ETOwali/SheAuto, India’s first all-women electric 3-wheelers rally from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, was flagged-off from Nagpur by Shri Nitin Gadkari, from Nagpur after successfully completing over 1600 kilometers in 12 days.
Over fifty women attended the driver onboarding programme at the Zero Mile Point in Nagpur. The onboarding programme allows for the selection of women drivers who are trained by ETO Motors to become electric 3-wheeler drivers and have a sustainable livelihood. The ETOwali/ SheAuto rally created a buzz in the city and is set to revolutionize the advent of women e3W drivers in Nagpur who now have a sustainable livelihood option.
As part of the strategy to incentivize Women drivers, ETO Motors has also launched its DRIVE-TO-OWN and DRIVE-TO-RENT Scheme. Through this scheme, ETO Motors hires driver partners and provides free UNLIMITED CHARGING at specially designated EV Charging points being set up by ETO Motors; FREE vehicle maintenance by experts; and free DRIVER PARTNER INSURANCE. Once they have partnered with ETO Motors for 36-months, the driver can become the owner of the vehicle after paying a written-down value.
“ETOwali/ #SheAuto” is India’s first all-women rally which has an 8-member crew, driving electric 3-wheelers, an electric motorcycle and an electric SUV covering 3333 kilometres in 30 days. Passing through Kanyakumari, Madurai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Nagpur, Indore, Jaipur, Delhi and finally culminating in Jammu. A joint effort by ETO Motors, India’s largest Electric Mobility as a Service (EMaaS) Company; the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI); Trinity Cleantech Pvt. Ltd., a leading Charge Point Operator with over 800 EV Charging Stations in the country; Saera KETO, one of the largest manufacturers of e3Ws; and MOWO Social Initiatives, a social enterprise committed to empowering women with mobility as a skill, the rally is successfully raising awareness about electric vehicles and how electric 3-wheelers are the optimal employment opportunity for women looking for a stable livelihood.
As part of the “ETOwali/SheAuto” programme and with support from various State Transport and Women Welfare Ministries, the all-women crew is conducting specially curated workshops for the benefit of women who would want to consider driving e3Ws as a sustainable livelihood option. With the objective of recruiting over a one thousand women and training and empowering them to drive e3Ws as a livelihood option, these workshops are drawing huge crowds. The workshops are playing a vital role in driving awareness about EVs and how women can become micro entrepreneurs through auto driving with flexibility of choosing working hours and increasing their earning capabilities.
The ETOwali/SheAuto rally is using Saera KETOs Trilux Next e3W, which is a robust electric 3-wheeler with an unparallelled range of 140 kilometers on a single charge. Trilux Next are manufactured by Saera KETO in their state-of-art manufacturing capacities in Jadcherla (Telangana) and Bawal (Haryana) and boast pioneering design and innovative features, including Fast Charge technology, a Vehicle Control Unit (VCU), and top-tier safety and comfort for drivers and passengers alike. Saera Keto is a joint venture between KETO Motors, a 100% subsidiary of ETO Motors, and Saera Electric, a leading EV manufacturer.
Trinity Cleantech Pvt. Ltd., amongst the country’s leading Charge Point Operator and an ETO Motors Group Company, is further helping strengthen its commitment to drive and promote the cause of EVs by creating a robust EV Charging infrastructure. Under its #HarGharThunder programme, Trinity Cleantech Pvt. Ltd. is enabling women in rural and urban areas by installing electric charge points at their homes, thus providing them with additional income opportunities. As part of this initiative, the Thunder Lite 3.3 KW AC Charger is being given free of cost to select women thus empowering them and making them entrepreneurs instantly while welcoming them into the EV World.
ETOwali/SheAuto is also supported by the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) which has been instrumental in taking up various initiatives for the development and promotion of e3Ws through its popular #ShEAuto programme. SIDBI, under its Mission 50K-EV4ECO aims at strengthening the EV ecosystem in India, including uptake for two, three and four-wheelers through direct and indirect lending. The objective of this scheme is to provide access to affordable financing for electric vehicles and to develop charging infrastructure, including battery swapping.
SIDBI has already launched two financing schemes viz. Direct lending to MSMEs and Scheme for lending to NBFCs. Under its direct lending scheme, SIDBI directly gives loans to eligible MSME’s for the purchase of electric vehicles and other EV ecosystem players active in developing charging infrastructure including battery swapping. The Indirect scheme enables small unrated/ focused /emerging NBFCs actively engaged in EV financing by providing them with funds as refinance facility.
#ShEAuto is helping SIDBI to spread the green message across the country especially among women. Idea is to sensitise women on EV as also circular economy (reduce/reuse/revive/recycle), energy efficiency, nurture the nature and going solar. SIDBI intends to revive the Indian ethos of respect to environment and social aspects in all walks of life. In line with its logo SIDBI is committed to blue and green economy supported by entrepreneurial eco system.
