Omega Seiki, part of Anglian Omega Group of companies, on Wednesday announced a strategic partnership with Bengaluru-based nanotechnology start-up Log 9 Materials for rapid-charging batteries technology in its Rage+ electric 3-wheeler platform. Being introduced for the first time in the country in commercial three-wheelers, the move will prove instrumental in transforming the last-mile delivery ecosystem in the country, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, Omega Seiki said in a statement.
The technology will be first introduced in two variants of Range+ with a 5.8 kWh, 120 Ah unit and a 6.5 kWh, 140 Ah battery which will take 30 minutes and 35 minutes, respectively, to charge fully, giving a range of around 65-100 km.
Developed by Log 9 Materials, these batteries will have 15,000 charge cycles with a class-leading 15-year warranty, the company said.
“We are excited to enter into a long-term supply agreement with Log 9 Materials.
“With sustainability at the heart of our strategy and an increasingly important requirement for our customers and consumers, we are delighted to be working with our partners to deliver the best technology via our products to the market,” Omega Seiki Mobility Managing Director Deb Mukherji said.
Both variants can operate in temperatures between (-)40 degrees Celsius and (+)65 degrees Celsius, making them perfect for Indian conditions, the company said.
The deployment of this technology will drive adoption of electric vehicles in the last-mile sector where there is a huge pent-up demand.
Omega Seiki Mobility Chairman Uday Narang said the company is working on all the aspects of developing state-of-the-art, make-in-India electric vehicle technology. “The rapid charging batteries will not only provide a solution to range anxiety as they can be quickly charged in under 30 minutes but will also be value for money to our customers due to their long life and reliability.”
The two partners, under the tie-up, are specifically targeting B2B last-mile delivery segment for the deployment of these rapid charging batteries in the Rage+ RapidEV variant of the original Rage+ platform, the company said.
Utilising its expertise and technical know-how of supercapacitor technology, these batteries by Log9 Materials are superior as compared to the EV batteries currently available in the domestic and global markets, it said.
Log 9 Materials founder and CEO Akshay Singhal said, “India needs battery technologies based on local conditions, requirements and usage patterns. This has been the underlying thesis of our technology development at Log 9 Materials.”
