Veera Vahana, a player in the bus industry has partnered with Exponent Energy to announce a 15-minute rapid charging long-haul intercity electric bus. The ‘Veera Mahasamrat EV’ powered by Exponent is the world’s first 13.5m electric bus on 2 axles. It’s equipped with Exponent’s 320 kWh battery pack enabling a virtually unlimited range with 15-minute rapid charging on the go via Exponent’s 1MW charging network.
The Veera Mahasamrat EV reduces operating expenses by 30% compared to an ICE bus. For the first time, with 15-minute rapid charging and the Exponent charging network along highways, bus operators can now go electric on long-haul inter-city routes without having to worry about range and long charging time.
Currently, the two companies are focused on electrifying the Bengaluru – Hyderabad route. To support operations, Exponent Energy will deploy four 1 MW charging stations – two at each endpoints and two along the highway – this will ensure bus operators can shift from ICE to electric with the same experience of number of stops and downtime per stop.
on the announcement, K Srinivas Reddy, Managing Director, Veera Vahan said, “Today, electric buses are restricted to short-haul or intracity operations due to limited range and long charging time. It’s difficult to package a single battery to deliver 600km of range and with long charging time – customers are not willing to wait for an hour along the highway. Typically, diesel buses stop every 300 km for 15-20 minutes and our unique partnership with Exponent mimics the same experience. Now, bus operators can seamlessly switch to electric with the Veera Mahasamrat EV and save more in their operations!”
The company’s technology stack manages each cell’s characteristics through its BMS, charging algorithms, and thermal management using its proprietary off-board thermal management system – where the charging station actively pumps coolant to the battery while charging to maintain optimal temperature, and thus delivering consistent performance even at ambient temperatures as high as 50°C.
Commenting on the announcement, Arun Vinayak, Co-founder & CEO of Exponent Energy stated, “We’re excited to partner with Veera Vahana, a seasoned player in the bus industry, to truly electrify the long-haul intercity bus segment. We’re thrilled to have built the world’s third 1 MW charging technology – after Tesla & Siemens – in India, for India. With freedom & accessibility delivered by 15-minute rapid charging and the Exponent network, we’re committed to enabling all of India to go electric.”
