Bengaluru-based rapid charging platform Exponent Energy has announced that it has partnered with bus manufacturer Veera Vahana to launch its 15-minute rapid charging technology for electric buses.
In a joint statement issued on Thursday, the companies said that the ‘Veera Mahasamrat EV’ powered by Exponent is the world’s first 13.5-meter electric bus on 2-axles.
The bus is equipped with Exponent’s 320 kWh battery pack and leverages its 1-MW charging technology, allowing the bus to achieve a significant range with only a 15-minute rapid charge.
Additionally, a battery warranty of 6,00,000 km or 3,000 battery cycles paves the way for better financing options and ease of ownership, the statement said.
Currently, the two companies are focused on electrifying the Bengaluru-Hyderabad route. Exponent Energy will also deploy four 1 MW charging stations – two at each endpoint and two along the highway, ensuring bus operators can seamlessly shift from ICE to electric.
Driving Energy Efficiency
The companies claimed that with Veera Mahasamrat EV, fleet owners can reduce operating expenses by 30 percent compared to an internal combustion engine bus.
“Today, electric buses are restricted to short-haul or intracity operations due to limited range and long charging time. It’s difficult to package a single battery to deliver 600km of range and with long charging time,” said K. Srinivas Reddy, managing director of Veera Vahan, in the statement.
Typically, diesel buses stop every 300 km for 15-20 minutes, and this partnership mimics the same experience. Now, bus operators can seamlessly switch to electric with the Veera Mahasamrat EV and save more time in their operations.
The company’s technology stack manages each cell’s characteristics using its proprietary off-board thermal management system, where the station actively pumps coolant to the battery while charging to maintain optimal temperature, thus delivering consistent performance even at ambient temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius.
“We’re thrilled to have built the world’s third 1 MW charging technology after Tesla and Siemens in India, for India,” said Arun Vinayak, co-founder and CEO of Exponent Energy, the statement.
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