NEW DELHI
Indian companies in the auto and battery materials sector are tapping new opportunities in the Nepalese market. Lohum, which is in the business of sustainable energy transition and produces battery materials through integrated recycling, repurposing and refining, is partnering with key pillars of Nepal’s EV ecosystem partners that are selling MG, Stellantis and Tata EV’s. The collaboration aims to make Nepal energy-abundant and self-sustaining by regenerating parallel reserves of transition materials through battery recycling, effectively disrupting China’s economic leverage over the democracy.
The partnership between Lohum and the EV players will entail an estimated recycling of 200,000 batteries, and the production of battery materials over a period of 5 years from the batteries of EV brands sold by the partners. By advancing responsible end-of-life battery management and building a parallel supply of critical materials, this partnership will play a vital role in reducing the CO2e of the vast majority of EVs in Nepal. The recycled energy transition materials can then recirculate in Nepal’s battery ecosystem indefinitely, driving the volatile region a step closer to geo-economic stability and net zero targets.
“Nepal is on the cusp of an EV revolution, and its government is taking forward actions for responsible end-of-life material disposal,” says Chetan Jain, Senior VP of LOHUM. “The synergies are set to reshape industries and provide the necessary impetus for clean energy transition in Nepal. LOHUM is taking a lead in fulfilling these requirements and ensuring Nepal’s energy self-reliance,” he added.
The diverse pool of EV sector partners will also eventually include Volkswagen, Suzuki, Renault, and Mahindra EVs among others. The company has accumulated 70-80 per cent of the battery recycling market share in India for its expertise in end-to-end battery lifecycle management, and is lowering emissions across international markets including US, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
This development will help Nepal’s EV ecosystem stakeholders become compliant with the Aarthik Vidheyak policy for management of end-of-life battery waste, introduced by the Government of Nepal in FY 2023. The company will be the exclusive extended producer responsibility partner handling end-of-life batteries for the majority of EV brands operating in Nepal which has been grappling with a solution to upscale its clean energy capacity.
Tata Motors on the other hand has launched a new Ace EV in Nepal, with its sole authorised distributor, Sipradi Trading Private. The new Ace EV, an advanced, zero-emission, four-wheel small commercial vehicle, is a green and smart transport solution ready to serve a wide variety of intra-city applications. The launch of Ace EV in Nepal marks its debut in the global market and promises to redefine eco-friendly transportation. The first fleet of zero-emission, e-cargo solution was delivered to customers in Kathmandu.
Anurag Mehrotra, Head of International Business, Tata Motors Commercial Vehicle Business, believes electrification of passenger and cargo transport is an irreversible trend. The introduction of the Ace EV marks a major milestone in its journey to deliver zero-emission cargo mobility in Nepal and Sipradi Trading Pvt has strong sales and service expertise to help the electric commercial vehicle play a pivotal role in shaping net-zero goals of businesses in Nepal.
The Ace EV is designed and engineered to perfectly suit the requirements of intra-city cargo transportation and will deliver superior value proposition to all stakeholders who are driving towards a carbon-neutral future. In addition to addressing the core need of timely cost-effective and efficient last-mile deliveries, the Ace EV also serves the future commitment and aspirations of its conscientious customers to achieve net zero carbon footprint. The fleet of Ace EV will be supported by a dedicated team of experts for 24×7 support and state-of-the-art Electric Vehicle Support Centres (EVSC). The vehicle also comes equipped with a feature-rich telematics system for real-time vehicle tracking and efficient fleet management.