Audi has entered into a partnership with Nunam to transform India’s rickshaws into electric vehicles using old batteries, the startup Nunam will offer technology to help create both the electric rickshaws and charging infrastructure necessary for their operation. The company has chosen rickshaws because they are attempting to optimize the way EV batteries that are useless are recycled.
Audi-Nunam rickshaws will use solar panels to power their charging stations:
This partnership between the automaker will see the German startup using EV batteries to transform rickshaws into electric-powered vehicles, the startup will also provide environmentally sustainable charging stations for these vehicles. The concept vehicle is set to be showcased at the Greentech Festival 2022 which will be held in Berlin.
As per Prodip Chatterjee, Co-founder of Nunam, end-of-live EV batteries is helpful for autos as they are mainly used for travel within the cities and rural transportation. It is not as heavy a vehicle and does not require as much power either. The company has also targeted women in its distribution chain in India. This initiative is driven by environmental considerations. The not-for-profit startup will use solar power to generate power in its charging stations and the energy generated will be stored on Audi’s batteries.
This new eco-friendly initiative will be helpful to India as autos are a major contributor to carbon emissions in the subcontinent. By providing emission-free options for intra-city commute, the environmental conditions will improve to a great extent. Audi’s Rudiger Recknagel claims that Nunam is sharing its knowledge to motivate cleaner approaches to EV batteries globally. There is no timeline on when the rickshaw will enter the production stage.
Also read:
