Industry Talk session with Gaurav Kumar from Euler Motors

We speak with Gaurav Kumar, Head of Supply Chain & Manufacturing, Euler Motors on their current and future plans in our Industry Talk Q&A session.

Can you tell us about Euler Motors’ first product ‘HiLoad’ in detail?

We have focused on building electric vehicle with superior technology that gives customers a seamless experience in all weather and road terrain. HiLoad is India’s most powerful vehicle in the three-wheeler cargo category, boasting the highest payload capacity (688 Kg), highest battery power (12.4 kWh) and certified range (151 KM)on a single charge. The vehicle has been designed uniquely for India, from India and comes with six segment-first innovations in the three-wheeler cargo vehicle that are suited to deliver higher performance and longer life.

Moreover, the battery pack of Hiload comes with an inbuilt thermal management system and liquid cooling technology that allows the vehicle to run efficiently on any gradient and withstand ambient temperatures thus offering a long-lasting battery life. The IP67-certified battery of the vehicle ensures high-end performance and efficient operations in waterlogging scenarios as well. Further, the vehicle is equipped with advanced telematics and software assistance for fleet tracking, battery monitoring and real-time charging, making it one of the most advanced and high-powered EVs in India right now.

 

Can you tell us about your manufacturing process and any new-age technology adopted by the company?

Euler Motors currently operates out of its integrated R&D and corporate office in Delhi which has a production capability of 4000 vehicles per annum, in a semi-automated set up and plans to reach 30,000 units per annum by the end of 2022. We are in the process of setting up an advanced and semi-automatic state-of-the-art shop floor in Delhi NCR to drive up production capacity. The company will also set up a semi-automated battery line for its liquid-cooled battery pack technology. To boost our manufacturing output, we are creating a semi-automatic land futuristic shop floor, that will set new benchmarks in the EV space.

 

How much are you dependent on imports and which all parts mostly get imported?

We have achieved up to90% localization in vehicles, excluding the battery cell. We have invested in innovation on the technological front, and right partnerships for sourcing components to create world-class EVs, and chargers.  We have approximately 500 components in vehicles, in which approximately 100 components are in battery systems. We procure these from the best suppliers, without compromising on quality. We also have established channels where we are able to source components from multiple vendors, in case one channel doesn’t work.

Given our focus on localization, our need for imports is very limited. At Euler Motors, we have been working with suppliers from day one from the R&D stage to localize our components and design EVs from India, for India.

Describe, in your opinion, what a localized EV value chain should look like to deliver quality EVs that outperform ICE vehicles?

EVs with robust hardware and advanced software are the future. While the primary supply chain to build vehicles exists, battery cell production is yet to be localized in India. The industry, thus, should now focus on avenues for indigenous production of cells for EVs. The EV industry should now need to invest in battery assembly innovatively, and bring in more automation, and standardization. This will help in achieving mass scale, to produce vehicles that provide the same quality output across all deployments.

 

The spotlight is also on semiconductors, which form the prime component, for EV batteries and perhaps, now is the right time to put in efforts to localize these in India. In the coming years, semiconductors will be key not just for an EV transition, but for digital transformation across other industries as well. Therefore, as an industry, we must look at dedicating new capacity to enhance our tech sovereignty. The prevalent chip shortage is steering us into collaboration and bringing in new players to innovate in this field.