The cargo vehicles of India are responsible for about 40 percent of the emissions produced by the transport sector, which is a rather significant chunk of the pie. Yet, despite the situation passing for years, there had not been a viable alternative to the diesel trucks plying on our roads, until now. Enter the Blue Energy 5548e—one of the first Indian electric HCVs with battery swapping technology. The fully-robotised system can swap out a depleted battery for a fresh one in less than 5 minutes—this is actually about the same as it would take a diesel tractor-trailer to fill up a 90-litre tank on average, including cap removal and refit, filling and payment.
The specs are impressive, with a permanent magnet synchronous motor the size of an oil drum sending 480PS and 2,400Nm to the rear wheels via a 4-speed automatic transmission, translating in a payload capacity of 55 tons, which is on par with the diesel rivals, as well the Montra Electric Rhino 5538 EV which is quite similar in numbers with 380PS and 2,000Nm, a 6-speed transmission and the same 55-tonne payload capacity. The robotised battery swap also takes a similar amount of time—five minutes for the Blue Energy and six minutes for the Montra.
The Maharashtra Government also announced the inauguration of the Mumbai-Pune electric freight corridor, powered by initially one battery swapping station located at Talegaon. The launch and the announcement were presided over by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis. We may see a true revolution in electric mobility thanks to the initiatives of manufacturers like Blue Energy in tandem with policymakers.
