18 November 2023 09:23 am Views - 2881
(LEMS) introducing electric three-wheel battery swapping technology, branded as ‘e-wheel’, in Sri Lanka.
The novel battery-swapping technology means the three-wheeler owner no longer has to purchase a costly battery or worry about end-of-life replacement. The battery-swapping process takes a mere two minutes.
Under the new solution, the three-wheeler owners are not required to pay for the batteries, as the batteries and swapping stations are owned and managed by LEMS. The e-wheel owner only pays for the energy used on a pay-as-you-go basis.
The launch of the solution marks a significant milestone in Sri Lanka’s journey towards sustainable transportation, with its founders being driven by the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and combat harmful air pollution.
“Sri Lanka’s 1.2 million threewheelers currently guzzle a staggering 5.5 million litres of petrol a day and each e-wheel will help reduce that figure. The e-wheel driver, often the breadwinner of the family, with a mere Rs.450,000 investment, can now save nearly Rs.20,000 per month,” said LEMS Managing Director Chaminda Rajapakse.
“The advantages are prodigious, with savings on valuable forex spent on fuel imports, lubricants and routine maintenance spare parts,” he added.
LEMS was conceived in 2020 and incubated by the Island Climate Initiative (ICI) over the last two years. ICI facilitates investment in circular economy, smart agriculture and clean energy projects and is dedicated to revolutionising Sri Lanka’s transport industry, with cutting-edge electric technology.
“We take the existing petrol three-wheelers, remove their engine and replace it with a brand new electric powertrain. The entire conversion process takes just two hours. Once converted, the vehicle can immediately start using our battery swapping services,” said LEMS Cofounder and Director Shirendra Lawrence.
He added that the battery swapping stations would initially be conveniently located across Colombo and its immediate suburbs, with expansions to Galle and Kandy already being planned “Once converted, no oil changes or services are required. What’s more, to run a petrol three-wheeler, it costs over Rs.20 a kilometre, whereas the cost of running an e-wheel is less than Rs.15 a kilometre,” he said.
People’s Leasing & Finance PLC is the exclusive finance and leasing partner in this groundbreaking e-wheel revolution.
Commenting on the effort, People’s Leasing & Finance PLC Chief Executive Officer Shamindra Marcelline said, “By supporting LEMS in introducing this innovative electric three-wheel battery swapping technology, branded as the e-wheel, we are contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable transportation solution for Sri Lanka. This project is a crucial component of our broader sustainability initiatives, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and combat air pollution.”