Almost all the major vehicle manufacturers across the world right now have made commitments towards switching from gasoline-based vehicles to electric vehicles in the coming decade or more. And I have been following this change for over a decade now.
I see many people comment on this rise of the EV market as if it is a recent phenomenon but it was invented and popular even back in the late 1800s! Leading car makers across the world, especially in the motor development hubs of the USA, Europe and Japan explored and even created a few EV models. One of the biggest luxury sports car companies developed an electric car back in 1898! However, the battery technology hadn’t grown as fast as they had anticipated.
Another attempt at EVs was made in the late 1960s because of the acute gas shortages in the USA. But the turning point in history for EVs is widely considered to be Japan’s Prius which was the world’s first mass-produced hybrid electric vehicle. It became a commercial success and hence paved the way for EVs to become acceptable later in the market. Other Japanese and American manufacturers later launched mass-produced all-electric vehicles in the 21st century and the market accepted them with optimistic hesitation. And then a small startup from San Carlos, California revolutionised the entire Electric Vehicle market across the globe – Tesla.
I am now on a journey to catalyse the path for EV in India and ensure its legacy in this global history of EV. One of the earliest popular examples of an electric vehicle in India is a three-wheeler called Vikram SAFA. Back in 1996, 400 of them were sold. It was clear that our market would never consciously explore electric cars as a viable option, almost all companies knew that the form of electric vehicles would be either two-wheelers and/or three-wheelers considering the road conditions, affordability and needs of the Indian market.
In 2007, an Indian cycle company partnered with a UK-based electric motor company to launch a series of first Indian e-bikes or electronic bikes. They were popular amongst other companies but they could not entice the Indian buyers enough due to the prices and availability of viable alternatives in the market.Just when it seemed like the Indian EV story was on its last pages, e-rickshaws came to its rescue. In 2016-17, about 500,000 e-rickshaws were sold in India.
E-rickshaws are still very popular across the country, especially in its national capital – Delhi NCR. This was all possible only because the Government of India launched the FAME scheme in 2015 under the leadership of Shri Arvind Ganpat Sawant, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises. Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles in India or FAME India made it possible for EV manufacturers to subsidise electric vehicles for consumers and hence create an EV market in India. And while the global EV market is growing steadily at an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.3%, The Indian market is growing at an astounding rate of 94.4% year on year.
At Srivaru motors, our plan is simple: Elevate India to a global leadership position in the worldwide story of EV.
Decades of technology, design, battery and process-oriented innovations across the globe have made EVs a viable, cleaner and cheaper alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles across the globe. Our team is one of the earliest to bring together these ground-breaking innovations to India. At SVM, we deeply understand that youth in India and across the globe are waiting to experience the next revolution and generation of EVs. Prana is a result of strong customer understanding combined with great technical talent and formidable vision. It is a culmination of all that we have learnt across the world from the battery, consumer technology and bike design advancements so far. Prana is the first performance electric bike in India and it is designed for Indian road conditions. Our BLDC controller is intelligently air-cooled and can still function at 50 degrees ambient temperature. Prana’s electronic regenerative braking system is a part of the 3 channel Hydraulic brake system to ensure complete driver safety along with daily biking and braking comfort. We are going the extra mile to serve our Prana riders community in ensuring their safety and comfort while they enjoy the never-before-seen performance on the road.
I have learned from the best in the industry to bring battery and EV performance advancements to India so that India can become a shining example in the EV future of the world. I look back to learn and look ahead to serve.
The global story of EV is full of challenges, struggles, disbelief, and failures. I strongly resonate with those feelings because it was difficult to bring a ground-breaking product to the Indian market, while also focusing on climate sustainability and saving the environment. EVs are great in terms of cost of running, maintenance, the longevity of the vehicle, resale prices, etc. but I never forget the core reason behind founding SVM – to combat climate change. This is why we inspire and incentivise our customers to plant 10 saplings for each bike that they buy so that we can create a community of people who connect the worldwide EV story with a worldwide movement of environmental sustainability and eco-conscious practices.
I strongly believe that in the future, when people discuss the history of EVs globally, people will recognise the large contributions made by Indian entrepreneurs in the worldwide EV story and movement. It is my dream to put India on the global map as a bright and forward-looking example that other countries can follow when it comes to climate change and the adoption of EVs.
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