.

Grevol claims its soon-to-be-launched electric cargo three-wheeler, with 165 cubic feet space, will have the highest-in-class payload capacity – 750kg – and a travel range of 125km with its in-house lithium-ion battery pack.

With fast-growing demand from e-commerce and logistics companies for electric cargo vehicles for last-mile delivery operations, a number of EV players in India are developing EVs designed to meet this specific need. “To address this requirement, we have developed a vehicle that not only provides higher volume-carrying capacity, but also a high payload, long range and an assured uptime,” says Rakesh Gupta.

The company has says it has conducted pilot runs with Flipkart, Big Basket, Porter and E-comm Express. The EV will be first launched in the Delhi-NCR market.