Unique Indian Australian Partnership Delivering New E-Bike Opportunities
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TAV Systems is a unique company in the Australian bicycle industry landscape. Unlike the vast majority of industry members who either retail or wholesale fully imported bicycle products, TAV Systems’ core activities include R&D (research and development) and manufacturing.
The company was born through the connection of three young Indian engineering students at Flinders University, in Adelaide, South Australia. After graduating, Nithesh, Velmurugan (Vel) and Manimaran (Mani) were initially going to start a business in the aerospace industry. Hence the name TAV Systems which is short for “The Aerial Vehicle”. Their company was incorporated in April 2020.
However, they soon pivoted to e-bikes and in particular, e-bike drivetrains. TAV attracted support both from Flinders University and the South Australian Government under the Supporting Innovation in South Australia program.
They took advantage of their Flinders University connections to take up space at the university’s Innovation Centre, where I visited TAV in January 2024.
This was my first visit to this premises since I was in high school – back then it was the Chrysler motor car factory which was opened in 1964 and after changing mid-life to Mitsubishi, finally closed in 2008. It was nice to see a previously derelict industrial site reborn as a high tech innovation hub. TAV used this campus as a launching pad before recently relocating nearby.
Clearly Raphael, who was previously Manager of the Flinders Innovation Campus, was impressed by what he saw, because in early 2024 he joined the TAV team. Raphael and Nithesh reside in Adelaide where they take care of product development and Australian sales, while Vel and Mani are now in Chennai where they oversee the Indian manufacturing operations.
TAV’s mission statement is, “To redefine the micro-mobility powertrain technology with smart, innovative and connected technology.”
According to Nithesh, “Our goal is to manufacture products locally to raise the bar for Australian Manufacturing, building self-sufficiency in manufacturing which is critical to Australia’s economic future.”
In an Australian first, TAV raised a $1 million funding round in 2023 to fuel their R&D in mid-drive systems. Although in the long term TAV would like to do more manufacturing in Australia, it also allowed them to take the pragmatic step of establishing a manufacturing operation in Chennai, India, where production is now up and running to fulfil rapidly growing orders.
Multiple Product Offerings
Currently TAV has developed a mid-drive conversion kit for non-ebikes and e-bike displays that integrate with android phone apps. They also offer a customised development service for e-bike power trains, displays and e-bikes.
TAV Systems has developed a suite of innovative motor products for the micro-mobility industry.
In addition to these offerings, TAV provides a bespoke development service, creating customised e-bike powertrains, displays and complete ebike solutions tailored to the specific need of the niche market. TAV plans to expand its product range to provide end-to-end e-bike solutions to Australian e-bike brands and retailers.
Related to this strategy, TAV is building strategic partnerships with frame manufacturers, bicycle assemblers and micro-mobility companies in India and Australia. Through these strategic partnerships, TAV can support Australian eBike companies to make customised eBike and cargo bikes with different types of TAV mid-drive motor variants and batteries.
Currently, TAV supports Indian e-bike OEMs to export their e-bikes to the international market with TAV mid-drive motors including e-bikes, e-cargo bikes, and e-mountain bikes.
Recently, TAV has partnered with the University of New South Wales to develop a first-of-its-kind, high-torque, and high-power density electric motor for e-bikes. This collaboration has won a government grant to develop and commercialize the technology. This collaboration will leverage universities cutting edge research capabilities and TAV’s industry expertise to push the boundaries of local innovation. TAV is aiming to set new performance standards but also positions Australia as a hub for innovation in the rapidly growing micromobility industry globally.
Looking for Australian Partners
Nithesh, Co-Founder of TAV Systems emphasizes, “We’re passionate about creating micromobility technology and taking that to the global market which will showcase the strength of Australian home-grown innovation to the global market. McKinsey (a major global consultancy) projects that Micromobility is set to shape the future of transportation in metro cities, with the industry projected to reach $340 billion by 2030. TAV is set to disrupt and capitalise that opportunity using their Australian and Indian partnership.
“We invite Australian e-bike wholesalers and retailers to work with us in bringing this revolution to life, by taking our locally developed advancements to the Australian market and subsequently to the global markets.”
For more information please contact
contact@tavsystems.com.au
Mobile: +61 403 628 433 (Nithesh) & +61 426 297 977 (Raphael)
809-811 South Road, Clarence Gardens, South Australia 5039