Valeo partners have partnered with Omega Seiki Mobility. Prateek Pardeshi looks at the scope of the partnership involving electric powertrains for the latter’s vehicle range.
Powertrains are the building blocks of a vehicle. In line with the Omega Seiki Mobility (OSM) strategy to build a powertrain suited to the duty cycles of three-wheelers for cargo transportation, the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) has found its powertrain partner in Valeo India (Valeo). Valeo has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Omega Seiki Mobility (OSM), part of the Anglian Omega Group, under which the company will provide electric powertrains for the OSM electric vehicle range. The two partners aim to deliver on the carbon emission reductions through the collaboration. Here, Valeo expects OSM to leverage its expertise deemed suited to the target segment of small commercial vehicles. Averred Jayakumar G, Group President, Valeo India, “Omega Seiki will benefit from our deep understanding of not only the electrification technologies but also the unique needs of integrating electric powertrain in the small mobility format of vehicles.” “I am positive that Valeo’s advanced technologies, our strong engineering combined with manufacturing expertise in India will help us to strengthen our partnership and succeed together in this rapidly growing segment,’ he stated.
48V e-powertrain
Valeo will provide its 48-volt electric powertrain system from its manufacturing plant, in Pune. The powertrain is known to constitute a reducer, an integrated motor, and an inverter to go along with the Powertrain Control Unit (PCU) for OSM’s cargo three-wheelers range comprising of ‘Rage+’ and ‘Rage+ Frost’. The vehicles under the Rage+ brand, for instance, have already been deployed by several major e-commerce and logistics companies in India.
“We are thrilled to partner with Valeo. This association will allow us to address the core issue of reducing carbon load in the atmosphere, along with providing a sustainable solution for our product line-up,” stated Uday Narang, Chairman, Omega Seiki Mobility in the company release.
Rage+
The Rage+ three-wheeler cargo vehicle with a Gross Vehicular Weight (GVW) of 0.96-tonne and an open carrier box offers a range of 70-80 kilometers on a single charge as per company claims. It translates to a running cost of 0.50 rupees per kilometer Powered by an IP65 certified 7.5 kWh battery pack with a battery swap option, the vehicle is claimed to be charged in a time span of three to four hours using a fast charger. Range+ customers can look forward to a battery life of 2,000 cycles coupled with a three-year or 80,000 km warranty. On the safety front, customers can look forward to inclusions like regenerative braking, roller-cage support structure keeping in mind driver safety, a superior strengthened chassis claimed to be suited to Indian road conditions, and hydraulic braking. Both the front and the rear get are claimed to be fitted with heavy-duty shock absorbers that include a damper plus helical at the front and independent suspensions and dampeners at the rear. The company also offers a reefer variant christened ‘Rage+ Frost’ unveiled earlier this year and aimed at pharmaceuticals and food delivery aggregators.
Dr. Deb Mukherji, Managing Director, Omega Seiki Mobility
Go-to-market strategy
In addition, Valeo’s engineers will look to provide the technology integration support aimed at helping OSM accelerate the execution of its go-to-market strategy leading to faster commercialization of the product offering. In relation to the technology used by OSM for their vehicles to be coupled with the Valeo e-powertrain, added Dr. Deb Mukherji, Managing Director at Omega Seiki Mobility, “With a global technology leader like Valeo on board, we would be providing our customers with new generation powertrains which are efficient, use latest technologies in motors, electronics and IoT, and at the same time are cost-effective too.” “That is the essence of any disruptive technology. We are very excited to be working with Valeo to introduce a new range of powertrains in the Indian market,” he expressed.
Jayakumar G, Group President, Valeo India
The go-to-market strategy of this collaboration entails Valeo offering quick charging and an efficient range. It also entails keeping the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) low to maximize operator Return on Investment (RoI). To deliver on its promise, Valeo will fall back on its globally tested 48 volt affordable systems, known to have been launched in 2020. It expects the fully integrated compact 48-volt electric powertrain system to aid in OSM’s requirement of building affordable small electric commercial vehicles.
Uday Narang, Chairman, Omega Seiki Mobility
Besides three-wheelers, the Scops of the MoU extends to two-wheelers aimed at both the first and last-mile connectivity requirements pan India. Going beyond the current scope Valeo and OSM will further collaborate for the latter’s upcoming vehicle models to be manufactured in India. “OSM is taking a holistic approach to not only provide innovative technology in the vehicles but also deliver high-performance vehicles at reasonable running cost through the claimed, state-of-the-art internal research and development and alliances put in place,” concluded Narang. ACI
| RAGE+ Powertrain | |
| Parameters | Specifications |
| Top Speed | 45 kmph |
| Range | 70-80 kms per charge |
| Battery Type | Li-ion 48V |
| Battery Capacity | 7.5 kWh |
| Charging Time | 3-4 Hours |
| Acceleration (Boost mode) | 13 sec |
| Regen at IDC | 15 per cent |
| Rated Power | 4.8 kW |
| Battery Warranty | Three Years or 80,000 kms (whichever is earlier) |
Also, read more about Valeo launches fully integrated Compact Electric Powertrain System in India
