Axrad Renewpower Agri Machines (ARAM), located in Coimbatore, recently introduced a prototype for its self-charging electric light commercial vehicle (LCV), known as the ACV. This innovative vehicle features the Body as a Battery technology, which incorporates solar panels into the body of the vehicle to produce energy, thus minimising dependence on conventional battery charging techniques.
Pachyappa, previously the CTO of Ampere Vehicles and a pivotal figure in India’s electric vehicle (EV) sector, is creating new tech again. His latest initiative is introducing the revolutionary “Body as a Battery” (BaaB) concept, which could transform electric vehicle efficiency, particularly in the commercial realm.
In Coimbatore, the startup Axrad Renewpower Agri Machines (ARAM) has revealed a prototype of its self-charging electric light commercial vehicle (LCV), named ACV. This vehicle features the innovative BaaB concept, which incorporates solar panels into the vehicle’s body to produce energy, minimizing dependence on traditional charging methods.
The ACV is equipped with a 72V/200Ah sodium-ion battery that supports a 5C continuous discharge rate and holds a 14.4 kWh capacity, capable of covering 120 km on a single charge.
Regarding solar power, the vehicle’s body-mounted solar panels can harvest up to 9kWh from just six hours of sunlight, satisfying over half of its daily energy requirements.
The vehicle’s design utilizes lightweight composite materials, making it 90 kg lighter than similar models, which boosts its efficiency.
Performance-wise, the ACV boasts a payload capacity of 800 kg, a maximum speed of 45 km/h, and incorporates regenerative braking to maximize energy conservation.
It also offers flexible charging options: a full charge via AC power takes less than 4 hours, and fast charging can provide 60 km of range in only 20 minutes.
The BaaB concept by Bala Pachyappa utilises solar panels on the vehicle’s exterior as an auxiliary power source, thus decreasing the frequency of external charging. This allows the vehicle to fulfil 41-62% of its daily energy needs through solar power, substantially lowering operating costs.
The ACV’s solar panels are positioned on both the top and sides of the load container, supplying up to 60.76% of the daily required energy. This not only reduces charging time but also enhances the overall vehicle efficiency by alleviating battery load, thereby increasing the vehicle’s range and lifespan. When compared with conventional internal combustion engine LCVs like the Tata Ace, the ACV’s operating cost is INR 0.40/km, versus INR 1.23/km for other electric LCVs and INR 5.15/km for ICE models, leading to significant annual savings.
Looking ahead, ARAM aims for homologation by mid-2025 and plans to distribute the ACV to pilot customers by the end of 2025. The company is currently negotiating with suppliers to secure long-term agreements and is concentrating on manufacturing critical components such as sodium batteries and solar-integrated bodies in-house.
By focusing on the challenges of charging infrastructure and operating expenses with the ACV and its BaaB concept, they are directly addressing two major barriers to EV adoption.
