The German–Indian start-up Nunam is bringing three electric rickshaws to the roads of India that are powered by used batteries taken from test vehicles in the Audi e-tron test fleet. The aim of the project is to explore how modules made with high-voltage batteries can be reused after their car life cycle and become a viable second-life use case.
The project also aims to strengthen job opportunities for women in India in particular: They will be provided with the e-rickshaws to transport their goods. The non-profit start-up based in Berlin and Bangalore is funded by the Audi Environmental Foundation.
Nunam developed the three prototypes in collaboration with the training team at Audi’s Neckarsulm site, which in turn benefits from the intensive intercultural exchange.
This is the first joint project between both AUDI AG and the Audi Environmental Foundation in addition to Nunam.
The e-rickshaws powered by second-life batteries are scheduled to hit the roads in India for the first time in a pilot project in early 2023.
Nunam cofounder, Prodip Chatterjee, says: “The old batteries are still extremely powerful. When used appropriately, second-life batteries can have a huge impact, helping people in challenging life situations earn an income and gain economic independence – everything in a sustainable way.”
“Car batteries are designed to last the life of the car. But even after their initial use in a vehicle, they still have a lot of their power,” adds Chatterjee. “For vehicles with lower range and power requirements, as well as lower overall weight, they are extremely promising. In our second-life project, we reuse batteries from electric cars in electric vehicles; you might call it electric mobility ‘lite’. In this way, we’re trying to find out how much power the batteries can still provide in this demanding use case.”
“Initiatives like the one pioneered by Nunam are needed to find new use cases for e-waste. Not only in India, but worldwide. So Nunam shares its knowledge to motivate more initiatives to develop products with second-life components that can drive the eco-social revolution forward,” comments Audi Environmental Foundation Director, Rüdiger Recknagel.
The Foundation has been funding Nunam since 2019.
