Students of KL University develop E-Bike with wireless charging

• Wireless charging technology for e-bikes is currently available in only a few places in the world

India, 22June 2021: Students from KL Deemed to be University, one of the leading universities in the country for graduation and higher education, have developed a unique e-Bike (electric bike) with Wireless Charging technology. The innovative prototype was developed by a team of 6 like-minded 3rdand 4thyear students from the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department of KL College of Engineering along with a few university alumni members. The e-bike has futuristic features including cell balancing and wireless charging which are only available in a few places around the world. The team developed the initial concept and prototype utilizing their free access to state-of-the-art labs and testing facilities provided by the KL Deemed University. The team received mentorship and constant feedback from experts and senior academicians of the university. The university has also offered a grant of INR 1,40,000to the team to incubate this project idea as a start-up.

The e-bike developed by the team at KLU allows people to travel at a maximum speed of 55 Kmph with a charging capacity that can cover between 85 to 100 kms in standard conditions in a single recharge that takes 5hours. The charging technology is coupled with the programmable cell balancing feature that releases maximum battery potential for a long-lasting charge. The team has retrofitted an existing bike and modified it into a prototype for e-bikes with wireless charging. The team carried out several variations in the design of the bike which include incorporating the BLDC motor (Brushless DC electric motor) to gear modules through the controller.

While appreciating the endeavor and achievement of the students,Er. Koneru Satyanarayana, President, KL Deemed to be University said,“This project of wirelessly chargeable e-Bike is a testimony to the innovative mindset and futuristic approach of the KL University students. I am happy to see the students coming up with such innovative ideas and technologies. While the whole faculty appreciate the passion and the hard work of these students, we reiterate the vision of the University to focus on Research and Innovation for long-term benefits to the students as well as to the country.We are certain that this inspires students everywhere to dream big and follow them.”

“We got interested in building prototypes and participating in competitions from the lab activities during our first year itself. The lab-based projects at the KL University provided a strong foundation on working with the components, measurements, machines, and power electronics. We want to thank Dr. Jarupula Somlal,Head of the Department, and the entire faculty of the department of electrical and electronics engineering (EEE) for supporting our energy and vision by granting us these incredible opportunities and resources. The skill courses further added value to the core subjects, helping us learn advanced tools and technologies thereby instilling the confidence to participate in competitions. We are proud to successfully complete this project of wirelessly chargeable e-Bike with the team effort and valuable mentoring from our faculty members”, added Mr. M Satyardha Pravashik, who is a B. Tech EEE final year student.”

Among other team members who were part of the project were Mr. Charan Sai Tiruvuri, Mr. A Sandeep, Mr. Kireeti Polasi, Mr. S Lokesh Babu, Mr.V Sai Praveen, students from B.Tech EEE 2017 Batch, and Mr. K.Yashwanth Sai who is alumni of EEE Department.

According to India Electric Scooter and Motorcycle Market Research Report from ResearchAndMarkets.com, the Indian electric scooter and motorcycle market would reach a sales volume of 10.8 lac units by the end of 2025, exhibiting a CAGR of 57.9% between 2020 and 2025. In terms of retail sales value, the market is predicted to advance at a CAGR of 63.9% from 2020 to 2025 and attain revenues of more than $1.0 billion in 2025. A key factor fueling the growth of the market is the provision of lucrative financial incentives and subsidies on electric vehicles by the government. Due to the rising pollution and the increasing provision of financial incentives by the government, the sales of electric scooters and motorcycles are booming in India. In 2019, nearly 1.52 lac units of electric motorcycles and scooters were sold in the country, registering a 20.6% growth annually from 2014.