EV Industry in India is a growing industry. And to accelerate the growth, the central and state governments have launched various schemes and incentives. As per a new study by CEEW Centre for Energy Finance (CEF), electric vehicles will be a $206 billion opportunity for India by 2030.

But to reach this goal, the infrastructure must be in place as India will need an estimated annual battery capacity of 158 GWh by FY30. Presently, the EV infrastructure in India is not sufficient, and consumers don’t prefer EVs (Electric Vehicles) over conventional IC Engine cars, reasons being- long battery charging time, expensive cars, toxicity hazards, etc.

To solve this issue, twin sisters from Bhubaneswar came up with a solution. Today’s startup story is about Nexus Power, a startup that is making bio-organic fast charge batteries for a better tomorrow.

Startup Story: Nexus Power| Bio-Organic Fast Charge Batteries

Nexus Power Founder

Started by twin sisters Nishita and Nikita Baliarsingh in 2019, Nexus Power is a Bhubaneswar-based startup that makes rechargeable, bio-organic and bio-degradable batteries from crop residue.

How Nexus Power Started?

It all started with the thought to improve the e–mobility sector. The duo initially wanted to manufacture electric vehicles. After researching, they came to know that consumers did not prefer EVs (Electric Vehicles) over conventional IC Engine cars, reasons being- long battery charging time, expensive cars, lack of local sources for procurement of lithium, and toxicity hazards.

Not belonging to the EV sector, Nishita and Nikita went on to study battery thermal management and selection of nanomaterials, respectively.

Nishita went on to study battery thermal management, hybrid electric vehicle designing and innovation, and IP rights to find battery solutions for electric vehicles. On the other hand, Nikita did a couple of courses in the selection of nanomaterials for energy storage.

So, in 2019, the duo launched Nexus Power that upcycles agricultural waste to provide battery technologies for EVs.

]Read: How ‘Welectric’ Is Simplifying Electric Two-Wheeler Ownership And Encouraging Businesses To Adopt EVs]

USP Of Nexus Power

Nexus Power makes rechargeable, bio-organic and bio-degradable batteries from crop residue. The batteries made by the startup are eco-friendly, sustainable, and lithium-ion free. 

Crop residue is an agricultural waste that is generally burnt, causing heavy air pollution in many states in winters.

Nikita says,

“We procure the unburnt crop remains and manufacture rechargeable energy-storing cells from this by applying a unique extraction and filtration process. Multiple such cells go into making the IoT and AI-based sensor-enabled battery pack used in EVs.”

Also, the use of crop residue to make the batteries helps in reducing the price of the end product.

Talking about crop waste and its use, Nikita says,

“Procurement of crop waste helps farmers earn an additional income of Rs 25,000 for every 100 batteries. Also, our patented technological innovations will let us eradicate seven billion tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by the next century.” 

Present Situation Of Nexus Power

Currently an 11-member team, Nexus Power is developing batteries for electric two and three-wheelers.

The company may later expand in other sectors such as solar energy storage and consumer electronics.

Nexus Power recently beta-tested a prototype of its battery pack to check its ability to power a two-wheeler electric vehicle, its charging time, and its range. 

Nikita says,

“The current tests show a significant improvement in the energy density and driving range. The Nexus batteries also offer 8x–10x faster charging. The team is still working on the R&D to make the composition more efficient to derive better results.”

Also, the startup is in talks with three to four EV manufacturers for market trials, as per the co-founder.

Future Plans

Presently focusing on perfecting the cell composition right now, the startup is working on designing battery packs according to prevalent industry standards.

Nexus Power also aims to get done with the market testing and pilots as per the schedule and go commercial by late 2022.

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