Automaker Audi has entered a partnership with Nunam to transform India’s rickshaws into electric vehicles using old batteries. The German-Indian startup Nunam will provide technology to help create both the electric rickshaws and charging infrastructure. Nunam says that the choice of the rickshaws for this program is to optimize the end-of-life EV batteries.

The Audi-Nunam partnership will see Nunam using Audi used EV batteries to transform the rickshaws into electric-powered vehicles. Nunam will also provide greener charging stations for the new e-rickshaws across India. The Audi-Nunam e-rickshaw concept will be showcased at the 2022 Greentech Festival in Berlin, Germany.

Prodip Chatterjee, Nunam’s co-founder says end-of-live EV batteries are especially useful for rickshaws. The rickshaw is used mainly for intra-city and rural transportation, it is not too heavy and requires minimal power. The power, range, and weight requirements are therefore at the heart of the Nunam initiative. The company also targets women in the new e-rickshaw distribution in India. Nunam’s initiative is driven massively by environmental considerations. The non-profit startup will use solar panels to generate power in its charging stations. The generated energy will be stored on Audi’s batteries.

This new green initiative could make a significant impact in India. Autorickshaws are a major contributor to carbon emissions in the country. Therefore, providing emission-free options for these through the e-rickshaw will be impactful. Audi’s Rudiger Recknagel says Nunam is sharing its knowledge to motivate cleaner approaches to EV batteries globally. There are no details yet on when the e-rickshaw concept will transit to production.

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