Auto icon Kinetic bets big on India's battery mineral exploration for EVs

Iconic automakers' EV push: Kinetic Green, the electric vehicle (EV) automotive arm of Pune-headquartered Kinetic Group, after making electric three-wheelers since the company's inception in 2016, is upbeat on a revamped version of its erstwhile moped Luna into an electric two-wheeler. 

Less than a week before E-Luna’s launch in New Delhi, Founder & CEO,  Kinetic Green, Sulajja Firodia Motwani, in an exclusive interview told Republic Business, that leveraging the mass-market appeal of E-Luna, will help the company achieve 8-10 percent market share in electric two-wheeler space. Motwani said the Interim Union Budget 2024, should offer incentives for EV battery makers. The country's mineral exploration drive is vital for the likes of Kinetic and other players like Ola Electric.

Mineral mining for green fuel 

Kinetic Green, along with Kinetic Group's other companies, with their pivotal role in E-Luna’s launch, are optimistic that the country will have enough lithium, nickel, and cobalt. These reseves bring the hope of a sustained rapid uptick in India’s electric vehicle (EV) industry, says Motwani.  

Image credit: Unsplash 

Elaborating on the launch of e-Luna in tune with the government’s e-mobility push to make India a global leader in EV space, Kinetic Green CEO, who heads the EV Task Force of the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Indian Federation of Green Energy, said the new e-Luna’s vows to contribute towards ‘Make in India’ ‘Atma Nirbharta’ and ‘Energy Transition’ objectives of the government. 

“Being one of the few OEMs in the EV space has helped Kinetic Green achieve Rs 1,200 crore revenue in the last seven years,” she said, adding that over 10 lakh electric two-wheeler unit sales in FY 23-24 were driven by more people switching to EVs," Motwani said. 

Kinetic Green will not leave any stone unturned, to help India achieve its green mobility goals, said Motwani, adding that the EV player is focused on profitability and being aggressive on the investment front, the head of FICCI's EV Taskforce added.   

Value-driven yet profitable 

Counted among the pioneers in India’s auto sector, led by veteran industry leader Abhay Firodia, Kinetic Group has witnessed robust growth in its EV business, thanks to healthy Tier-2 and rural sales, Kinetic Green has seen almost a three-fold growth. Motwani said the E-Luna is expected to help Kinetic Group's latest venture garner almost 8-10 per cent market share in the country's two-wheeler market.

“EVs are currently at an inflection point. With e-Luna, Kinetic Greens is aiming for a topline of Rs 1,200 crore by the end of FY25,” she said. 

Explaining features of the E-Luna, the Kinetic Green CEO says the high-speed two-wheeler comes with a 2 kWh lithium-ion battery that lasts 100 km with a full charge. She said E-Luna has a modular platform and offers the option of a fixed charge pin as well as battery swapping. "We have two to three battery partners and work closely with supply chain partners. The oil-cool battery manufactured by a Bengaluru-based supplier is a unique first-of-its-kind feature," she said.

Making of E-Luna

As per Motwani, Kinetic Group's Kinetic Communication is involved in designing the E-Luna, while Kinetic Engineering's has marveled E-Luna with gearbox transmission. She said Kinetic Green has an existing 350 sales points spread across the country.

Besides, E-Luna has a dual steel chassis, making the electric two-wheeler sturdy enough for a 150 kg payload. "E-Luna comes with a dual steel chain transmission and has an ecosystem that is easy to maintain," Motwani said.  

“In the first year, we expect to achieve almost 1.5 lakh unit sales (of e-Luna). Being the anchor to a strong 1,000 dealerships and strengthening pan-India presence is part of Kinetic Green’s Tier-2 and Tier-3 strategy,” Motwani said. 

“With e-Luna, we expect to start exports in a year or so. Achieving healthy sales of the new two-wheeler is important for us as the e-Luna has been launched with the ‘phir se chal meri Luna’ tagline, and is a vehicle meant for the masses, resonating with the spirit of Bharat. This reaffirms Kinetic Group's service to the nation,” the Kinetic Green CEO added.