Exponent Energy Unveils 15-Minute Charging For Ebuses

Bengaluru-based rapid charging platform Exponent Energy has partnered with bus manufacturer Veera Vahana to launch its 15-minute rapid charging technology for electric buses. 

In a joint statement on Thursday (August 29), the companies said that the ‘Veera Mahasamrat EV’ powered by Exponent is the world’s first 13.5 metre-long electric bus on 2-axles. 

The bus is equipped with Exponent’s 320 kWh battery pack. Additionally, it comes with a battery warranty of 6 Lakh km or 3,000 battery life cycles.

Currently, Exponent and Veera Vahana are focussing on electrifying the Bengaluru-Hyderabad route. To support the operations, Exponent will also deploy four 1 MW charging stations – two at each end point and two along the highway – to ensure bus operators can seamlessly shift from ICE to electric.

The development comes a year after Exponent’s cofounder and CEO Arun Vinayak told Inc42 that the EV startup is more focussed on high-energy value products and would soon launch 15-minute rapid charging capabilities for intercity ebuses as well as etrucks by 2024.

Speaking on the development today, Vinayak said, “We’re thrilled to have built the world’s third 1 MW charging technology – after Tesla and Siemens – in India, for India.”

Founded in 2020 by former Ather Energy executives Vinayak and Sanjay Byalal, Exponent has built an entire tech stack, which comprises ‘e^packs’, ‘e^pumps’, and ‘e^plugs’, to enable rapid charging of EVs within 15 minutes. 

It is pertinent to note that the long charging time for vehicles is a major hurdle in EV adoption not only in India but globally.

While high heat generation is an issue with rapid charging of EVs across vehicle categories, Exponent claims that its tech stack is able to mitigate this problem by managing each cell’s characteristics through its battery management system, charging algorithms, and thermal management using its proprietary off-board thermal management system.

The Veera Mahasamrat EV is expected to reduce the operating expenses of the fleet owners by 30% compared to an ICE bus. 

“Today, electric buses are restricted to short-haul or intracity operations due to limited range and long charging time. It’s difficult to package a single battery to deliver 600 km of range and with long charging time – customers are not willing to wait for an hour along the highway,” said K. Srinivas Reddy, MD at Veera Vahan. 

“Typically, diesel buses stop every 300 km for 15-20 minutes and our unique partnership with Exponent mimics the same experience. Now, bus operators can seamlessly switch to electric with the Veera Mahasamrat EV and save more in their operations,” Reddy added.

Ebuses have received a strong momentum over the last few years with the Centre also incentivising this segment of public transportation to electric. Besides,  several bus operators, including the likes of Fresh Bus and NueGo, have started launching ebuses across the country. 

In a major push for EV adoption, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) last month announced plans to introduce 300 electric buses across the state for intercity travel.

Backed by the likes of Eight Roads Ventures, TDK Ventures, Lightspeed, 3one4 Capital, and AdvantEdge VC, among others, Exponent has raised over $44 Mn in funding so far.