VoltUp offers battery-swapping solutions for all electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers. (Source: LinkedIn)Battery-swapping startup VoltUp announced a partnership on Wednesday with Adani Electricity, Hero Electric and Zomato to open 500 electric mobility stations across Mumbai by 2024, catering to over 30,000 riders daily.
Starting with 120 docks in 10 locations between Goregaon and Borivali, the partnership plans to add 50 locations by year-end to cover the western line from Churchgate to Mira-Bhayandar.
This is the first smart mobility partnership in India between a battery-swapping startup and infrastructure, original equipment manufacturer and last-mile partners.
Inadequate charging infrastructure and electric vehicles’ high prices and long charging time have been the major hurdles to the adoption of electric mobility in the country. VoltUp, Adani Electricity, Hero Electric and Zomato have come together to scale up infrastructure by bridging the gaps, the startup said.
VoltUp will now be able to provide instant energy to Zomato delivery agents, for whom charging their two-wheeler batteries proves to be challenging. Instant battery swapping will enable these delivery riders to have seamless business without constantly thinking of getting the batteries charged. It will also reduce their running cost from Rs 3 per km (when using fossil fuels) to Rs 1 per km, according to the startup.
VoltUp offers battery-swapping solutions for all electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers. With battery swapping expected to take less than a minute, the startup hopes to ensure almost zero downtime and a hassle-free experience for the riders.
Siddharth Kabra, co-founder and CEO of VoltUp, said at the launch of the partnership, “In a fast-paced city like Mumbai where time is always of essence, enabling riders to instant battery swapping will empower them to grow economically while doing away with range anxiety. Adani Electricity’s dense network, Zomato’s adoption of EV and Hero Electric’s manufacturing of advanced and affordable products resonate with VoltUp’s business model of providing a complete, green solution to the EV industry.”
An Adani Electricity spokesperson said, “Our partnership with VoltUp is yet another in the space, wherein we are enabling access to our dense and reliable network, with a strong commitment to supplying 100 per cent sustainable energy.”