Sun Mobility had recently announced its plan to set up 100 battery swapping stations in the city of Bengaluru by the end of next year. This swapping network from the electric mobility solutions and service provider is called Swap Points. The Honorable Chief Minister of Karnataka, BS Yediyurappa, formally initiated the commercial launch of the swapping network in Bengaluru through a virtual event. The company has launched four swap points at IOCL's outlets in locations like Indiranagar, Jayanagar, Koramangala and HSR Layout.
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This will ensure a right push for Karnataka government's goal of providing one charging station in a 3km radius grid
Moreover, the company also joined hands with the City's MetroRide to provide solutions for the first and last mile connectivity for Metro rails. As a part of the collaboration, the fleet of MetroRide comprising Piaggio Ape E-City electric three-wheelers will make usage of the swap points deployed at prime IOCL outlets.
With the roll-out of the battery swapping network, the company looks forward to collaborating with infrastructure enablers like BESCOM and BMRC, which will help in creating a strong network of battery swapping infrastructure in the city. This will also ensure a right push for Karnataka government's goal of providing one charging station in a 3km radius grid in the city under its EV Policy.
Speaking on the occasion, Honorable Chief Minister of Karnataka, BS Yediyurappa said, "The Government of Karnataka has envisaged a systematic growth of Bengaluru, with one of the focus areas being shared mobility. As part of our efforts to make the State and its urban landscapes cleaner and greener, this support and collaboration is a significant step in furthering our vision to establish Karnataka as the EV capital of India. Bengaluru will lead the change with an environment that historically has nurtured innovation. I am excited that we will see innovative technologies and models in shared mobility emerge here, like battery swapping, that can be taken to the rest of India and the world. We look forward to working with various players in the space, and extending all necessary support to make this a reality."
Chetan Maini, Co-Founder and Vice-Chairman, SUN Mobility said, "We realise that good infrastructure is a precursor to enabling a vibrant, clean and shared mobility ecosystem in a city like Bengaluru. A great example of this is the three-wheeler market that has 180,000 three-wheelers, supported by 85 LPG stations. We want to create a similar supporting ecosystem by deploying 100 Swap Points that can power and support all forms of shared mobility in the city, including 2-wheelers, 3-wheelers, and last-mile delivery trucks. Our commitment is to increase adoption of EVs in the shared mobility sector, in Bengaluru, by making refueling faster, cheaper, more accessible and convenient (through swapping)."
Sun Mobility also partnered with the City's MetroRide to solve first and last-mile connectivity for metro rails
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"There is a need for reliable and efficient transport solutions for Metro Rail which can greatly increase its ridership. With our focus on metro riders, the partnership with SUN Mobility will help make last-mile commuting easy, safe and eco-friendly for everyone," said Girish Nagpal, CEO & Co-Founder, MetroRide.
Diego Graffi, Chairman and MD, Piaggio Vehicles Private Ltd said, "We are pleased to start our EV business in Bengaluru, in association with SUN Mobility and MetroRide. At Piaggio, we always believe in providing best in class solutions to our customers in the last-mile transportation segment. Our Ape' E-City, with the swappable battery solution, will provide an easy, clean & comfortable metro station commute, which is the need of the hour for a fast, young & cosmopolitan city like Bengaluru. We have delivered the initial lot of vehicles to MetroRide, and will hope to increase the fleet of this unique offering with them. This will in due course of time transform the metro commute benefiting not only daily commuters, but also provide better earn-ability to the drivers."
