Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL), India’s CNG distribution company, and Kinetic Green, a Pune based electric vehicle manufacturer, has launched first “Energy Café”- a battery swapping station designed under a strategic collaboration aimed at revolutionizing electric vehicle industry in India.
Under the alliance, IGL and Kinetic will roll out a deep network of battery swapping stations, starting with the Delhi region, where a range of electric three wheelers and electric two wheelers can avail battery swapping facility.
Battery swapping as a concept is gaining popularity and momentum in India’s transition to Electric vehicles, including a recent announcement being made by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the budget speech that a comprehensive battery swapping policy will be announced by the government shortly.
Battery swapping as a concept is designed to address some of the critical concerns and deterrents faced by the drivers towards owning and operating electric vehicles. Under battery swapping concept, EVs can be sold to customers without the lithium-ion battery and drivers can avail batteries on a “pay per use” concept by paying a small amount for “battery as a fuel”.
With this, the cost of the EV can be almost halved and brought, not just at par, but below price of ICE counterparts. Further, Range Anxiety is eliminated as drivers need not worry about range anymore and they can always swap their discharged battery for a charged one, like they used to fill fuel in their ICE vehicles, if they need to go longer distance.
Vehicle re-charging time is eliminated as battery swapping takes only 2 minutes and customers need not worry about charging batteries or even buying a new one in the future. Battery swapping stations can be set up at convenient locations, like fuel pumps, where customers can go for giving back the discharged batteries and swapping it for a fully charged one.
This technology is most suited for “light electric vehicles” like 2 wheelers and 3 wheelers, where batteries are light weight and smaller and thus can be easily swapped manually.
The user can effortlessly install Energy Café Mobile App on their phones, locate nearest battery swapping station, book batteries from available charged batteries, pay through digital payment gateway and swap it with discharged battery at any of the IGL gas stations, paying for only the amount of charge they consume.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. A.K. Jana, Managing Director, IGL said, “In line with our vision to become India’s leading clean energy solution provider we are happy to be part of another green revolution after CNG- by venturing into E-mobility segment by setting up battery swapping facilities in collaboration with Kinetic Green. The battery swapping solution that we unveil today will greatly spur e-mobility adoption.”