In my sustainability journey, I'm constantly looking at how we can change the system, not just tweak it. That’s why I found SUN Mobility’s story fascinating. It’s not a traditional car company. It’s a company solving for access, equity, and energy all at once, especially in a place like India, where the usual electric vehicle (EV) model just doesn’t work the same way.
In one of my recent classes, we explored how SUN Mobility is approaching the shift to electric mobility very differently from companies like BMW. And it made me reflect: when it comes to sustainability, context changes everything.
🇮🇳 EVs in India: The Challenge
Here’s what SUN Mobility is tackling:
EVs are still too expensive for many people in India.
Charging infrastructure is limited, especially in smaller cities.
Most vehicles aren’t cars, they’re buses, scooters, tuk-tuks.
So, how do you make EVs more accessible, fast to “refuel,” and still affordable for the average person?
💡 SUN Mobility’s Smart Answer: Swap, Don’t Charge
Instead of selling a full EV (vehicle + battery), SUN Mobility lets you buy the vehicle without the battery. You then swap out batteries at SUN’s stations, kind of like exchanging a gas cylinder.
✅ It makes EVs cheaper upfront.
✅ It eliminates range anxiety (no waiting to charge).
✅ It works perfectly for buses and tuk-tuks, which need to stay moving.
✅ It uses mobile tech to track battery levels and find nearby swap stations.
This “Battery-as-a-Service” model is not just innovative, it’s inclusive.
🛵 Real Change for Real People
What really stood out to me was how this model isn't built for luxury, it’s built for livelihoods. In India, a tuk-tuk driver can spend less, swap batteries in minutes, and stay on the road longer, earning more. It’s a model that puts climate solutions in the hands of working people.
This isn’t about a fancy Car. It’s about scaling sustainable mobility in countries where the average person doesn’t own a car, and never will.
🇩🇪 What About Germany?
Then we looked at BMW—a completely different context. In Germany:
People mostly drive private cars, not scooters or tuk-tuks.
The grid is stable and full of charging stations.
There’s strong government support for EVs.
Most people can afford the upfront cost of a full EV, like a BMW.
So in Germany, it makes more sense to sell EVs with the battery. Charging works, people are ready, and there's less need for swapping.
🌍 What I Learned
This class taught me that sustainable solutions must be local. You can’t copy-paste BMW’s model into India, or SUN Mobility’s model into Germany. Real sustainability is about asking:
“What does this community actually need to thrive without harming the planet?”
That’s the kind of thinking that excites me, not just the economics of it, but the empathy and systems thinking behind it.
✨ Stay rooted in context. Stay bold in solutions.
– Morena
