With E-Tron batteries: Audi presents three-wheel electric rickshaw

• The Audi Environmental Foundation starts the third project phase with the non-profit organization Nunam.
• Disused batteries from Audi e-tron test vehicles are used in modern e-rickshaws in India.
• The companies are targeting Indian women.

When batteries in electric cars have reached the end of their lives, they are by no means classified as hazardous waste. The energy density is often sufficient to use the valuable batteries as electricity storage or in completely different application scenarios, such as at level crossings. Audi is now putting used electric car batteries in electrified rickshaws in India.

E-rickshaw from Audi

The power of the batteries, which previously breathed life into the e-tron test vehicles from Ingolstadt, is still easily sufficient for the e-rickshaws that will be used in Indian local transport from 2023. The three-wheeled vehicles are lighter and travel at lower speeds over short distances.

The electric rickshaws were designed and developed in Neckarsulm together with the Berlin and Bangalore-based non-profit organization Nunam, which receives funding from the Audi Environmental Foundation.

“A car battery is designed for a car’s entire life, but even after it has been used in the vehicle for the first time, it still retains a large part of its performance. They are extremely promising for vehicles with lower requirements in terms of range and performance and a lower overall weight,” says co-founder of Nunam, Prodip Chatterjee in a communication from Audi.

Indian women as a target group

In particular, the project aims to improve the employment opportunities of women in India. They are provided with the e-rickshaws to transport their goods and sell them in markets without intermediaries.

Since electricity in India is mostly produced by coal-fired power plants, Audi and Nunam are opting for a cleaner solution: solar power. This is generated on the roofs of local project partners and given to the rickshaws.