SUN Mobility Battery Swapping and Energy-as-a-Service

SUN Mobility is a battery swapping company founded in 2017 as a joint venture between the Maini Group and the SUN Group, with offices in Bengaluru, India. It separates the battery from the vehicle and sells energy on a pay-per-use basis, removing the battery cost and long charging time that hold back electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, buses and trucks.

The system combines connected Smart Batteries with three onboard computers and more than 30 sensors, Quick Interchange Stations that swap a micro-mobility battery in under two minutes or a bus battery automatically in under three minutes, and plug-and-play battery docks that OEMs build into vehicles. A Smart Network platform with central control units, remote monitoring, a command and control centre and apps for drivers, agents and fleet managers runs the network. Customers include commercial fleet operators, vehicle makers and fuel retailers such as Indian Oil.

• Smart Battery: connected lithium-ion pack with three onboard computers, over 30 sensors and GPS tracking.
• Quick Interchange Station: swaps a two- or three-wheeler battery in under two minutes with temperature control.
• HEV swapping for buses and trucks: robotic swaps in under three minutes for 9 m to 12 m buses.
• Plug-and-play docks: stackable, programmable docks that OEMs integrate into new vehicles.
• Smart Network: central control units, remote monitoring and a command and control centre.
• Driver and agent apps: wallet top-ups, state of charge and nearest station with available batteries.

Delivery and ride-hailing fleets in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City can run electric motorbikes on shared swap stations instead of depot charging. Petroleum retailers can add battery swap points to their station networks as a new energy service. Urban bus operators can trial swappable batteries to keep electric buses in service across long daily shifts.

Fleet operators avoid buying batteries upfront and pay only for the energy used. A swap takes under two minutes for small vehicles instead of four to eight hours of charging, keeping vehicles earning. Stations handle more than 200 swaps a day for micro-mobility and over 300 for buses, and modular packs let one battery serve two-wheelers, e-rickshaws and cargo three-wheelers.

Battery-as-a-service is gaining ground for commercial two- and three-wheelers and urban buses in Asia because it lowers vehicle prices and cuts downtime. Fuel retailers are adding swap points at existing forecourts, and SUN Mobility has said it is expanding into Southeast Asia starting with the Philippines, where motorcycle and tricycle fleets resemble those in Vietnam.

Founded in 2017 by Chetan Maini and Uday Khemka. Bosch took a stake in 2019, Vitol invested USD 50 million in 2021, a 50:50 joint venture with Indian Oil (Indofast Swap Energy) launched in 2024, and Helios Climate and PIDG led a USD 60 million round in 2025. More than 2,000 active swap stations; expanding to Kenya with Vivo Energy and to the Philippines.