For a company that aims to provide high-performance clean energy and mobility products for everyday applications, Power Global has just introduced its first mass market product, the eZee swappable battery for light mobility vehicles, such as three-wheelers.
The eZee, the company claims, is a simple, low-cost path to EV adoption for auto rickshaw drivers in India – a market that gets the solution first – and other emerging countries. Three-wheeled vehicles represent a total addressable market of $16 billion in India, but rely on two of the most damaging environmental culprits – internal combustion engines (ICE) and lead-acid batteries, said the company.
Unlike traditional EV products that carry a high upfront cost of ownership, Power Global’s solves this problem through their affordable energy-as-a-service membership programme. Drivers who opt for this unique subscription service, receive a swappable eZee battery module backed by Power Global’s zero-maintenance lifetime service guarantee.
The battery module can either be recharged at home or swapped at Power Global’s kiosks for a fully charged battery in less than a minute. Currently, the battery module is available by subscription pre-order with initial distribution in Greater Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi.
Founded by Porter Harris, Co-Founder, Romeo Power & former SpaceX engineer and Pankaj Dubey, international auto industry veteran, Power Global aims to ‘provide electric vehicle and clean energy products to global markets that have been left behind in the world’s push toward electrification’.
“We are on a mission to improve access to clean energy solutions in India and other emerging markets by sharing our collective years of expertise in bringing affordable battery technology to market,” said Dubey, Co-Founder and CEO, Power Global’s India subsidiary.
In addition to giving light mobility vehicles new life, the eZee also represents a path to help build local economies with direct and indirect job creation, while supporting evolving regional environmental goals, such as India’s FAME II mandates, he added.
What’s next?
Following the launch of the eZee battery module, Power Global will announce its first line of retrofit kits to convert diesel- and petrol-fuelled auto rickshaws into zero-emissions EVs. Further, the swappable eZee battery module will also power future product lines, including upcoming applications for second-life stationary storage and automotive sectors, said the company.
“The demand that we see in emerging markets is greater than those experienced by the United States, as millions of drivers are limited by options to affordably switch to electric mobility,” said Harris, CEO and Founder, Power Global. Harris believes there is a major opportunity to bring affordable, high-performance electric vehicle technology to new markets, while helping these regions improve air quality and ultimately their quality of life.
Power Global has set up its in-country battery production plant on the site of a former Honda Logistics India plant in Greater Noida. This production unit would soon be the largest domestic manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries in India, and would serve export markets including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Nigeria and other locations in Southeast Asia and Africa.
The R&D lab and battery manufacturing facility in Pasadena, California, meanwhile, will focus on new product innovations for electric vehicles and stationary storage applications.