How can EV charging become more flexible and accessible? Cargar aims to answer that question with portable fast chargers that can be deployed wherever vehicles are parked. Designed for fleets, businesses, and property owners, the solution shifts charging from fixed stations to flexible locations. In a conversation with EFY’s Nitisha Dubey, Raj Anupam of MCS Cargar Private Limited discusses the technology, business model, and plans driving the company’s growth.
Q. How does Cargar’s portable charging technology make EV charging more flexible?
A. We develop portable charging technology that makes EV charging more flexible and accessible. These chargers can be easily moved from one location to another, allowing any place to become a charging point when needed. We offer a range of portable fast chargers with capacities ranging from 30kW to 180kW. We also provide on-grid, off-grid, solar, and hybrid fast-charging solutions. The core idea behind the technology is to shift the charging model from fixed locations to flexible locations where vehicles are already parked for longer durations.
Q. Who are your target customers, and how do you provide your chargers to them?
We supply these chargers to charge point operators, EV fleet operators, real estate developers, and commercial or corporate property owners. These customers can either buy, lease, or rent the chargers, depending on their business needs. In addition, we are developing a model for local charge point operators in which micro-entrepreneurs can acquire Cargar chargers and deploy them in their cities. This model allows chargers to be used in residential areas at night and in commercial or public areas during the day, thereby improving utilisation.
Q. How does the leasing, renting, and buying model work for customers?
A. We offer multiple business models to make our chargers accessible to different types of customers. Fleet operators, who usually prefer operating expenditure to capital expenditure, can rent the chargers. In this model, they pay a monthly subscription fee of around ₹16,000 per charger, with a minimum rental period of one year. This allows them to use the charger on their premises, provided a three-phase electrical supply is available.
Another model is the lease-to-own option for micro-entrepreneurs or local charge point operators. In this arrangement, customers pay a monthly EMI of around ₹22,000 to ₹25,000 for approximately 24 months, after which the charger becomes their asset.
Q. Are there any agreements or rules that partners must follow while using your chargers?
A. Yes, we sign formal agreements with fleet operators, local charge point operators, and other partners. These agreements include general asset-leasing rules and operational guidelines to ensure the proper use, safety, and maintenance of the charging equipment.
Q. Where can these chargers be installed?
A. The chargers require a three-phase electricity supply and are typically installed in residential complexes, commercial properties, corporate campuses, or designated parking areas. Since the chargers are portable, they can be moved between locations as demand fluctuates. However, they are not designed for installation in fully open public areas, such as roadsides, for safety reasons. Instead, they are deployed within secure parking environments.
Q. What is the price range of chargers, and how many have you sold so far?
A. The chargers are priced from around ₹4 lakh, depending on their capacity and configuration. We began commercial sales in August 2025 following extensive pilot testing and have sold approximately 30 to 40 units so far.
Q. How do Cargar’s products differ from other EV charger manufacturers in the market?
A. We differentiate ourselves by focusing on portable fast-charging technology. Unlike traditional chargers installed at fixed locations, our chargers can be easily moved within a parking area or between locations. This flexibility allows operators to maximise charger utilisation without heavy civil work or infrastructure upgrades.
Another key differentiator is our proprietary software layer. Instead of relying on the industry-standard OCPP communication protocol, we have developed our own communication platform that allows users to start charging through UPI payments without downloading an app or maintaining a wallet. The system can operate even if internet connectivity is temporarily unavailable, and payments are transferred directly to the operator’s account.
Q. Do you have any patents or intellectual property related to your technology?
A. Yes, we hold around ten intellectual property rights related to the technology. These include one utility patent and several design patents. The utility patent primarily focuses on charging-platform technology that enables modular, scalable charging systems to efficiently power various electric devices.
Q. In which regions are your chargers currently deployed?
A. Our chargers are currently deployed across several regions in India, including Maharashtra, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, and Gujarat. These locations represent some of the early markets where we are testing and expanding our solutions.
Q. Are your chargers manufactured entirely in-house?
A. The chargers are designed and developed in India, and we own the intellectual property for the entire technology stack. Around 70 per cent of manufacturing and technical development is carried out in-house, including research and development, software, algorithms, and system integration.
Some components, such as charging guns and certain chips, are sourced from Germany due to their reliability, while other fabricated components are supplied by external vendors.
Q. What are the main sources of revenue?
A. Our primary source of revenue comes from the sale of EV chargers. In addition, we generate revenue through software subscriptions, charger rental and leasing models, and limited technology consulting services.
Q. What are your future plans for the company?
A. We plan to continue developing new technologies in the EV charging space. We are working on hybrid charging systems that can stabilise grid usage while enabling fast charging. We are also developing solar-integrated fast chargers designed to achieve at least 25 per cent net-zero energy use.
Additionally, we are developing software tools that analyse driving and charging patterns to help operators deploy chargers more efficiently.
Q. What is the efficiency of chargers?
A. Our chargers offer efficiency of around 96-97 per cent. Alongside energy efficiency, we focus on improving operational efficiency for charge point operators by helping them maximise charger utilisation and revenue potential.
Q. What were some of the major design or development challenges?
A. We spent nearly 48,000 hours on research and development while building this charging technology between 2019 and 2023. During this period, we worked on battery design, high-voltage battery-pack development, thermal management, power electronics, and communication systems between the vehicle and charger.
The biggest challenge was building a robust and reliable system that could perform consistently across India’s diverse weather conditions. After multiple iterations and field tests from Kanyakumari to Jammu and Kashmir, we refined the product before launching it commercially.
Q. What major challenges have you faced as a start-up?
A. Building a deep-technology product required significant time and effort in research and development. Another challenge was understanding product-market fit and aligning the technology with actual market requirements.
As founders, we face new challenges and uncertainties every day. However, a strong belief in the technology and perseverance have helped us continue moving forward.
