The Business Bytes
TBB BUREAU
MUMBAI, JULY 11, 2022
EKA, an electric vehicle manufacturing & technology company, and a subsidiary of Pinnacle Industries, received the CMVR certification for its 9m pure electric, zero-emission bus, EKA E9, from ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India). The Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR) certification was handed over to Dr. Sudhir Mehta, Founder & Chairman, EKA, at the hands of Dr. Reji Mathai, Director, ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India).
EKA successfully completed all the required functional and safety testing and approvals to achieve the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR) certification, which is a critical step for the company to start trials and sales of the 9m electric bus, EKA E9 to customers in the coming months.
Speaking at the occasion, Sudhir Mehta, Founder & Chairman, EKA by Pinnacle Mobility Solutions, said, “This is another milestone achievement for EKA as we are excited to see our customers start to operate our vehicles. We started EKA with a vision to bring sustainable, reliable, and efficient mobility solutions, starting with the electrification of commercial vehicles, and public transport, especially the bus sector. Having passed all certification tests in this short time frame is a truly monumental achievement by the whole team. We now look forward to ramping up our production and delivering our electric buses to our customers.”
The E9, EKA’s first battery-electric bus, features a new streamlined vehicle design and maximized power & range due to its monocoque steel chassis and complete composite structure. With a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) lower than existing Internal Combustion engine-powered buses, EKA E9 promises to deliver sustainability and profitability to all stakeholders.
EKA E9 is committed to providing a solid platform for sustainable and efficient public transport in cities around the world, along with reliable and profitable operations for customers. With a capacity to seat 31 passengers and a driver, along with a standing capacity, EKA E9 also accommodates a wheelchair with a foldable ramp. With a 200-kilometre range on a single charge, the vehicle is also fuel cell capable.
EKA E9 runs a proprietary in-house developed operating system software which is tested for reliability and ensures application-based configuration of the vehicle.Its modular architecture makes the E9 the bus that can be configured for multiple applications such as city buses, staff carriers, and school buses.
EKA is a subsidiary of Pinnacle Industries Limited, India’s leading automotive seating, interiors & speciality vehicles company, and is one of the only commercial vehicle manufacturers approved under the Champion OEM Scheme & EV component manufacturing scheme of the Government of India’s Auto PLI policy.
EKA is reinventing the design philosophy and manufacturing of electric commercial vehicles by developing sharable technologies, to democratize EVs with best-in-class TCO (total cost of ownership) Solutions and a sustainable ecosystem. EKA will design, manufacture, and supply a complete range of Electric Vehicles, Fuel Cell Electric vehicles, and alternative fuel vehicles. The brand will also house components assembly and manufacturing, EV traction systems, EV energy storage systems, etc., going forward.
