Our Expertise Allows Quicker Ion Motion By way of The Electrolyte Whereas Sustaining Thermal Stability Inside The Battery Pack

Simply 10 minutes! Can an electrical two-wheeler probably be fast-charged in that time-frame? From attaining this to addressing main challenges fleet operators face, Ameen Khan from Flextron discusses every thing with EFY’s Nitisha Dubey.

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Q. Are you able to present an outline of Flextron and its merchandise?

A. At Flextron, we concentrate on growing electrical car (EV) charging expertise that permits quick charging for electrical two-wheelers in about 10 minutes. We provide two merchandise: FlexStack, a battery pack designed for electrical two-w9heelers, and FlexGrid, a DC quick charger that helps speedy charging with out requiring grid upgrades. Each merchandise are protected by patents we now have filed and are present process early trials with unique gear producers (OEMs) and fleet operators in Bengaluru. We’re additionally in discussions to finalise partnerships with a few of them quickly.

Q. How does your expertise tackle battery degradation throughout quick charging processes?

A. Typical electrolytes have restricted capability for ion motion between cathode and anode, and quick charging below these situations can speed up cell degradation. We tackle this problem. Our expertise allows sooner ion motion by way of the electrolyte whereas sustaining thermal stability throughout the battery pack. Furthermore, a thermal administration system ensures the temperature stays managed, permitting the electrolyte ample time to switch ions successfully throughout quick charging. The system employs varied pulse charging methods to attain this stability.

Q. What’s your course of for integrating and testing batteries with fleet operator automobiles?

A. When a fleet operator contacts us, for example, to equip 400 bikes of a particular mannequin just like the Hero NYX and Quantum, we start by assessing the compatibility of our battery with the EVs. We make sure the battery could be retrofitted seamlessly. As soon as confirmed, the fleet operator sends the automobiles to our facility, the place we carry out the battery integration. 

Throughout this course of, we consider the battery’s efficiency with the bike, together with metrics like mileage, pickup, and charging time. We additionally fine-tune the battery to work optimally with the car’s motor controller, guaranteeing it supplies most worth to the top consumer. Moreover, we combine Web of Issues (IoT) monitoring to watch the bikes and allow options like immobilisation in case of non-payment. 

After finishing the mixing, a number of bikes geared up with Flextron batteries are despatched again to the shopper for a trial interval of 15 to 30 days. Throughout this time, the shopper shares suggestions, and if happy, they place an order. As soon as an order is confirmed, we usually take 35 to 40 days to ship the battery packs.

Q. What sort of analytics do you present?

A. Fleet operators working with us have a dashboard that gives real-time insights from the battery pack. The dashboard shows key info equivalent to the present state of the battery, consumption information, variety of charging cycles, battery well being, distance travelled, and extra analytics. These allow operators to make knowledgeable enterprise selections.

Q. How does your system observe and optimise battery well being and efficiency in the long run?

A. The system contains IoT performance throughout the battery pack, as I stated, which transmits information to the backend system. Now, this technique is immediately linked to the chargers. Every time the car expenses, the EV charger adjusts the using profile based mostly on the info, offering an optimised charging expertise to reinforce the battery’s efficiency.

Q. What function does telematics play in bettering fleet effectivity and administration?

A. We do manufacture the telematics {hardware}, which collects sensor information and sends it to our cloud software program. The info could be built-in into any fleet administration system by way of an utility programming interface (API).

Q. What does your manufacturing course of contain, and what parts are produced in-house?

A. Our manufacturing facility focuses on producing chargers somewhat than battery packs, which contract producers deal with. Our charger manufacturing course of begins with printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication, which is then despatched to our facility. The PCBs undergo pick-and-place heating, meeting, software program testing, and software program updates. Lastly, the chargers are totally assembled. Our facility is provided to deal with all phases of EV charger meeting.

Q. How does your resolution decrease the whole value of possession for electrical fleets?

A. Our chargers are extremely cost-effective to arrange—three to 4 instances cheaper than a battery swapping station. Moreover, the compact dimension of our chargers considerably lowers operational bills. By lowering each capital expenditure (CapEx) and operational expenditure (OpEx) related to charging infrastructure, we assist tackle one of many main elements driving up the whole value of possession (TCO) for fleet operators.

Q. Please discuss your income technology method.

A. Our income mannequin relies on a battery subscription system. Clients make an upfront advance fee for the battery, after which they subscribe by paying a hard and fast quantity month-to-month. We serve two main buyer segments: OEMs and fleet operators. OEMs buy batteries immediately from us, whereas fleet operators subscribe to our battery packs month-to-month.

Q. What’s the fee cycle for the battery-as-a-service (BaaS) mannequin?

A. Within the BaaS mannequin, the fee cycle usually happens on the primary or second day of every month. Like, if a fleet operator has 100 battery packs, they pay for these packs throughout the first week of the month.

Q. What are the important thing design and operational challenges that Flextron faces?

A. One main problem is that fleet operators choose a battery subscription mannequin over shopping for it upfront. This requires us to tackle the monetary threat of the battery pack belongings, which stay liabilities within the BaaS proprietor’s books. Batteries are supplied to fleet operators on a month-to-month rental foundation, and as we scale to over 5000 batteries, there’s an inherent threat of operators returning all of the batteries instantly. This would depart us answerable for repaying the lease whereas holding unused battery belongings. As a {hardware} enterprise, we prioritise minimising the dangers of over-achieving excessive numbers.

Q. Which state has the very best demand to your options?

A. Karnataka stands out as a key marketplace for us, providing a superb alternative to showcase the worth of 10-minute speedy charging. It is a perfect location to show how our expertise can profit customers.

Q. What was the final fiscal income development, and what are the upcoming two-year development plans?

A. Our main focus has been on fast-charging expertise, it’s the coronary heart of what we do. Final 12 months, we have been nonetheless within the pre-revenue stage, however this 12 months, we’re already seeing income coming in. We goal to attain income of $0.5 million by the top of this monetary 12 months. Proper now, our efforts are targeting a particular goal market: gig riders. Over the subsequent three to 4 years, we goal to succeed in 600,000 EV customers, aligning with our long-term development plan.

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