LOHUM, India’s largest producer of sustainable energy transition materials via battery recycling & low carbon refining and battery repurposing, and TORK Motors, India’s pioneering electric motorcycle manufacturer, announced a strategic partnership through a multi-year supply contract agreement for the collection and recycling of TORK’s flagship Kratos R electric motorcycles’ Lithium-ion batteries upon reaching end-of-life.
LOHUM is TORK’s first battery Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) partner in India as both companies strive to accelerate sustainable e-mobility and scale up a low-carbon EV battery materials supply chain in India. LOHUM being registered as R4 recycler under India’s Battery Waste Management Rules (BWMR 2022) enables EV battery OEMs to rely on LOHUM to go closed-loop. The agreement synergizes both companies’ vision for circularity to drive the EV revolution and energy transition currently underway in India, while reducing the demand for mined, primary ecosystem battery raw materials, which come at steep environmental and humanitarian costs.
The agreement, enabled by LOHUM’s DETX™ weighted future battery buyback price index. Under the partnership, LOHUM will recycle lithium-ion batteries from TORK Motors via the NEETM™ multi-stage hydro-metallurgical process at LOHUM’s ‘Reclaim’ facility in Greater Noida.
LOHUM’s Senior VP of Business Operations Chetan Jain expressed: “We applaud TORK Motors’ commitment to making sustainable EV motorcycles ideal for India’s diverse driving conditions, and the company’s readiness for new opportunities for innovation. This partnership with TORK will help accelerate the proliferation of Electric Vehicles in India’s massive 2-wheeler segment while contributing to a sustainable supply of recycled, secondary ecosystem energy transition materials from used inventory.”
Speaking on the importance of this association, Kapil Shelke, Founder & CEO, TORK Motors said, “When we speak about sustainability, it is not just about emissions and being environment-friendly in the short term. As we speak about electrification of automobiles, we also need to be mindful of recycling the batteries at the end of their life cycle, and we must start planning now for the future. Our partnership with LOHUM is another step towards maintaining our sustainability and creating a positive environmental impact in the long term.”
TORK Motors currently retails its Kratos R electric motorcycle in the country. At the heart of the Kratos-R lies the patented 9kW ‘Axial Flux’ motor, boasting a peak torque of 38 Nm and an extraordinary 96% efficiency rating. Paired with an IP67 rated 4.0 kWh Li-ion battery pack, this powertrain combination is the secret behind the impressive IDC range of 180km.
Renowned for its trendsetting design and robust powertrain, the Kratos-R continues to stand tall as the premium urban motorcycle that excels in both performance, efficiency and handling. TORK Motors continues to push the boundaries of electric motorcycle innovation, making the Kratos R the ultimate choice for riders seeking not only eco-consciousness but also a thrilling and stylish riding experience.
The agreement designates LOHUM as TORK Motor’s preferred recycling partner to ensure that TORK motorcycle EV batteries are recycled sustainably under India’s BWMR requirements to produce battery raw materials with EPR certification.
