Bajaj Auto-backed Yulu, one of India’s largest e-mobility service provider has introduced its battery charging and swapping station network christened ‘Yulu Max Network’. The Max Network will help users swap their batteries with zero downtime and reduce the range anxiety of EV users. This the company says will be India’s first AI-powered, vertically integrated battery infrastructure for electric two-wheelers. 

Max stations is aimed to solve the problem of range anxiety with electric two-wheelers by having the battery swapping stations within 2-kilometres of a rider’s reach. To enable this, Yulu will create 500 Max stations across Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi NCR regions by mid-2022. These stations will be strategically located in areas of high movement density, making EV's a convenient and practical mobility solution. This network will be scaled to more than 2,000 Max stations by the end-2022, eventually putting these max stations within a kilometre of a rider’s reach. 

The first batch of 10 Yulu Max stations was launched in Bangalore. The inauguration was held on November 16, 2021, in Castle Street, Bengaluru Central Business District (CBD). The inauguration was attended by V Manjula, Commissioner, Directorate of Urban Land Transport; Dr. BR Ravikanthe Gowda, IPS, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Bangalore City, and M N Reddi, IPS, Former Commissioner of Police, Bangalore City. Also present at the event were K Mishra and Naveen Dachuri, co-founders, Yulu.

The company says the Max Network in Bangalore will be scaled to 30 by the end of this month, and to 100 within the next three months. These will have the capacity to increase the initial outlay of 10,000 battery swaps per day to 25,000 batteries per day by the end of next quarter in Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi NCR regions. By the end of next year, the Max Network will have the capacity for 150,000 battery swaps per day and will cover electric two-wheeler users across an area of 750 square kilometres in these three cities. 

Yulu’s AI based platform will increase the availability and predictability of EV batteries, and its tech led process will help users replace their batteries swiftly, to be on their way instantly.

Amit Gupta, co-founder, Yulu Bike said, “People see the long-term value of switching to electric mobility. The unprecedented demand for EVs and shared electric mobility has been a clear indicator to us about shifting consumer preferences. With Yulu Max Network, people will no longer have to worry about the range and time required to charge their batteries. Max Network will be available to all Yulu users to start with, where they get their battery swapped at a location of their convenience."

V Manjula, commissioner, Directorate of Urban Land Transport, Urban Development Department, which plays an important role in planning, funding and facilitating implementation of Sustainable transport across Karnataka, was present at the launch. She said, “With the city battling increased pollution and congestion problems, such disruptive innovations can go a long way in improving the situation. Charging facilities like Yulu Max Network will encourage more people to use shared electric vehicles for their transport requirements. This will serve as a role model for India’s vision towards a sustainable ecosystem and shared electric vehicle adoption.”