The Indian government has been able to create a low-cost charging system for electric two and three-wheelers, in partnership with manufacturers of electric vehicles and charging systems, which is expected to further push adoption of such vehicles in the coming years. The Department of Science and Technology (DST), as well as the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Government of India, have been working on this initiative in close collaboration with the NITI Aayog team. The Bureau of Indian Standards will ratify the new standards for this new low-cost charging infrastructure.
For a global breakthrough in affordable electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the EV group has set a target price of less than Rs. 3,500 for a smart AC charge point that can be powered with a smartphone. The standard’s rapid growth, close collaboration between industry and government, and through testing and validation have all been successful. Up to 3 kW of power can be drawn from this Low-Cost AC ChargePoint (LAC) to charge e-Scooters and e-Autorickshaws. The user’s smartphone communicates with the LAC through low-power Bluetooth and connects to a back-end system that allows for transaction payment and analytics.
“To reduce vehicular emissions and oil imports, the government has urged vehicle manufacturers to develop and produce electric vehicles. Through the second step of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing Electric and Hybrid Vehicle (FAME) scheme, the union government has also been incentivizing the purchasing of such vehicles. The union government has been concentrating on encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles in the two- and three-wheeler segments, where the price gap has narrowed” said Rajiv Kumar, Vice chairman of NITI Aayog
Due to regulatory changes, the two-wheeler industry has seen significant price inflation. Between January 2021 and April 2018, the customer’s expense increased by 25%. Simultaneously, the cost of a lithium-ion battery continues to fall sharply, with an estimated 24 percent drop during the same time span. The team’s efforts to improve the LAC Charging standard for the light electric vehicle market have been accelerated due to the focus on charging points rather than expensive charging stations.
“Several Indian manufacturers have already expressed interest in producing this charge point device by Indian standards, with target prices as low as Rs. 3500. The LAC system is designed to be highly versatile and deployable in any location with a 220V 15A single-phase line mostly metro and railway station parking lots, shopping malls, hospitals, office complexes, homes, and even Kirana and other shops”, added Rajiv Kumar.
Because of a lack of demand, local automakers have been slow to develop electric vehicles and parts. Many who have jumped in, depend primarily on low-cost imports, which have exacerbated concerns about poor quality. Several firms, both domestic and international, have hundreds of projects in the works. In Gujarat, Tata plans to construct a USD 54 million lithium-ion production plant. Toshiba-Denzo-Suzuki has opened a factory in Gujarat, India’s westernmost state, to produce lithium-ion batteries for Maruti Suzuki and Suzuki motor plants. Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently revealed plans to construct an electric vehicle factory in southern India.
