Bangalore, Sep 21: Exponent Energy, a Bengaluru-based energy company, has completed 200 EV retrofits of ICE autorickshaws in Bengaluru as part of a four-month pilot through its Exponent OTO platform, as it aims to expand its retrofitment offering across key cities in India.
In just one city, the retrofitted vehicles have covered 1.5Mn+ km and completed 25,000+ charging sessions so far, offering a real-world proof point for the use of EV retrofits in intensive commercial operations. The company has also captured a 20% share of the city’s e-3 wheeler market, reflecting growing demand for electric commercial mobility and Exponent’s rapid-charging technology.
Exponent OTO is Exponent‘s 3–wheeler mobility platform that brings together best-in-class battery technology, powertrain systems, and vehicle software to enable the electrification of both existing and new commercial 3–wheelers. For existing vehicles, OTO enables ICE 3–wheelers to be retrofitted to electric. For new vehicles, Exponent is now working with OEM partners to integrate their mobility platform into new electric 3–wheelers. The retrofit process can be completed in 24 hours, enabling a quick transition to electric with minimal disruption to drivers’ daily operations. OTO combines 15-minute 0-100% rapid charging with a 140-150 km real-world range and is backed by a 5-year or 3,000-cycle warranty, providing the performance and reliability required for intensive commercial use.
Commenting on the milestone, Ayush Bhargava, Head of Business, Exponent Energy, said,
“The 200 retrofits in Bengaluru show that there is a real opportunity to electrify the vehicles already on the road, rather than waiting for them to be replaced. For drivers, the retrofit model offers a more accessible path to EVs while allowing them to continue with the vehicle and service ecosystem they already know. With each increasing kilometer being covered by these retrofit vehicles on road, we are assured that this can work in the real world.”
The path to electrification cannot be based on new vehicle sales alone. With India’s existing commercial vehicle base nearly 10x the new-vehicle market, electrifying vehicles already on the road will be critical to accelerating the transition while reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels and strengthening energy security.
This is particularly relevant for commercial 3–wheelers, which are used intensively every day. Retrofitting offers a practical pathway to bring these vehicles into the electric ecosystem without waiting for replacement, helping accelerate commercial electrification while reducing the upfront cost and disruption of switching to a new vehicle.
To address the upfront cost of this transition, Exponent ONE, Exponent Energy’s EV financing platform, enables financing for the OTO retrofit kit. By reducing the initial capital requirement, the platform is designed to make EV adoption more accessible to commercial drivers and support a stronger economic case for the transition.
Designed for the demands of commercial driving, OTO helps drivers minimise charging downtime and maximise time on the road. At the same time, its interoperability with standard public and home charging infrastructure gives drivers the flexibility to charge beyond the Exponent network. Since Exponent Energy’s founding in 2020, the company has scaled its technology across India, with 3,500+ EVs powered by Exponent, 200+ charging stations, 2Mn+ rapid charging sessions completed, and over 100Mn+ kilometers covered.