SUN Mobility

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SUN Mobility
Company type Private
Industry Automotive
Founded2017;7 years ago (2017)
Founders Chetan Maini, Uday Khemka, Ajay Goel
Headquarters,
India
Key people
Chetan Maini (Chairperson). [1]
Products Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
ServicesEV Battery Swapping & Energy Infrastructure
Number of employees
500 [2]
Parent SUN Mobility PTE, Singapore
Website www.sunmobility.com

SUN Mobility is an electric vehicle energy services company founded in 2017 [3] [4] [5] [6] that develops, manufactures and operates battery swapping infrastructure [7] for electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and larger commercial vehicles. [8] [9] Battery swapping as a technology helps accelerate the faster adoption of electric vehicles due to the lower upfront purchase price of electric vehicles, and the lower running costs - particularly in the case of commercial applications. [10]

Contents

The company is a joint venture [11] between the SUN Group and the Maini Group, [12] both companies in the areas of electric mobility and clean energy. The company is co-founded by Chetan Maini, the founder of the Reva Electric Car Company [13] (now known as Mahindra Last Mile Mobility Limited), Uday Khemka, Vice Chairman of SUN Group, and Ajay Goel, Co-Founder & Executive Director. [14] Anant Badjatya is the current CEO of the India business, since March 2022. [15]

History

In 2019, Bosch (company) made an investment in SUN Mobility to the tune of $25 million [16] and has since been a technology partner. Vitol, the Dutch oil trading organization, is also an investor in the company having made an investment of $50 million in 2021. [17]

In 2023, SUN Mobility began international operations with Shell being a partner in the Philippines. [18]

Operations

A lady swapping passenger auto-rickshaw batteries at a SUN Mobility Swap Point SUN Mobility Swap Point.png
A lady swapping passenger auto-rickshaw batteries at a SUN Mobility Swap Point

Battery swapping as a technology addresses common roadblocks to electric vehicle adoption such as high up-front costs, range anxiety, battery management concerns and battery pack obsolescence. [19] SUN Mobility's battery swapping technology enables users to purchase their electric vehicles without a fixed battery pack, and subscribe to a battery swapping service that allows them to simply swap a depleted battery for a fully charged, temperature-controlled battery pack. [20] [21]

SUN Mobility offers Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) [22] and Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) [23] as two solutions to its customers.

SUN Mobility operates over 600 battery swapping points [24] [25] across India, and has the leading market share in e-auto and e-loader (three-wheeler cargo vehicle) categories, the highest market share in swappable e-bikes, and about 50% market share in e-rickshaws in northern parts of India.

Products and services

The second-gen Battery Pack 'S2.1', launched in January 2023 S2.1-SUN Mobility Battery Pack.jpg
The second-gen Battery Pack 'S2.1', launched in January 2023

SUN Mobility provides modular Smart Batteries that are smaller, lighter than conventional fixed EV batteries, and swappable in a few minutes. The second-generation Smart battery S2.1 was launched at the Delhi Auto Expo [26] in January 2023. This new model of the battery offers a higher capacity compared to the earlier generation battery, and comes with enhanced safety features.

The 3-dock Swap Station 'SwapX' launched in January 2023 SwapX-SUN Mobility.jpg
The 3-dock Swap Station 'SwapX' launched in January 2023

The SwapX is a battery swapping station that was developed by SUN Mobility to improve the density of the battery swapping network. SwapX was launched in January 2023 at the Delhi Auto Expo. [27] It comes with 3 docks and can be installed within an area of 4.5 to 6 sq. feet, and requires a 15A power supply to operate.

Partners and network

A Swiggy delivery rider swapping a battery at a Swap Point SUN Mobility Swiggy Bike.png
A Swiggy delivery rider swapping a battery at a Swap Point

SUN Mobility has partnered with fleet operators (such as Amazon, [28] Zomato, [29] Swiggy [30] ), shared mobility service providers, and automotive OEMs(such as Omega Seiki Mobility, [31] Hero Electric, [32] Piaggio Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. [33] , and a few others) across vehicle platforms including two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and four-wheelers to bring battery swapping to a wider user base across India.

