Objectives: The purpose of this study is to identify the reasons which contributed to the premature failure of the e-rickshaw battery that puts the e-rickshaw operator (ERO) in financial stress. Methods: A field survey was conducted from 1 st October 2019 to 30 th October 2019, in the NorthWest Delhi suburbs to extrapolate the shortcomings. Different EROs, charging station operators (CSOs), and battery vendors were interviewed with an administered questionnaire. The simple random sample consisted of 50 EROs, 20 CSOs, and 40 battery vendors. The quantitative data procured was scrutinized through descriptive as well as inferential analysis. Findings: Constant Current (CC) based chargers were found to be the major reason for the shortened life of the battery. These chargers along with other erroneous practices are preventing both the ERO and the CSO to get the full profitability that they could. It was found during the field survey that the e-rickshaw ecosystem is in a dire need of a fast-charging algorithm. This study investigates the technical concepts which are absent in the e-rickshaw technology like modern fast charging techniques such as Constant Current-Constant Voltage (CC-CV), Pulse-Current, Superimposed Pulse Frequency, Intermittent-Current Charing, and Interrupted Charge-Control Techniques (ICCT) and the Hybrid Energy Systems. Novelty/Benefit: The study succinctly points to the technological dots that remain unconnected in the e-rickshaw and shows how the CC-CV based fast charging algorithm and the hybrid energy systems could fill those technological gaps, increase the efficiency and profitability of the e-rickshaw ecosystem.

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