Niti Aayog’s draft battery swapping policy
Date: 23 April 2022 Tags: MiscellaneousIssue
A draft battery swapping policy has been prepared by Government policy think-tank Niti Aayog.
Background
The proposal includes incentivizing electric vehicles (EVs) with swappable batteries and extending subsidies to companies manufacturing swappable batteries.
Details
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The battery swap policy is said to reduce upfront costs of purchasing EVs and drive adoption among buyers.
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The policy has been primarily focused for battery swapping systems used in electric scooters and three-wheeler electric rickshaws.
Battery swapping
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Battery swapping process involves exchanging discharged batteries for charged ones.
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This allows the vehicle to be operational continuously without waiting for recharging process.
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Currently, the process is being used for smaller electric vehicles such as bikes and e-rickshaws as swapping batteries of four wheelers and buses is complicated.
Key proposals
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GST council should consider reducing tax rates on Lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicle supply equipment.
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The policy aims to provide same incentives of vehicle with fixed batteries to those with swappable batteries.
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Signing of contacts between EV users and battery providers to ensure they continue to provide battery swapping services after subsidy is received.
Infrastructure
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State governments should allow setting up public battery charging stations at various locations with concessions on tariffs.
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State transport department should ensure registration processes for vehicles sold without batteries or for vehicles with battery swapping functionality.
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To track and monitor swappable batteries, a unique identification number (UIN) should be assigned to the batteries.
Challenges for swapping model
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There should be interoperability between EVs and batteries
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Tracking health and performance of batteries to prevent fire incidents
Safety of EVs
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A rigorous testing protocol will be adopted to ensure a high level of protection at the electrical interface.
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A certified battery management system has to be checked and adopted to monitor batter function.
Adoption
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The policy will first be implemented in all metropolitan cities with a population of more than 40 lakh in the first phase.
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In the second phase, state capitals with a population greater than 5 lakh will be covered.