EV Battery Swapping Policy To Be Redrafted As Industry Raises Interoperability Concerns
- In April of last year, NITI Aayog released a draught EV battery-swapping strategy in order to boost the battery-swapping ecosystem and improve the efficiency of electric two- and three-wheelers.
- Along with recommendations such as a subsidy scheme for battery providers and a reduction in the GST tax bracket for batteries, the proposed policy also emphasized standards in the battery domain and promoted interoperability.
- There is no word on how long the government will take to present a new draught bill governing EV battery exchange.
The Indian government’s draught battery swapping policy for electric cars (EVs), introduced last year, is being redrafted due to industry concerns about proposed rules for battery interoperability, according to numerous individuals familiar with the matter.
The government introduced the proposed EV battery swapping policy think tank NITI Aayog in April of last year. The policy aims to increase the efficiency of electric two- and three-wheelers by strengthening the battery-swapping ecosystem.
Along with recommendations such as the implementation of a subsidy system for battery providers and a reduction in the GST tax bracket for batteries, the draught policy also emphasized standardization and interoperability in the battery industry.
“In a closed-door meeting held in January this year, which was chaired by union minister Piyush Goyal, it was decided to scrap the draft policy on the back of industry players’ demand, given the bill assumed there would be standardization of batteries so that they become interoperable. The proposal was too far-fetched for the sector. It has not happened anywhere in the world,” said a source with knowledge of the matter, requesting anonymity.
The biggest issue in this area, according to the individual, is that battery-swapping technology is still in its early stages and will improve in the next years, making it hard to adopt a battery-standardizing approach at this time.
Mint was the first to report on the development.
There is no word on how long it will take the government to introduce a new draught bill governing EV battery exchange.
Proposal and Obstacles
Interoperability is the interoperability of fixed or swappable EV batteries with various EV models.
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