Log9’s new tech can charge EV battery in less than 15 minutes

Bengaluru: Deep-technology startup Log9 Materials has developed a rapid charging battery technology that may just be a game-changer for India’s electric vehicle fleet operators.

The indigenously developed supercapacitor technology boasts of charging EV batteries in less than 15 minutes and promises a range of 70 kilometres for two-wheelers and up to 60 kilometres for three-wheelers.

The Bengaluru-based nanotechnology company that works on varied applications of graphene is in talks with some of the well-known fleet operators like Delhivery, Shadowfax, Vogo and Zoom cars to deploy these batteries.

“We have already started the pilot. Vehicles fitted with Log9 batteries are on the road and commercial operations will begin this September,” cofounder and chief executive Akshay Singhal told ET. The firm has planned to deploy batteries in at least 3,000 vehicles by March 2022 and scale it up to 20,000 vehicles a year later.

With India’s EV scene picking up momentum and last-mile fleet operators increasingly switching their delivery vehicles from fuel based to EV, the time taken to charge batteries and the inadequate public charging infrastructure have become bottlenecks. On an average, the full charging time for two-wheelers and three-wheelers is 4-5 hours.

“The fast-charging technology is particularly beneficial for fleet operators where the average distance covered per day exceeds 100 km. The vehicles once charged at hubs of fleet operators can cover a fair distance and do not require public charging infrastructure,” Singhal said.