TVS Motor, which recently signed a MoU with the Tamil Nadu government for Rs 1,200 crore investment in future technologies and electric vehicles, has appointed Venkat Viswanathan as Technical Advisor for the electric mobility business. 

TVS Motor says Viswanathan will bring his expertise in energy storage and lithium-ion batteries, specifically to electric vehicles and planes. 

Viswanathan, who currently is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and is considered a prominent name in advanced batteries for electric mobility. He is a recipient of numerous awards, including the National Science Foundation Career award, Alfred P. Sloan Fellow, ONR Young Investigator Award and MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 Finalist.

Sudarshan Venu, joint MD, TVS Motor believes, “ His major strides in battery technology will give us a competitive edge in delivering value for money, superior technology and aspirational electric vehicles to meet the fast-evolving customer needs.”

Venkat Viswanathan said, “I look forward to working in great synergy with the company known for its pioneering technologies in future mobility. Together we will go miles to create a more sustainable EV ecosystem.”

In addition to his professorship, he serves as a technical advisor and Scientific Advisory Board Member at QuantumScape, a company developing next-generation solid-state lithium-metal batteries for use in electric vehicles, and chief scientist at Aionics, a company, bringing cutting-edge machine-learning methods for battery materials innovation.

With the aim to lead the way to electrification, TVS Motor is readying a complete portfolio of two- and three-wheelers in the range of 5-25kW, all of which will be in the market within the next 24 months.  The company has announced strategic tie-ups with government bodies like CESL and public charging partners like Tata Power as a step towards enabling a greener future and building a network of world-class public charging infrastructure.  

Additionally, the company acquired majority stakes in EGO Movement, the European e-bike company reaffirming its commitment towards electrification and its broader sustainability agenda globally.  The company also recently announced the extension and expansion of a long-term partnership with BMW Motorrad for the joint development of new platforms and future technologies, including electric vehicles, specific to the two companies only.  

Also read: TVS Motor's Sudarshan Venu: ‘Electric is something we are really excited about’