Tata Tigor EV Battery Revived by Indian Startup Yanti: A Cost-Saving Win for Fleets

Electric vehicles (EVs) are transforming how we travel, but their batteries can be a costly headache when they fail. Imagine a Tata Tigor EV, a popular choice for cab services, declared "dead" and facing a ₹6 lakh replacement bill. Sounds like a nightmare, right? Well, a recent breakthrough by Yanti Innovative Electromotive Solutions Pvt Ltd, shared in a LinkedIn post by their Founder & MD Romesh Gupta, shows how this battery was revived for just ₹55,000, saving ₹5.45 lakh! Let’s dive into this exciting story and why it’s a big deal for commercial EV fleet operators.

The Tata Tigor EV Battery: What’s Inside?

The Tata Tigor EV comes with a 26 kWh battery pack, made up of 108 cells in series and 5 in parallel (108s5p). Each cell is a 3.2V cylindrical lithium iron phosphate (LFP) unit with a 15Ah capacity. This setup delivers reliable power for city driving, making it a favorite for cab services. However, like all batteries, it can face issues over time, especially for commercial vehicles that rack up high mileage without the lifetime warranty private owners enjoy.

The Problem: A "Dead" Battery

In this case, a Tata Tigor EV rolled into Yanti’s workshop completely immobile. The charging port showed 0V, and the initial diagnosis was grim: the battery seemed beyond saving. The original equipment manufacturer (OEM) suggested replacing the entire battery pack at a staggering cost of ₹6 lakh. For a fleet operator, this could mean retiring a vehicle early or eating into profits. It is also to be noted that the value of ₹6 lakh is not independently verified. We are assuming that to be true.

The Revival Process: Simple Yet Smart

Yanti didn’t give up on the battery. Over seven days, they used a careful, step-by-step approach to bring it back to life. Here’s what they did in simple terms:

• Day 1 – Checking the Battery: They opened the battery pack and found that some cell groups had uneven voltages, causing the whole pack to fail. Think of it like a chain where one weak link drags everything down.
• Days 2–3 – Gentle Charging: Using a special power supply, they slowly charged the battery at a low rate of 0.1C or 10 hours to avoid damage. This raised the voltage safely to 76.65V for a portion of the pack (21s) with no overheating or issues. This is taking the individual cylindrical cells of the series to 3.65V.
• Day 4 – Balancing the Cells: They used a 15A active balancer to even out the voltages across the cells, like leveling out water in connected buckets. This ensured the battery could work as a team again.
• Days 5–6 – Testing Capacity: They discharged the battery at a moderate rate of 0.5C i.e. 13kW power continuously for 2 hours, to see how much energy it could hold. The result? 63 Ah out of the original 75 Ah, an impressive 84% recovery of its rated capacity.
• Day 7 – Back on the Road: The battery was reinstalled with the car’s original Battery Management System (BMS), tested under real driving conditions, and certified ready for service.

The Results: Savings and Sustainability

The outcome was a win on every front:

1. Recovered Capacity: The battery regained 63 Ah (84%) of its original 75 Ah, enough to keep the Tigor running reliably.
2. Cost Savings: Yanti’s revival cost just ₹55,000, compared to the ₹6 lakh OEM replacement cost, saving ₹5.45 lakh.
3. Time: The entire process took only 7 days, minimizing downtime for the vehicle.
4. Eco-Friendly: Reviving the battery reduced e-waste and avoided the environmental cost of manufacturing a new pack.

Why This Matters for Commercial Fleet Operators

This breakthrough is a game-changer, especially for commercial fleet operators like cab services (think Uber or Ola). Unlike private registrations, who are now availing get lifetime battery warranties in vehicles like Mahindra XEV9e and Tata Harrier EV etc, commercial vehicles don’t receive the same benefits. They get the usual 8 years or 1.6 Lakh kilometer (whichever is earlier) warranty. High daily mileage and reliance on DC fast charging means their batteries wear out faster, and replacing them can be a budget-killer. Yanti’s solution offers three big benefits:

1. Extended Battery Life: Recovering 84% of the battery’s capacity means the vehicle can stay on the road longer, squeezing more value out of the same car.
2. Huge Cost Savings: Saving ₹5.45 lakh per battery makes a massive difference for fleets managing dozens or hundreds of vehicles.
3. Less Downtime: A 7-day turnaround keeps cabs earning revenue instead of sitting in a workshop.

This approach helps fleet operators prolong their vehicles’ service life, improve profits, and stay competitive in the growing EV market.

The Bigger Picture: A Win for EVs in India

Yanti’s work, as highlighted in Romesh Gupta’s LinkedIn post, shows what’s possible when you combine smart diagnostics with a commitment to sustainability. By reviving batteries that others would scrap, they’re reducing costs, cutting e-waste, and supporting India’s push for a greener future. For fleet operators, this means more affordable EVs and a longer lifespan for their investments.

Got an EV fleet or a battery that’s acting up? This case proves there’s hope beyond replacement. Check out Yanti’s solutions or reach out for a diagnostic audit to see if your batteries can get a second life.

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