<p>Range anxiety, that fear of running out of battery, is every electric vehicle user’s worst nightmare. So, why not address this by letting every roadside shop morph into a charging station?</p>.<p>This is exactly what Bengaluru-based startup Charzer had in mind when it introduced the ‘Kirana Charzer’.</p>.<p>How does this work? “Kirana Charzer is a compact, zero-maintenance and Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled charging station that can be installed by small shops and individuals enabling them to earn an additional income,” explains the startup founders.</p>.<p>The station is compatible with all two-, three- and four-wheeled electric vehicles. “It works with a basic single-phase electricity connection and can be installed without upgrading the existing grid connection.”</p>.<p>EV users will just have to download the Charzer mobile app, locate the nearest charger, select the preferred station, book a slot and make the payment. The shopkeeper/host can set the pricing on the app. A daily report of power consumed, bookings and earnings are sent to him/her. A ‘Withdraw Money’ feature lets the host transfer the earnings directly to the bank account.</p>.<p>What about the cost and revenue model? “Kirana owners and other small business owners can install a Kirana Charzer for Rs 10,000. Eighty per cent of the revenue from charging goes to the owners, while the company gets 20%.”</p>.<p>Launched in February 2020 at MOVE 2020, London, the Kirana Charzer has been installed at five locations till date in Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram.</p>.<p>A startup spokesperson informs that since the launch, over 2,000 pre orders have been received from more than 60 cities and towns across India.</p>.<p>Charzer was founded by second-time entrepreneurs Dheeraj Reddy, Sameer Ranjan Jaiswal and Yugraj Shukla. Before this venture, the team had launched FAE Bikes, an EV scooter rental and fleet management startup.</p>.<p>The Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles has indicated in a report that the sale of EVs in India increased by 20% during 2019-20. However, lack of a public charging infrastructure has been an obstacle in the sector’s accelerated growth and slow adoption of EVs as a mainstream transportation option.</p>
<p>Range anxiety, that fear of running out of battery, is every electric vehicle user’s worst nightmare. So, why not address this by letting every roadside shop morph into a charging station?</p>.<p>This is exactly what Bengaluru-based startup Charzer had in mind when it introduced the ‘Kirana Charzer’.</p>.<p>How does this work? “Kirana Charzer is a compact, zero-maintenance and Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled charging station that can be installed by small shops and individuals enabling them to earn an additional income,” explains the startup founders.</p>.<p>The station is compatible with all two-, three- and four-wheeled electric vehicles. “It works with a basic single-phase electricity connection and can be installed without upgrading the existing grid connection.”</p>.<p>EV users will just have to download the Charzer mobile app, locate the nearest charger, select the preferred station, book a slot and make the payment. The shopkeeper/host can set the pricing on the app. A daily report of power consumed, bookings and earnings are sent to him/her. A ‘Withdraw Money’ feature lets the host transfer the earnings directly to the bank account.</p>.<p>What about the cost and revenue model? “Kirana owners and other small business owners can install a Kirana Charzer for Rs 10,000. Eighty per cent of the revenue from charging goes to the owners, while the company gets 20%.”</p>.<p>Launched in February 2020 at MOVE 2020, London, the Kirana Charzer has been installed at five locations till date in Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram.</p>.<p>A startup spokesperson informs that since the launch, over 2,000 pre orders have been received from more than 60 cities and towns across India.</p>.<p>Charzer was founded by second-time entrepreneurs Dheeraj Reddy, Sameer Ranjan Jaiswal and Yugraj Shukla. Before this venture, the team had launched FAE Bikes, an EV scooter rental and fleet management startup.</p>.<p>The Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles has indicated in a report that the sale of EVs in India increased by 20% during 2019-20. However, lack of a public charging infrastructure has been an obstacle in the sector’s accelerated growth and slow adoption of EVs as a mainstream transportation option.</p>