How about a portable charging station for your electric vehicle? Kerala man is on it!

Sujith Rajan, who owns Cupower Technologies in  Kochuveli Industrial Area in Thiruvananthapuram, and his team has rolled out a model of portable charging station for electric powered vehicles.

This station is solar-powered and reduces maintenance cost. Also, it has mobility to areas devoid of electrification.  

The portable charging station has been named as ‘Portable off-grid solar charging station’. Reports said this is the first portable charging station model developed in Kerala.

At present, it consists of 220 Ah battery and has solar panels with a capacity of 1kW. However, the battery and number of panels can be extended based on the number of vehicles to be charged.

The team has brought out the model by spending around Rs 55,000. In a day, this portable station can charge four to six electric vehicles. It would take four hours to charge an electric two-wheeler.

The model is designed in such a way that during day time solar energy can be directly harnessed, while at night battery acts as a backup.

At present, the portable station is placed alternatively in areas like Shankumugham, Thycaud Police Ground. Interestingly, as of now, the service is offered free of cost.

The model is fit for charging two-wheelers and autorickshaws. The team is involved in the development of model that can be used to charge cars.

Meanwhile, Sujith Rajan has been involved in various projects related to solar energy. He has worked in north-Indian states, Sri Lanka and Dubai for related projects. According to him, the model has been rolled out to eye autorickshaw stands, private companies and state-run PSUs. He is optimistic about getting support from government or private parties for ensuring commericial viability. Apart from Rajan, his wife is also leading the team at Cupower Technologies. Both are electrical engineers. A total of 15 members are working under the firm.

Welcoming the initiative, the state-run Energy Management Centre - (EMC) Kerala’s director R Harikumar said that the body can support projects like this.