Pitstop, a tech-enabled, multi-brand car service company, is planning to foray into servicing of Electric Vehicles (EVs), mainly two wheelers, three wheelers and delivery vans which are now finding traction among the public and enterprises due to low operating costs and environmental concerns.
The firm, which operates through ‘At-home services Vans’ and a network of certified garages to service off-warranty Internal Combustion Engine (IEC) vehicles, has already undertaken a pilot and will roll out its services shortly, a top executive said.
“EV companies, the new age OEMs, have built the entire technology but lack the service network reach for repair. Today everybody is thinking in terms of charging infrastructure but eventually, they will require service and repair infrastructure,” said Mihir Mohan, founder & CEO, Pitstop.
“EVs require frequent maintenance and inspection. This is where we come into the picture. We have offered our doorstep services to most of these players. We have found a lot of interest in that. For 2-wheelers, 80% to 85% of service can be done at the client’s doorstep except for body repair or those repairs that require lifting,” he added.
He said since the company had built capability in automated diagnosis using sensors and scanners, it was fully geared to service EVs.
“We have ground staff, trained mechanics in the Doorstep programme who know how to operate the scanner and with a little bit of training they will be up and running. You will hear a lot of announcements from us with our foray into EVs in the next 3 to 4 months. Our role is to act as a catalyst in the whole EV ecosystem,” he added.
The firm, which recently raised $3.5 million, plans to utilise the funds to expand to 15 cities from 6 cities now and increase the number of service vans to 250 from 75. The number of garages will increase to 350 from 150 by the end of 2021, he said.
