Kalpit Patel, who founded PMV Electric, came up with a greener solution, after seeing how crowded the roads were with sedans and SUVs. He created India’s first electric microcar, EaS-E, which decreases energy use and carbon emissions and can navigate crowded highways…
After hours of traffic on his way to work, 35-year-old Kalpit Patel from Mumbai would watch the road and people.
He say, “I noted that most four- and five-seaters had one passenger. Since most people on the road at that hour are going to work, the automobile would be empty but take up so much space.”
How would an innovative engineer use such an observation? Kalpit brainstormed solutions.
Kalpit founded PMV Electric, which stands for Personal Mobility Vehicles, and debuted India’s first electric microcar, EaS-E, a two-seater eco-friendly car that speeds through city traffic.
Kalpit worked like any other graduate after earning his MBA from Pune in 2011 and his engineering from Mumbai in 2009.
“I worked at Citi Bank for four years. Even while working there, I considered starting a business. I recall asking myself, “Is this what I want?” Should I start a business?’ at orientation. He resigned his work in 2015 and began brainstorming the idea.
He says, “Initially, entering the automobile industry was not on my mind. I was a keen engineer planning and seeking solutions. I built prototypes with a few engineers and designers. We finally found something after two and a half years of investigation and many failed attempts. After talking to engineers and industry professionals, we realized this could be commercialized.”
This is when Kalpit became a father. “When I saw my baby, I realized how bad the environment will be if we don’t live sustainably. With climate change so quick, I questioned what kind of world we’ll give our children.”
Kalpit worked hard to make PMV Electric a success once it was formalized in November 2018.
It’s the fourth iteration of our first designs. Kalpit says it was a unique journey from having a basic idea of what we wanted to do to experimenting with engineering and ideas to EaS-E.
As a maker, I constantly aim for sustainability. Even my early plans were sustainable. EaS-E is unique from other EVs. He argues a two-wheeler would be better for an EV, but we chose a car.
This is because we believe it is more sustainable. In contrast to a micro automobile, our EaS-E uses 50-70 watt hours per mile of electricity. This cuts carbon emissions practically in half. Kalpit says the transportation business is a huge polluter and we want to fix it.
Kalpit explain why he made a mini car: “If you look at the current trend in the Indian market, people are more inclined to buy SUVs. Even Maruti Suzuki, their mainstay, has been hijacked by bigger cars.”
He said corporations are selling higher-priced, higher-margin products because people can afford bigger cars.
“Look at SUV-loving America. To accommodate these cars, the country has bigger roads. Kalpit says this is different for India, hence we want to offer a solution.
“We want to show consumers that there is a car that will help you go green, move smarter, and faster on the road. While the market prefers larger cars, we know conscious consumers would enjoy the microcar.”
Kalpit confirms that the company has received pre-orders from Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai, Delhi, and Europe since its introduction.
“When I started, I expected our first-year sales to be around $1,000. But the response is fantastic. We have 7000 pre-orders. We’re eager to deliver after this huge response, he says.
This is the first sheet-material two-seater car designed for safety. Eas-E charges in under four hours and runs 160 kilometers. The 1,100 mm microcar’s width makes it easy to navigate tight roadways and takes up less parking space.
“We also offer high-end features like remote park assist and EaS-E mode, which lets you drive the car without using your feet. Remote diagnostics and connectivity are available. Kalpit says you can remotely turn on your car’s horn or headlights in a large parking lot.
Kalpit is presently working on product delivery after receiving several pre-orders. “Keeping ‘make in India’ in mind, the product is sketched, designed, and engineered in India. We plan to supply autos by the third quarter. We want PMVs to be a segment like SUVs and sedans, he says.
Conclusion
PMV Electric founder Engineer Kalpit Patel presented India’s first electric microcar, EaS-E, a two-seater eco-friendly car that can manage busy highways, cut carbon emissions and energy use, and more. EaS-E, a two-seater sheet automobile, is safe and runs 160 km on a charge. It charges in less than four hours and is 1,100 mm wide, making it simple to navigate small roadways and take up less parking space. The eco-friendly microcar uses 50-70 watt hours per kilometre, lowering carbon emissions by virtually half. The corporation wants people to see that there is a green, smarter, faster car. PMV Electric expects to deliver automobiles by the third quarter with 7000 pre-orders.
