Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur have developed a homegrown, efficient, and affordable smart controller for e-rickshaws.

The smart controller is part of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's (MeitY) effort for domestically developing electric vehicle subsystems.

The motor, controller, converter, battery management system, and charger, for example, are among the more than 90% of parts and technologies used in electric automobiles that are foreign and not suitable for India's temperature, roads, and traffic.

Initially, 2W/3W technology development has been prioritised since it accounts for more than 80% of the cars on the road. A Brushless Direct Current Motor (BLDC), which is an electric motor fed by a direct current voltage source and commutated electronically as opposed to brushes like in ordinary DC motors, is also a feature of the new smart controller.

As part of the Digital India Week, which was launched on July 4 in Gandhinagar by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the technology was passed to Brushless Motor India for commercial manufacturing.