UrjaDaily: How has Triton EV’s Journey been so far? Please give a brief overview about the company?
Himanshu: we started Triton Electric Vehicle, LLC back in 2018. Over the past two years we have been involved with the research and development on our fleet, creating our business model and starting the production of our prototypes. In October of 2020, we launched our electric Semi-Truck. The semi-truck was completed in 35 days at our factory/headquarters in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA. During this time the prototype for our Model-H Luxury SUV was underway at our temporary manufacturing plant in Pune. The Model-H is all set to launch in March 2021. We also have our electric sedan Model N4 set to launch later this year.
Triton EV is also looking into military and armored vehicle fleets. Currently we are taking steps for transforming our Model-H SUV into armored vehicle with our own patented bulletproof glass. We are also in the production of our M-Rover prototype, which is an unmanned electric tank. The M-Rover will be great for transporting military equipment and carry out rescue missions for high risk locations.
UrjaDaily: EV is a booming industry in India. How is Triton planning to serve the market?
Himanshu: We believe that Triton will stand out among the rest of the EV market! We have unique innovation paired with the sleek and sport design of our vehicles. Our lineup is a showstopper with the skilled engineering to back it. What makes us stand out amongst the rest is that we started as a solar battery company back in 2012. Most of these EV companies are new to the electric battery technology and have not had the proper time to master it. We have this leg up amongst the rest of our competition since we had nearly a decade to test out and manufacture our batteries and solar equipment.
Triton is suited for a wide target market. We will be producing luxury vehicles to military vehicles to mass transportation vehicles and economy small transport vehicles. Triton has something to give to any Indian citizen and we look forward to becoming one of the largest EV producers in the Indian market!
UrjaDaily: Many new players are coming to be a part of this automotive industry transition. What distinctive does Triton has to offer?
Himanshu: The EV market is booming but Triton has the right innovation to rise to the top! With our decade long experience in manufacturing solar batteries through Triton Solar, we can offer the most reliable engineering system. We have had the time to test out different ideas and one we are highly proud of is our net metering system- our Home Power Link. Some EV companies have net metering options, but what makes Triton’s different is that our system actually helps provide power back to the grid and helps our customers save money. One outcome linked to the introduction of electric vehicles is grid overload; perhaps TRITON EV’s biggest opportunity. To date, no one has presented a tangible solution to tackling this issues, except for TRITON through the advent of is ‘POWER HOME LINK’. Apart from the obvious economic benefits, there are clear environmental upsides in mitigating the world’s dependency on fossil fuels (air, water and other pollutants) and nuclear (expensive disposal of waste) sourced energy. TRITON EV’s owners will be able to draw power down from the grid on off-peak hours and contribute power on peak hours.
UrjaDaily: Please elaborate about the solar roofing on your vehicles and how does it bring a change to the battery life of the vehicle?
Himanshu: The basic idea behind using Solar Panel on the roof is to use solar power in conditions where the car is not in motion and the power is only required for the working of the on-board systems and air conditioning units. This can further increase the mileage on the vehicle by another 40 Miles.
The solar power can also be used to charge the battery further reducing the need to charge them using traditional sources of electricity, thereby reducing the carbon footprint the car produces. By our estimates, solar power can reduce 10% of the load from the battery by rerouting the power from the battery to the solar panel using the power distribution unit. This is the thought process behind our solar panel sunroof. We would like to capture, harness and convert the suns natural energy to aid in powering our electric vehicles.
UrjaDaily: With what vision and mission will Triton be entering the Indian market what will be the company’s market strategy?
Himanshu: We are planning to launch in both the Indian and US market. The N4 will launch first in the Indian market since we are picking up greater speed in securing manufacturing plants in different states of India. In March 2021, the Triton Electric Vehicle team will be in India to unveil our Model-H Luxury SUV. There, we will also open orders for the N4. We project that the Indian market will have the N4 available around the time of October 2021 and the Model-H should be available in June 2021. For the US market, we project the launch to be in the beginning of 2022.
We plan to have every single part to be manufactured within India. We aim to keep the Indian production and the US production exclusively to both local markets. We started as a small business, and no matter how exponential we grow, we will always opt to support the smaller businesses. Being an Indian American, I have strong pride for my birth country. Yes, I’ve been living in the US for 34 years now, but my heart still belongs to India. Manufacturing in India not only benefits our logistics, but it will help the small and medium size businesses local to our manufacturing plants.
UrjaDaily: How has the pandemic affected Triton?
Himanshu: The Pandemic has affected Triton EV very similarly to how it has affected other companies. With the Covid restrictions and mandates, there was very less that we could do. Like many other companies, our operations have been slowed down due to the slower rate of shipping and manufacturing. However, we are still on track to launch our Model-H Luxury SUV next month, but we were unable to expedite this process in 2020 due to Covid. The Triton team has not let the Pandemic get the best of us. We have successfully navigated through this Pandemic this far, and we see a very bright future ahead of is in 2021.
UrjaDaily: Are there any future plans to work with Indian central or state government?
Himanshu: From my professional affiliation with the Prime Minister and a few Chief Ministers, the launch of Triton Electric Vehicle LLC has been backed by a strong support system. Recently, I have acquired the utmost support from the Consulate General of New York. The Consulate General serves as a dutiful aid in effective communication between India and the US government and markets. Last month we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Bharat Electrics Limited (BEL) for the co-operation on energy storage systems & electric vehicles. BEL has helped us gain more knowledge into the Indian manufacturing operations. I must also give thanks to all the followers that we have on social media, LinkedIn especially. They continue to share their thoughts and suggestions on our innovations, which we take into attentive consideration.
