From Tiny Cells to Mighty Packs: Behind the Scenes of EV Battery Innovation at Yatri

Hey there! If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to power a Yatri, buckle up—because we’re taking you on a ride through the electrifying world of battery systems development at Yatri 🚀

As a battery systems engineer at a young (but seriously ambitious) engineering firm, I spend my days knee-deep in lithium, pushing the boundaries of what these power-packed cells can do. Having made steady progress in the P2 program over the last several months - a JV initiative between Sipradi and Yatri - I am here to shed some light on what's happening in the battery systems department. Spoiler alert: it’s not as simple as stacking a few batteries together and calling it a day!

From Tiny Cells to Mighty Packs
Every battery pack that powers our P1 and P2 starts with a tiny but mighty building block: the battery cell. Think of it like a Lego brick—simple on its own, but when you put hundreds of them together with precision, you get something extraordinary. We begin our work at the most fundamental level: cell chemistry. This is the heart and soul of the battery. Our team dives into the nitty-gritty of anode and cathode materials, electrolyte formulations, and how all these microscopic components interact over time.

Why does this matter? Because the right chemistry means better energy density (more range for your P1 and P2), faster charging, and longer-lasting batteries. It’s like choosing the best ingredients for a recipe—except our recipe needs to survive years of extreme temperatures, countless charge cycles, and not so occasional pothole surprise.

Aging Gracefully: The Science of Battery Life

Batteries, like humans, age. And just like us, they don’t always do it gracefully. So, part of our job is to understand how these cells deteriorate over time and find ways to slow down that aging process. This means running cells through thousands of charge and discharge cycles, simulating years of use in just a few months. (Yes, our batteries have a tougher workout routine than most of us.)

In the picture above, you might be wondering what that white towering machine is - it is not a file cabinet - basically, it simulates your riding style over thousands of km while also mimicking different charging modes (AC and DC) to accurately predict the degradation curve of a battery pack. Moreover, thanks to our amazing P1 users, we have been able to collect super valuable real-world data from over a million km of adventurous utilization and hundreds of thousands of charging cycles. Together with our accelerated testing setup, this becomes a powerful combination to improve and take our battery systems design to the next level.

By obsessing over these details, we can design batteries that not only last longer but also stay safer throughout their entire lifespan. On that note, we are poised to announce ground-breaking battery specifications for our P1 Gen2 and P2 in the coming months!

Integration: Where the Magic Happens
Once we crack the code on cell chemistry, performance and aging, it’s time to scale up. That means building battery packs that don’t just work—they work flawlessly. Each pack is a carefully orchestrated system of electrical, thermal, and mechanical engineering.

Imagine trying to make hundreds of cells work together while keeping them cool under pressure, safe from thermal runaway (a fancy term for "bad things happen when batteries overheat"), and efficient across all driving conditions. We conduct extensive thermal simulations and real-world stress tests to make sure these packs can handle everything from a summer road trip to Nepalgunj to a Mustang's winter commute.

Furthermore, our battery engineering goes an extra mile by offering first-in-class DC Fast Charging which allows our battery packs to charge at an incredible rate helping make your transition to electric even more seamless!

Safety First, Always
Speaking of safety—it’s our non-negotiable. Each battery system undergoes brutal testing regimes: crushing, puncturing, overcharging, and more. If it can make it in our "torture chamber", it can make it in the Nepali roads.

Beyond the physical tests, we also dive deep into battery management systems (BMS). This is the brains behind the battery, constantly monitoring and protecting it from overheating, overcharging, and other hazards. A well-designed BMS isn’t just a guardian—it’s the key to optimizing battery performance and ensuring you get every last mile of range.

Why It All Matters
Why go through all this trouble of ground-up development? It is because we know the biggest pain point of an electric two-wheeler in Nepal - 1. the powertrain endurance considering our challenging terrain; and 2. an unpractical range. At Yatri, being a team driven by excellence, we are building inspiring products that is not a compromise - but promises freedom of travel!

At Yatri, we’re not just developing batteries; we’re redefining electric two-wheelers battery technology. From cell chemistry to dynamic paralleling to compliance testing, every step is an opportunity to innovate and push the envelope. And while you might not see all the work happening behind the scenes, you can feel it every time you hit the accelerator and experience the silent, thrilling surge of electric power.

So, the next time you see a P1 or P2 zooming by, remember: there’s a world of research, passion, and engineering brilliance packed inside that battery. And trust us—we’re just getting started.

Until next time, stay charged!⚡️

Your Friendly Battery Systems Engineer ✋