Surat (Gujarat) [India], March 27: Despite the fact that electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular in India, the hassle of charging the batteries is becoming a major inconvenience. A Surat-based startup identified this issue and responded by opening the first-of-its-kind “battery swapping center,” where drivers of electric rickshaws and tempos can swap batteries without having to wait for their vehicles to charge.

Owners of rickshaws and tempos in Surat can now drive freely on city roads without having to worry about charging batteries for long periods of time, thanks to Jenish Shah, the founder of Surat’s Vani Moto Pvt Ltd., which sales electric rickshaws and tempos under the brand name “Zoomroo.”

Vani Moto Private Limited has opened ‘Mobilus Next,’ Gujarat’s first battery swapping centre. This is an individual centre where Vani Moto Private Ltd.’s Zoomroo brand rickshaws and tempos’ batteries can be swapped instead of charging them for long periods of time.

How will Mobilus Next function?

When the batteries in a Zoomroo rickshaw or tempo need to be recharged, the owner must go to the Mobilus Next centre. The batteries are swapped with charged batteries at the center, and the time required for the replacement is less than the time required to fill CNG or petrol at the filling station. After the battery is swapped, the driver can return to his business.

According to Jenish Shah, founder of Vani Moto Private Limited, electrification of transportation is a hot topic these days.  However, the fact that electric vehicle batteries take eight to ten hours to recharge is becoming an issue.” “Vani Moto’s mission is to free owners of electric rickshaws and tempos from the hassle of charging batteries for extended periods of time.”

Vani Moto, according to Jenish, plans to open four new battery swapping centres across Surat in the coming months.