Audi batteries get a second life in auto rickshaws

Used batteries from the Audi E-Tron test fleet will be used in electric ATVs in the future. (Photo: Audi)

Initially, as part of the joint venture, three battery-powered road vehicles will be placed in the E-Tron test fleet. Partners would like to know how to reuse units from high voltage batteries after being used in cars ability. The prototypes were developed by Nunam and the training team at the Audi Neckarulm site.

At the beginning of 2023, battery-powered electronic rickshaws with a second life are scheduled to be on India’s roads in a pilot project. There it is provided by a non-profit organization that wants to help women be more mobile, for example to be able to sell self-produced goods without intermediaries.

The focus is on sustainability

“A car battery is designed for the life of a car, but even after being used in a car for the first time, it still retains a good portion of its performance.”explains co-founder of Nunam Prodip Chatterjee. “It is very promising for vehicles with lower range requirements, lower performance and lower overall weight.”

Electric rickshaws are not common on Indian roads, but they often use lead-acid batteries with short life spans and limited recycling options. In order to increase sustainability further, Nunam also wants to provide electricity via solar charging stations, which means that they do not have to use the public grid with a high proportion of coal-fired electricity.

Vehicle data should enable new use cases

The startup will constantly monitor the performance and range of electronic rickshaws. The data collected is then publicly displayed on a file special platform to get rid of them. Initiatives such as Nunam are needed to find new use cases for e-waste. Not only in India but all over the world. Therefore, Nunam will share her knowledge to catalyze more initiatives to develop products with Second Life ingredients that can drive socio-environmental change. “Rudiger says Ricknagel, managing director of the Audi Environmental Foundation, which Nunam has supported since 2019.

The electric rickshaw is a test field for trainees

Interns from Audi Neckarsulm, who played a key role in the design of the prototypes, designed a show car jointly with the German-Indian company. green technology festival It will be shown in Berlin. “It is important for us that the trainees are involved in the project from start to finish and can contribute and experiment with their own ideas”explains Timo Engler, Head of Vehicle Technology/Logistics Training at Neckarsulm. “Learning by doing is our recipe for success – while imparting essential knowledge about development activities for electric mobility, resource efficiency and charging technologies in an almost playful way.”