Industrial Automation Magazine India

The local eco-system is now warming up to the electric two-wheelers

Published on : Wednesday 02-03-2022

Mayank Jain, Co-founder & Director, Crayon Motors.

What is the Crayon Motors story and the inspiration to enter the electric mobility space?
Crayon is inspired by creating a change. Living and growing up in Delhi, we have witnessed the continuously rising levels of pollution. The once green and clean environment we grew up in is not there anymore. This situation is prevalent all across India. Two-wheelers account for almost a third of the vehicular pollution in cities. The biggest chunk to deal with. Electric two-wheelers are the first step towards mass adoption of green mobility. This is a step towards a greener life for future generations. Additionally, the core management team already has a vast experience in EV due to our Electric 3W division, which provides a strong market and product understanding in EVs.

The company launched the low speed Snow range recently. What are the other models in production and on the anvil?
Crayon offers an array of products in the low-speed category. These products are designed for comfort mobility within the city. Our current products do not require registration or even a DL to ride. We have solutions that can give mileages of up to 150 km per charge. They have been designed keeping in mind the customers’ comfort and convenience. Our products have received an overwhelming response across the country. We have an extensive product pipeline. Adding to our current portfolio, we have plans to introduce four high speed models in the next financial year. These products shall be covered under the Fame India scheme with targeted mileages of upwards of 120 km per charge. 

How indigenous is the product? What about the vendor ecosystem? What kind of R&D efforts back the drive for local content?
All our products being developed are with an indigenised supply chain. After the initial hesitation, the local eco-system is now warming up to the electric two-wheelers. There is a positive response from many vendors who are now accepting this industry as a mainstay. We do anticipate a shortage of parts specifically related to EVs in the near term. However, the same will not be persistent. Product research and development is an expensive and time-consuming process. More than a business, this is also the need of the hour. I believe that collaborative effort in R&D would help the industry improve and grow at a rapid pace. For us, understanding consumer feedback has played a pivotal role in improving and developing new products. Further, rigorous trials have helped us improve the products that we are offering to the market. We plan to invest close to Rs 25 crores in the R&D to develop new and improved products and critical components such as drive train, batteries, chassis, telematics, etc.

What about the battery, a critical component that adds to bulk of the cost?

Battery is a critical component in EVs and will continue to be so. Self-reliance in battery is still far away. Primary reason being a high capital costs required in setting up cell manufacturing. However, this is set to change. Many industrial houses have shared plans/interest in exploring the opportunity of cell manufacturing. When this happens, I feel, it will help the industry in many ways including lower costs and improved product quality. Additionally, people are working on various different battery types, which focus on reduced dependence on Lithium, something very interesting. We are keeping a close eye on this. Battery manufacturing is on the anvil in the near future. 

Globally, there is a talk of swappable batteries to make 2-wheeler EVs more acceptable. Is this feasible?
Consumer mind-set seems to be shifting from an ownership driven model to a service driven model. An idea that is driving a lot of new industries. Swappable batteries fall in the same domain. Battery swapping will help bring down the cost of ownership of 2-wheelers by almost 50%, making it an attractive proposition. However, there are plenty of challenges. High set-up costs, ensuring safety of batteries, battery ownership, and battery standardisation among many other factors will define the success of the model. I feel for this to be successful, different organisations will have to work together to make it a reality. In India, we are expecting a new policy on battery swapping that should help push this forward.
 
We are working closely with some of the battery swapping operators in the country, however some challenges of supply, integration still remain. We look forward eagerly to the new swapping policy to be introduced by the Government to promote the battery swapping infrastructure.

The market appears to be fragmented with a large number of players. What is the USP of Crayon Motors and its models? How automated and lean are the manufacturing facilities? 
We are a consumer driven organisation. Our ears are open and we are constantly looking for customer feedback. Besides product, customer service along with customer education will play a key role in driving sales in the future. To this effect, we have undertaken product and service training across our network. This is being done both at the dealer and customer end. These actions improve the overall life of the product and also improve the customer experience. 

As mentioned earlier, we feel, growth lies in an inclusive eco-system. We are exploring partnerships and associations that go beyond just the product, into service and experience. These associations will help further shift of customers towards EVs. 

Further, extensive R&D is being conducted on improving our products with insights from industry experts. Testing of our prototype in-house motor has been successful. Commercial production is expected to begin in Q2. With this development, we shall be offering, a first in the industry, no-questions asked warranty critical components. We are working on automation of certain key processes and will continue to invest in them. 

Upholding the philosophy of creating one's own roadmap, Mayank Jain started his journey with Crayon Motors in 2019. In less than two years, Mayank has transformed the firm into one of India's promising & fastest-growing EV companies.

Mayank had the opportunity to pursue his MBA from the elite IE Business School after completing his Bachelor of Business Studies at the prestigious Delhi University, but he postponed it to realise his father's ambition of electric mobility. His career has taken him from Business Head at IM Designs to Director at UP Telelinks Limited. He is currently one of the strongest pillars of Crayon's foundation, with his sharp business acumen and tactical problem-solving talents.

Mayank has spent a significant amount of time and effort on R&D/Technology to carve a niche for the brand Crayon Motors and build products that provide value for money, particularly for Indian consumers in urban and rural India. Through his expertise, he has proven proficient at handling a wide range of operational and fiscal tasks in order to achieve optimal business performance and significant revenue increases.

With his innovative marketing strategies and business acumen, he establishes the building blocks to create a strong base for the organization, which today has led Crayon Motors to see steady growth since its inception. Mayank upholds the Success Mantra: "K-I-S-S: Keep it simple, silly" for all of his triumphs along the way.

Mayank enjoys yoga and jogging to stay healthy, and when he isn't doing that, he can be found playing or watching sports. Mayank also loves to travel and learn about other cultures throughout the world.