Electric Mobility is set to become the future of commute. Due to increasing fuel prices and the need to go-green, there is a good future for E-vehicles. With frequently increasing fuel prices, the entire nation is looking for an alternative for fuel-vehicles and an on eco-friendly mode of transportation. However, people are still sceptical to invest in Electric Rickshaws and Autos as they find it tough to differentiate between standard brands and sub-standard ones. Most of the companies in market import low cost-low quality E-Rickshaw kits from China, assemble them and sell them.
Standing apart is Green Fuel Alternatives Pvt. Ltd. (GFAPL), a manufacturer of battery operated three wheelers incepted in August 2017. After spending a year in product development and research & development, the company has launched its electric 3-wheelers (E-carts) under its brand Ekotejas. Built with an intention to bring electric vehicle usage to the masses, the company is in the process of developing battery & vehicle swapping technology and smart vehicles. They believe this will solve the core problem of the industry, thereby increasing the usage. Founded by Venkatesh Teja, the company is making quality products at affordable price.
With regard to quality, Ekotejas is proud of its strength, performance and pay load capacity which are equal to that of conventional autos. “Our vehicles are superior in performance when compared to any of the E-cargo and E-auto manufacturers. Even for volumetric space and speed, our vehicles are no less than diesel cargo vehicles,” says Director Venkatesh Teja. What makes them special is that they have a customer centric approach rather than a product centric approach. Today, Ekotejas is one of the highest retail selling brands in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka.
Reducing their logistics cost
Ekotejas is not just a vehicle manufacturer, but a solution for its customers to reduce their logistics cost by reducing their fuel bill. They understand the requirement of each and every individual customer and design the vehicles according to their customers’ need.
Thus the cost of ownership is reduced dramatically, as one need not spend excess money on customising their vehicle after purchase. Also, they are giving a Plug-and-Play solution to their customers.
As of today, Ekotejas E-vehicles are used in 80 different applications such as E-commerce, postal and courier service, consumer electronics, FMCG, vegetable vending, cement industry, ice-cream vending, heavy-duty goods movement, solid waste management, construction sites without the need to further customise the vehicle post purchase. Ekotejas E-vehicles are designed while keeping in mind the Indian roads and rough usage, while many of other companies make E-vehicles which are suitable for urban roads only. Their in-house designed suspension system makes it possible to transport delicate and fragile items like Eggs and glass safely even on improper roads. Further, Ekotejas vehicles are also used in industrial areas to trans-port cargos weighted up to 1000 Kgs.
The first step of their manufacturing process is to understand the customers’ need and then design the product accordingly. The next step is explaining the production team about the design. The production team then fabricates the vehicle as per the design right from chassis level. They have an in-house fabrication team and are equipped with necessary machinery to design a vehicle right from chassis. After that the fabricated chassis is painted and vehicle is send to assembling section where batteries, power train, electricals etc. are equipped into the vehicle. The strength, performance and pay load capacity of their electric autos are equal to that of conventional autos.
Ekotejas is not just a vehicle manufacturer, but a solution for its customers to reduce their logistics cost by reducing their fuel BIL
Focusing on Bottom-of-the-Pyramid
The future roadmap of the company is to make its vehicles much more affordable by enabling finance facility to their customers. The company is intending to in-crease its presence by increasing their dealer and service network, so that they can become more reliable in terms of service and sales. Also, Ekotejas is looking forward to launch 2 wheeler electric vehicles and high speed Electric Autos at competitive prices for commercial purpose in the coming days. The company is mainly focusing on Bottom-of-the-Pyramid folks. The company feels that this would be a great alternative for e-commerce organizations for last mile delivery.
“Our vehicles are superior in performance when compared to any of the e-cargo and e-auto manufacturers. Even for volumetric space and speed, our vehicles are no less than diesel cargo vehicles”
They are aiming for the 2 wheeler vehicle to carry 300 Kgs of payload. Ekotejas is aiming to make it a 100 percent Make in India project. The vehicle will have a swappable battery which can be carried by the user in back pack. Since, the battery used is very small and compact, one can keep a spare battery in reserve and swap it when it is necessary. The upcoming 3-wheeler vehicle will be an evolution over the existing vehicle, by offering higher speed, larger volumetric capacity, higher mileage and FAME compliant.
The entire nation is looking up to reduce the fuel bill and rely on eco-friendly mode of transportation. It will become a reality only if electric mobility is adapted among the mass-es. Director Venkatesh Teja further quotes, “It is not just the rich who should turn electric; it is the poor who should rely on electric mobility for their daily earnings.” Ekotejas has been focussed on serving the rural and bottom-of-pyramid folks.
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