There is a need for battery swapping facilities to coexist with charging infrastructure to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in India, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, said on Friday.
Speaking at the consultation meeting on the ‘Development of Battery Charging and Swapping Infrastructure,” co-organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the minister said that the adoption of EVs, led by creation of charging infrastructure, should be “a people’s movement”.
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The Union Minister envisioned that all petrol pumps, CNG stations and similar facilities should be equipped with battery swapping and charging infrastructure.
“This would not only address the issue of vandalism currently affecting the sector but also ensure widespread availability of facilities without undue concentration in specific areas,” Goyal stressed.
The interaction was also attended by Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Steel, Bhupathi Raju Srinivasa Varma, Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Secretary, DPIIT and senior officials from various ministries.
The meeting was also attended by the leading industry representatives from automobile, battery, battery charging and battery swapping companies, like Amara Raja Advanced Cell Technologies, SUN Mobility, TVS Motor Company, Gorogo, Ather Energy, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, Hero MotoCorp and Bajaj Auto, among others.
Industry stakeholders highlighted that the battery swapping sector is projected to grow to $20 billion by 2030. They also emphasised the need for a level-playing field with fixed-battery EV manufacturers when it comes to subsidies and incentives.
It was noted that the industry has made technological advancements, such as using robotics to replace batteries in as little as 135 seconds.
While safety remains a concern, stakeholders emphasised the need for accountability and the establishment of well-defined standards by relevant authorities, such as the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
