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A startup initiative that installs charging stations in kirana stores could change the way consumers view electric vehicles in India
A friend’s predicament served as a blueprint for Kirana Charzer, a charging station for electric vehicles (EVs).
“A friend using an electric bike ran out of charge outside Bengaluru city limits. With no provision to charge his bike anywhere along the way, he ended up pushing his vehicle for close to four hours. Fearing this may happen again, he decided to stop using EVs,” says Sameer Ranjan Jaiswal, one of the founders of Charzer.
He adds, “It struck us that there is a kirana or basic supply store every 500 metres in India. If these shops doubled up as charging areas, such incidents could be minimised.”
Entrepreneurs Dheeraj Reddy, Sameer Ranjan Jaiswal and Yugraj Shukla, launched FAE Bikes, an EV scooter rental and fleet management startup in 2016.
“We had experienced the challenges of the EV market first-hand and were working with manufacturers, stakeholders and the Government. We understood why many a customer walked out of showrooms without buying a vehicle,” says Sameer.
Kirana Charzer was launched at MOVE 2020 in London on February 12, 2020. Compatible with two-, three- and four-wheelers, it is a compact, zero-maintenance and IoT-enabled charging station.
With the help of the Kirana Charzer app, EV users can locate nearby chargers, book a slot and make a payment. A completely drained out four-wheeler would require six to eight hours to get the battery charged, though customers usually use it for one or two hours, as that is sufficient for a 30-40 kilometre power boost.
The app also aids hosts with a daily report of power consumed, bookings and earnings.
Since the Kirana Charzer works with a basic single phase electricity connection, it can be installed without any changes to the existing grid connection. Keeping in mind weather conditions in India, the Charzer is sturdy enough to withstand rain, wind and grime from the outdoors.
With their headquarters in Bengaluru, the team has taken Charzer to Mangaluru, Hyderabad and Kerala; stations in Delhi and Pune will be operational once the lockdown lifts.
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