Gurugram: Sustainable mobility startup Dandera Ventures is gearing up to launch its first commercial Electric Vehicle (EV) in the Indian market in September 2022. The company said that it has successfully completed road tests for the EV and is currently in the process of setting up charging stations and finalizing service locations ahead of the launch.
The first EV from Dandera will be exclusively targeted for use by last-mile delivery companies and independent delivery operators. Dandera added that the EV will feature industry-leading performance and capacity benchmarks and will be priced competitively. The upcoming vehicle has been completely designed from the ground up as an EV. All parts and components, including the batteries will be fully manufactured in India, for both Indian and export markets.
Dandera Ventures was founded four years ago by senior industry professionals Kanav Manchanda and Kshitij Bajaj. Kshitij has over 16 years of experience in automotive design and engineering and has earlier founded Ion Ohms, dedicated to designing and developing Lithium Phosphate batteries and Electric Drive kits. Kanav has over 16 years of experience in managing key functions of factory operations, finance and sales for different businesses.
Kanav Manchanda, Founder and COO of Dandera Ventures said, “Dandera was founded with a vision to develop world-class sustainable mobility products from the ground up. The successful completion of road tests for our first EV is a happy culmination of four years of research and development efforts in creating a fully indigenous electric vehicle and platform from scratch, and we are really proud that our very first EV will redefine industry benchmarks in design, performance and capacity.”
Unlike several other EV manufacturers that source batteries or drivetrain components from abroad, Dandera has designed and developed the underlying battery system and drivetrain technology completely in-house. The company employs more than 50 people in its R&D division located in Pune.
Kshitij Bajaj, Founder and CEO of Dandera Ventures said, “We have invested significant time and resources in ensuring that the design and ergonomics of Dandera’s first EV as well as the entire upcoming EV range will not only meet or exceed the expectations of our customers in India, but also redefine the value of investing in EVs as they embrace the future of sustainable mobility.”
Sarth Jain, Founder of Dandera Ventures said, “We firmly believe that the biggest disruptors and eventual leaders of the fast growing and yet highly-competitive EV market will be those companies that can design and develop complete automotive platforms and products end-to-end, and can truly innovate while doing so. Dandera is conceived to be one such company and we are thrilled to bring to the market our first vehicle next month, which we believe will revolutionize the commercial EV space.”
India’s commercial EV market has seen rapid growth in recent years. Electric three-wheelers made up 47% of all three-wheelers sold in the previous financial year, as per an analysis of the Indian government’s Vaahan database by EVreporter magazine. As per the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles (FAME) policy in FY23 budget document, the Indian government is supporting the growth of the EV industry through subsidies, favourable regulations and policies, 100% FDI approval, increased push for battery R&D, and improved charging infrastructure.
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