Bengaluru: Of late, electric bikes are conquering the Indian roads. An increase in the petrol rate has made people prefer e-bikes. The other major advantage of owning an e-bike is the low maintenance cost and, they say, the expense per kilometer is negligible when compared to the traditional petrol bikes.
This has made tens of e-bikes foray into this sector. From entry-level bikes to superbikes, today we can see an array of new models on the road. These bikes are slowly taking over petrol-powered bikes and the trend is immensely helping the country to fight air pollution, besides bringing down the impact of climate change.
Challenges
However, there is a big challenge. At present, it is estimated that there are over 12 crore petrol-powered bikes across India. These traditional bikes are still using petrol. A majority of the bike riders are not in a position to buy a new bike after selling their existing bike as the pre-owned vehicle market too collapsed due to the entry of the e-bikes.
This means, for the next few years, these bike owners will invariably continue to spend money on petrol. This will cause a financial burden on them besides pressure on the country’s dependence upon the import of crude oil. The only solution is converting these petrol bikes into e-bike. Even though this technology is popular in western countries, in our country, it is still not popular.
However, now a Bengaluru-based Startup is revolutionizing the e-bike segment by converting petrol-powered bikes into e-bikes. Thanks to ‘Starya mobility‘, which is located in Bengaluru, the change is slowly happening.
This company has come out with the country’s first electric propulsion kit for scooters. This technology will help bike riders to convert their bikes into e-bikes. The conversion kit includes a battery too. The company’s technology is completely Desi, thereby upholding the tagline of ‘Make in India‘ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat‘.
About Ravikumar Jagannath
Ravikumar Jagannath, a BE graduate is the CEO and Managing Director of the company. According to him, Starya is a mobility solution provider whose first offering is a state of the art, plug & play electric propulsion kit designed from scratch that would convert IC engine scooters into electric at half the cost of an IC engine bike. The Motor, controller & mechanical swing arm forms the major portion of the powertrain.
The company was founded in the year 2018. The directors of the company are Lakshmegowda Gowrav, Nagesh Mallikarjuna, Antharikshanagar Bellappa, Sachin Anchan, Jagannath Ravi Kumar, and Bharath Kanthanahllisheshagiri Rao.
According to Ravikumar, every year lakhs of two-wheelers are sold in the country. “It is impossible to imagine the EV revolution without these bikes running using electric power. The company is engaged in converting these bikes into e-bikes,” he explains about the idea. Winner of the national Startup challenge in January 2020, this company is all set to revolutionize Indian roads.
According to an estimation, Rs.35,000 is enough to covert the bikes like Honda, Activa, and others into e-bikes, which include the cost of the battery. Once a bike is converted into an e-bike through this technology, the cost per kilometer will come down to just 75 paise. Presently, it is around Rs.4 to Rs.5 per kilometer depending upon the mileage of the bike and the petrol rate, which is revised very often. Per charge, a rider can travel up to 70 kilometers. There will not be any changes in the capacity, performance, or any other features of the bike.
According to the company officials
According to the company officials, the performance of the converted bike will be as good as the original petrol-powered bike. The company’s unique initiative is the battery Swapping system. The company is also providing the technology of charging the bike at home.
According to Ravi Jagannath, once a bike is converted into an e-bike, it cannot use petrol as fuel. The engine will be scrapped with permission from the RTO, as per the rules.
Interestingly, prior to starting the Starya, Ravi started his own company- Ivari motors, which was engaged in the manufacturing of special-purpose motors. The company was mainly catering to the switchgear industry, food, and also special appliances. The firm has successfully developed motors passing highly stringent lifecycle tests for world-renowned companies like Toshiba, Hysoung T&D, Stelmec, CGL & ABB, etc.
Karnataka state is becoming the capital of e-vehicle business with the state government adopting several industry-friendly initiatives. The Starya is undoubtedly a start-up, which can be called the jewel in the crown.
