Bharath Rao, the Founder and CEO of Emobi, conveyed the company’s commitment to global sustainability and the future prospects for last-mile delivery.
Emobi has teamed up with Honda Power Pack Energy India (HEID) and Musashi to develop and introduce a high-performance vehicle for last-mile delivery, aiming to boost the adoption of electric vehicles in this sector. Bharath Rao, Founder and CEO of Emobi, discussed the company’s global sustainability goals and its future in last-mile delivery. Rao highlighted Emobi’s dedication to building essential capabilities for the Indian market. He explained that the company has focused on developing key components and skills required for electric vehicles, including in-house design, engineering, and prototyping. This approach allows Emobi to manufacture vehicles tailored to the specific demands of India’s unique road conditions and consumer needs, emphasizing durability and efficiency in the growing last-mile delivery market.
By partnering with battery-swapping companies and established powertrain providers, Emobi aims to deliver sturdy, dependable, and economical solutions for last-mile delivery fleets. The company’s advanced R&D efforts enhance fleet management by supplying fleet operators with key performance parameters.
Emobi’s sustainability vision involves increasingly using renewable energy for electric vehicles and implementing recycling measures for all vehicle components to foster a circular economy. This sustainability drive is evident across all of Emobi’s product lines.
The recent collaborations with HEID and Musashi are directed at launching an advanced last-mile delivery vehicle. The partnership with HEID introduces battery-swapping technology, which minimizes range anxiety and charging times for users. The powertrain from Musashi improves performance and reliability across both B2B and B2C segments.
Rao outlined the distinct roles within the partnership, noting that HEID is responsible for integrating battery-as-a-service into Emobi’s vehicles, while Musashi enhances the vehicles by contributing its powertrain technology, improving both performance and reliability.
Emobi is actively conducting thorough testing of its vehicle products to ensure they meet the expectations of Indian consumers. Moving forward, the company plans to integrate renewable energy sources more deeply with electric vehicles. Rao added that Emobi’s key advantage is in offering localized products that are straightforward to assemble, deliver effective performance, and are supported by comprehensive after-sales services. These attributes significantly reduce vehicle downtime, thereby increasing revenue potential for both individual operators and fleet managers.
Market Strategies and Battery Technologies
In discussing Emobi’s market strategy, Rao explained that the company is focused on launching products that utilize a localized supply chain and on forming partnerships with reliable component suppliers. Currently, Emobi is concentrating on the B2B last-mile delivery market through its electric two-wheelers. Regarding battery technology, he noted that the trend is moving towards fast-charge cells, which permit the use of smaller battery packs that can recharge more quickly.
Despite the global slowdown in electric vehicle uptake, Emobi is optimistic about the value-centric Indian consumer market, which continues to embrace EV products that deliver a balance of value, performance, and reliability.
With its strategic partnerships and dedication to sustainability and localization, Emobi is well-positioned to significantly influence the adoption of electric vehicles in India’s last-mile delivery segment.
Challenges in EV Adoption
While discussing the company’s market strategies, Rao also highlighted some challenges. He mentioned that despite significant investments and positive predictions for the electric vehicle (EV) industry, Emobi encounters issues such as an initial reliance on imported products that don’t align well with Indian infrastructure. However, he noted a growing preference for locally designed products, which is causing a consolidation among the leading manufacturers in the market. Mr Rao shared these insights while in talks with ET Auto.
