Bicester based Saietta to begin electric vehicle production in India
A Bicester firm is aiming to crack India's £200 billion electric vehicles market.
Saietta VNA is a joint enterprise between Bicester's Saietta Group plc and India's Padmini VNA. The partnership will see eDrive vehicle production commence in a purpose built factory in India in 2023.
Saietta VNA have already completed the outer shell of their high-tech eDrive manufacturing facility in Delhi. Factory fit-out is to begin in early 2023.
The Saietta Group, specialise in Axial Flux Technology (AFT) electric motors and Padmini VNA are one of India’s major Tier-1 auto-component suppliers.
Saietta’s AFT engine is designed to deliver the power and torque required by 100cc+ two-wheelers at just 48V-120V. The liquid-cooled engine design can maintain high continuous power in the testing hot and humid Indian temperatures better than air cooled e-motors, state Saietta. Fully sealed the AFT motors are protected from the elements. This reduces maintenance and ownership costs.
Managing Director of Saietta VNA Indian operations, Prad Walimbe, said: “Our focus will be on strengthening the strategic partnership with Padmini VNA to secure market share and valuable contracts and help our customers and partners transition to electric mobility faster by enhancing access to our ground-breaking technology and engineering expertise.”
“We are very excited to bring our engineering and manufacturing capabilities to the Indian market. With the Saietta AFT and RFT eDrives, we intend to develop an affordable and scalable eco system that will accelerate the adoption of electric mobility.”
Wicher (Vic) Kist, CEO of Saietta Group, said: “In appointing Prad to managing director of Saietta VNA, we now also have a hugely experienced automotive leader with extensive commercial and technical expertise spearheading our activities in India.”
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Kabir Bhandari, managing director of Padmini VNA, said: “We are excited to be at the vanguard of clean eMobility technology with Saietta. Through Saietta VNA, we are giving Indian vehicle producers access to industry-leading eDrives, and are investing in high-quality manufacturing capability and processes in India.”
Bhandari continues: “Should India achieve its EV ambitions and targets, the market opportunity for the decade to 2030 is estimated to be worth around $206 billion by 2030, and the Government has a clear commitment to electrify the auto sector.
"Saietta VNA believes that the time has come to democratise zero-emission mobility in India, beginning with the most popular forms of mobility, such as motorcycles, scooters and lightweight commercial vehicles."
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