In collaboration with prominent energy infrastructure players, electricity distribution companies, and city transport corporations such as Indian Oil Corporation, [34] Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, [35] Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited, [36] etc., the company has been working on expanding their network across urban India.

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References

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  2. "SUN Mobility company profile". Tracxn.
  3. "After exiting India's first e-car venture, will Chetan Maini make a breakthrough in e-mobility services?". Economic Times.
  4. "Chetan Maini: Back in the electric mobility business". Forbes.
  5. "Sun Mobility: start-up that's gunning to be an EVangelist". Autocar Professional.
  6. "Chetan Maini plans new venture". The Hindu. 12 April 2017.
  7. "Sun Mobility introduces mobility as a service solution". India Today.
  8. "Delhi drives push for electric vehicles in India". Financial Times.
  9. "The long road ahead for electric vehicles". Forbes India.
  10. Chugh, M. S. "Battery swapping: Advantages, setbacks and its future". The Times of India.
  11. "Aiming for a green (and electric) future". Autocar Professional.
  12. "SUN Mobility Expands its Battery Swapping Operations to Maharashtra in Collaboration with Amazon India" (Press release). PR News Wire.
  13. "Mahindra & Mahindra buys 55% in Reva to power electric car biz". The Economic Times. ET Auto. 27 May 2010.
  14. "Pilipinas Shell signs pact with SUN Mobility for battery swapping tech". The Hindu Businessline. 20 January 2023.
  15. "Anant Badjatya to head Sun Mobility as CEO of India business". Autocar Professional.
  16. "Bosch acquires 26% stake in Sun Mobility". ETAuto.
  17. "Sun Mobility raises $50 million from Vitol". Economic Times. 20 October 2021.
  18. "Pilipinas Shell signs pact with SUN Mobility for battery swapping tech". The Hindu Businessline. 20 January 2023.
  19. "Battery Swapping: Views of experts on opportunities and challenges". RenewableWatch. 22 June 2022.
  20. "This swappable battery tech is keeping India's electric tuk-tuk drivers on the road". World Economic Forum.
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  22. "What is battery swapping or battery-as-a-service?". Business Standard.
  23. "SUN Mobility under MaaS model partners with Zypp Electric to power EV fleets". ET Auto.
  24. "Sun Mobility's swapping points: A compelling choice". Business India.
  25. "SUN Mobility sets sights on the heavy-duty vehicle market". The Hindu Businessline. 22 October 2023.
  26. "SUN Mobility launches new SwapX station and S2.1 battery pack: Aims to power 1 million EVs by 2025". Times of India. 13 January 2023.
  27. "SUN Mobility launches new SwapX station and S2.1 battery pack: Aims to power 1 million EVs by 2025". Times of India. 13 January 2023.
  28. "SUN Mobility Expands its Battery Swapping Operations to Maharashtra in Collaboration with Amazon India" (Press release). PR Newswire.
  29. "SUN Mobility Expands its Battery Swapping Operations to Maharashtra in Collaboration with Amazon India". Economic Times. 27 March 2023.
  30. "SUN Mobility to power 15K e-bikes in Swiggy's last-mile delivery fleet". ET Auto.
  31. "OSM & SUN Mobility partner to deploy 10,000 C-EVs with swappable batteries". Financial Express. 21 January 2022.
  32. "Hero Electric, SUN Mobility to deploy 10k e-two wheelers with swappable battery". Economic Times. 7 March 2022.
  33. "Piaggio and SUN Mobility join hands for swappable battery technology". Economic Times.
  34. "Sun Mobility partners Indian Oil for battery swapping station in Chandigarh". Autocar Professional.
  35. "DMRC, Sun Mobility flag off electric 3Ws with swappable batteries in Delhi". Financial Express. 19 October 2022.
  36. "Tata Power-DDL Partners With SUN Mobility To Set Up A Network Of Swap Points™ In New Delhi". EMobility Plus. 26 March 2021.