Economics
Cheaper after two trips. Lasting for months.
Every number behind the pitch, with every input on a slider. We chose worst-case assumptions on purpose, so the answer holds up when a real truck is cold and dark.
What a pallet costs over its life
Cumulative cost per pallet. The green line is T.R.A.C.T.: it climbs every trip, and steps up when the battery kit is replaced.
Horizontal axis: number of trips. Amber dots mark the battery-kit replacements.
Pays for itself
trip 2
vs Elitech, trip 1 vs Tive
After 20 trips
₹20,962
₹1,048 per trip on average
Saved vs Elitech
₹1,63,038
89% less
How long the battery lasts, in the worst case
Cold, in the dark, with real-board leakage and the cell losing charge by itself. In daily sun the solar lid does the rest.
One charge lasts
16 days
111.9 mAh a day, from a 1792 mAh usable cell
In daily sun
4.2×
the solar lid out-earns the Tag's use
- Always-on floor2.3 mAh/day
- Sensing and signing4.3 mAh/day
- 4G uploads100.0 mAh/day
- Cell self-discharge5.3 mAh/day
Defaults reproduce the deck: about 16 days on its own 4G and 135 days through the Hub. The always-on floor is the datasheet sleep currents of the 13 parts, ×5 for real-board leakage.
Against what is on sale in India
Indian retail prices, September 2026.
| T.R.A.C.T. |  4G single-use |  Solo 5G | USB logger | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reusable | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Live upload | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Measures ethylene | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Record can't be edited | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Anyone can verify it | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Price | ₹8.5k once | ₹9.2k a trip | ₹12k a trip | ₹2.6k |
What it is made of, and what it costs
Every part is a stock component sold in India. About 22% of the total is still our estimate rather than a shop price.
The Tag (per pallet)
ESP32-S3 brain, secure chip, sensors, 4G + LoRa, solar
₹8,547
- BrainESP32-S3-WROOM-1 (16 MB)shop price₹407
- Signing chipATECC608B (pre-provisioned)shop price₹96
- Air temperature and humiditySensirion SHT45shop price₹905
- Ripening-gas sensorBosch BME688shop price₹1,409
- Fruit probePT1000 stainless-steel probeshop price₹171
- Probe converterMAX31865shop price₹516
- Shock and tiltST LIS2DH12estimate₹60
- Box-opened light sensorTI OPT3001shop price₹374
- Lid sensorTI DRV5032 Hall + magnetestimate₹80
- 4G modem (cell-tower location)Quectel EC200U-CNACshop price₹755
- LoRa radio to the HubEbyte E22-900M22Sestimate₹650
- AntennasLTE and 865 MHz flex antennasestimate₹150
- Offline logWinbond W25Q128 (16 MB flash)estimate₹60
- Solar chargerTI BQ25570 moduleestimate₹700
- Heat harvesterLTC3108 moduleestimate₹1,000
- Thermoelectric generatorSP1848-27145shop price₹242
- Solar panel6 V 1.1 W, 99 × 69 mmshop price₹92
- Battery18650 3350 mAh + holdershop price₹229
- CaseIP65 ABS box with O-ringshop price₹295
- SealingIP68 cable gland + breather ventshop price₹31
- Board protectionAcrylic conformal coating (share of a can)shop price₹25
- Circuit board and small parts2-layer PCB, regulator, switches, R/Cestimate₹300
The Hub (per truck)
Roof antennas, ethylene cell, truck power
₹18,148
- BrainESP32-S3-WROOM-1 (16 MB)shop price₹407
- 4G and GPSQuectel EC200U-CNshop price₹1,400
- Long-range radio (1 W)Ebyte E22-900M30Sestimate₹1,200
- Ethylene cell (ppm)Winsen ME3-C2H4, 0–100 ppmshop price₹13,216
- Ethylene read-outTI LMP91000estimate₹350
- Truck powerBuck converter + surge protectionestimate₹80
- Roof antenna4G + GPS combo, SMAestimate₹900
- CaseIP65 ABS box with glandsshop price₹295
- Circuit board and small parts2-layer PCB, regulator, R/Cestimate₹300