Electric vehicles are ideal for intra-city use

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Electric vehicles are gaining traction. Electric scooters are rapidly replacing fuel-based scooters due to their intercity use. Crayon Motors promises to provide appealing electric scooters to the road at competitive prices, based on the company’s pillars of quality and unrivaled technology, and to help India make a breakthrough. TimesTech interacted with Mr. Mayank Jain, Co-founder & Director at Crayon Motors to know about their strategy and the technology they are using.

Read full interview here:

TimesTech: Tell us about your product portfolio and offerings?

Mayank: We provide low/city speed electric two-wheelers. Our products have a top speed of 25kmph and are intended for intra-city use. Mileage solutions range from 60kmpc to 170 kmpc in this product line. Each of our products is designed specifically for Indian roads, weather, and the most basic requirements. Digital displays, anti-theft, disc brakes, and GPS monitoring are just a few of the features available on our scooters. Furthermore, we offer our customers a variety of financing options from which to choose. This includes financing from banks as well as non-banking financial institutions (NBFCs). We will be launching our high-speed product line very soon. These products are designed, developed, and manufactured in India and will qualify for FAME-II subsidies. The company is planning to start pre-booking of orders for this upcoming range soon.

TimesTech: What are the different types of EV batteries that are currently available for production? Which is most efficient?

Mayank: In India, various technologies are being researched and developed. However, only two are currently commercially available: lead acid and lithium. Lead acid is an older technology. It has been in use for a long time. These batteries are heavy and have a limited lifespan. Lithium is a newer technology. Because of its design and characteristics, it is more compact, lighter, and lasts longer. It is, however, more expensive.

TimesTech: What type of EV batteries does Crayon Motors use in its vehicle and what are the reasons behind using the same?

Mayank: Our product line combines several of the above-mentioned technologies.  Depending on the customer’s requirements we give our customers the option of using lithium or lead batteries. We are currently in discussions and working with other companies that are conducting independent research and developing various battery technologies.

TimesTech: Which is the most commonly used EV motor technology? What are its advantages and does Crayon Motors use the same? 

Mayank: The hub motor is the most common type of 2-wheeler motor. The motor is housed in the back wheel. This technology is both simple and efficient. Furthermore, the direct fitment reduces the number of moving parts. Given the vehicle’s limited space, this motor undoubtedly helps to save space.

TimesTech: Braking causes a lot of energy loss. Is there any technology available to use the heat generated during the braking? How is Crayon utilizing the energy lost in braking to make the vehicle more efficient?

Mayank: We will be offering regenerative technology in our upcoming range of the electric scooters. Regenerative braking uses the motor to convert the lost kinetic energy into stored energy in the battery when decelerating. So, when you accelerate again, it uses the stored energy from the regenerative brake before tapping in the new energy reserve. This will assist in utilizing the energy lost during braking. While it is certain to improve efficiency, we are also working to improve utilization and performance too.  

TimesTech: Over the period what technological changes have Crayon made to its product?

Mayank: We started with the scooters that could reach speed of up to 25kmph. The electric vehicles are ideal for intra-city use and have gained widespread market acceptance. From there to now, one of the most recent developments is the launch of a brand-new line of our scooters which are high speed and also more efficient. Battery switching and twin battery solutions for consumer connectivity and consumption are also being developed. Similarly, we are investing a lot towards R&D to broaden our offering and provide better solutions to our customers.

TimesTech:  What is the focus of Crayon Motors in the near future and how much is it investing in R&D and its technology development? 

Mayank: Our primary focus is “Everything EV,” from component localization to Made in India vehicles and multiple collaborations aimed at easing EV vehicle adoption. We are focusing on the manufacturing of Motors, Controllers, and Batteries, which are crucial to EVs and comprise the heart and soul of the product.  Our products will also be available for other manufacturers to use. We have demonstrated proof of concept and will continue to innovate our technological capabilities.

We launched roadside assistance in April as part of our customer outreach, with the goal of providing our clients with excellent on-the-road support. We also announced our partnership with Bounce Infinity. The association will provide Battery as a service to all Crayon “low powered” and “high powered” 2Ws. The stations will always have charged and ready-to-go batteries, which can be quickly swapped with their near-empty counterparts in a matter of minutes. In addition, we are working on developing an electric vehicle drivetrain. Motorcycles are also being considered, but not in the current fiscal year.