What can four students competing in Formula Student race teams achieve? Why would these students, originally focused on developing an electric two-wheeler brand, pivot into the more challenging B2B business of motors? Attron’s Co-founder, Udhay Singh explained it all to Mukul from Electronics For You.
Four college students, with experience in Formula Racing and having collaborated with engineers from global gasoline and electric car racing teams, embarked on a mission to build an electric motorcycle for India. Their requirements from electric vehicle component makers were not simple, given their exposure to renowned engineers. “Either import from China, or spend a lot with Indian component manufacturers, to develop motors and motor controllers that we wanted; these were the only two choices left for us,” Udhay Singh says.
The four co-founders took it upon themselves to build motors and motor controllers for the electric motorcycle they were developing and took a pivot into the component manufacturing business. Why the name ‘Attron’? “Because it means the new wave of electronics,” explains Singh.
They set up shop in Pune and started development of PMSM (permanent magnet synchronous motors). Within a year, they managed several proof-of-concept (PoC) models for two- and three-wheeler OEMs. “NDAs do not allow us to name OEMs we are doing business with, but our motors and motor controllers have helped vehicles gain 25% extra efficiency,” says Singh.
The startup claims their motors offer a system efficiency of more than 97%. The average efficiency, on the other hand, is around 92%. In PMSM motors, the best efficiency being offered in the market is 82%! PMSM motors are typically used in the electric vehicle industry as they offer complete control on torque at zero speed and superfast acceleration and deceleration capabilities.
Singh explains, “It is the magnet topology that has made the difference for us. We have been awarded a patent for the same. We have arranged magnets in a way that the magnetic linkage flux, otherwise being wasted, is being used in an efficient manner. This also allows us to use fewer magnets, resulting in reduced costs for us and for our customers.”
Out of the four patents filed by Attron Automotive, three have been granted. Two are related to the stator side, and two to the rotor side. Additionally, the controllers’ algorithms are developed in-house. “We have named it ETA as it represents a framework which can be customised according to customer needs,” Singh says.
While the startup anticipates generating 60% of its revenue from the automotive sector, it is also exploring use cases in the agritech, aviation, defence, and consumer electronics domains. Singh notes that every segment or industry leveraging the power of propulsion and motors is an ideal business partner for them.
He adds, “Focusing on two- and three-wheelers, we will be delivering close to 3000 motors this year. The conversion duration in the automotive domain is high. At the same time, we have already started supplying to the defence sector. We are also setting up an assembly line in Pune to increase production at the same time.”
With a team of 15, Attron Automotive sources everything from India except the neodymium magnets, semiconductors, and MCUs, which are imported from China and Japan based on customer preferences for cost or quality. “If the customer wants a low-cost motor, we import the magnet from China; otherwise, we import the same from Japan or some other place,” Singh elaborates.
The startup plans to utilise the recently raised ₹47.5 million funding to establish a manufacturing plant in Pune. Currently capable of producing up to 150 motors per month, they aim to increase this to 7000 to 8000 per month once the plant is operational.
“As this is our first year of operations, the paid PoCs are underway, and some orders have been received. We are in the process of finalising equipment for the manufacturing facility. Keeping control over the quality is our prime aim with self-manufacturing,” Singh says.
