Q: What motivated you to enter the electric vehicle (EV) space and join the Shoonya campaign?

I have been interested in venturing into a business where I can improve air quality and positively change public transportation since I was in school. Having travelled across India and overseas, I have observed that one of the most visible differences in developed countries is efficient and well-connected public transport and efforts towards better air quality. Electric vehicles presented a perfect opportunity for me to do so in our country. The mission of the Shoonya campaign aligns with our organisation’s objective, and its widespread network could amplify our work and help accelerate EV adoption.

Q: How vital is Savë’s role in the Shoonya campaign? Are there any future commitments that Savë has made for the long term in India’s journey to widespread EV adoption?

Save stands for saving the environment, the same objective with which the Shoonya campaign operates. Joining the Shoonya campaign can help us make our message of EV adoption and awareness reach a wider audience and inspire various industries to adopt EVs. A few of our purpose-built EVs for multiple sectors, such as mobile food carts, cash-on-wheels, home appliance repair on wheels, door-to-door waste collection dump trucks, e-commerce delivery vans, water ATMs, FMCG delivery vans, etc., have opened gateways for many sectors and opened markets even for existing EV players. We plan to broaden our role from manufacturing EVs to building the entire ecosystem keeping sustainability and circular economy in mind. We have started using environmentally friendly materials in a few of our body panels and will increase the composition in the future.

Q: What challenges do you see with EV adoption, especially in the logistics and last-mile delivery sector?

Range anxiety and the availability of reliable battery packs are still challenging. Last-mile delivery logistics require timely execution, and a reliable battery is necessary. Most EV batteries are unable to deliver an actual state of charge so that the user can plan their trips. In current practice, they have to procure a battery with 20–30 percent additional capacity than the desired one to get the required range, which adds to their acquisition cost.

Q: How do you see Savë’s growth in Gujarat and beyond in the coming years?

Save has been doing well in Gujarat and growing almost 100 percent year-on-year over the past three years. We are focused on building purpose-built EVs and are now looking to mass-manufacture the established models. We are also setting up satellite plants across various regions for a cost-effective, strong distribution nationwide.

Q: What more do you expect of Shoonya? How can we further accelerate #ShoonyaKaSafar?

The Shoonya campaign has been doing phenomenal work in raising awareness, and I appreciate the entire team’s efforts in making it a national mission in a short time. Making citizens aware of their carbon footprints and how EV adoption can help them neutralise it can propel them to act consciously and accelerate the #ShoonyaKaSafar.