Electric rickshaws are being introduced to Indian roads by the German-Indian startup Nunam utilizing used Audi batteries.
These electric rickshaws demonstrate how modules produced with high-voltage batteries may be reused after their automobile life cycle and become a practical second-life use case using battery modules from Audi e-tron test vehicles. The three electric rickshaws' secondary goal is to increase employment options for women in India by facilitating the direct delivery of their products to markets.
The non-profit Nunam startup created the three prototypes with assistance from the training team at the Audi Neckarsulm facility using funding from the Audi Environmental Foundation. This was the first time Nunam and Audi AG collaborated on a project. In a pilot project beginning in early 2023, the first e-rickshaws powered by used Audi e-tron battery modules are expected to travel the highways of India. In India, lead-acid batteries are typically used to power electric rickshaws. These batteries have a short lifespan and are frequently disposed of improperly. Furthermore, most of the energy used to charge these batteries comes from fossil fuels, reducing their environmental friendliness.
For its electric rickshaws, Nunam will have a sustainable charging mechanism. By installing solar panels on the rooftops of local partners, the company will seek to develop a solar charging system. The electric rickshaws may be powered all day long by the e-tron batteries, which can be charged during the day and serve as a buffer storage unit. Furthermore, an internal team will develop the charging station. To encourage other similar ventures, Nunam will make the data it gathered for this pilot project available on the open-source Circular Battery platform.
Nunam will also continue investigating third-life use cases to power stationary applications like LED lights even after the batteries are no longer appropriate for use in electric rickshaws. "We want to get everything possible out of each battery before recycling," says Chatterjee.
download the Park+ app!