The Department of Science and Technology (DST) hosted a workshop to assess the research and development needs of the country’s electric vehicles (EV) and to build the EV road. The discussion also looked at how to achieve the government’s goal of electric vehicles making up 30% of all vehicles sold by 2030.
The all-day event attracted nearly 200 professionals and participants from the services, research institutes, academia and industry. They talked about how important it is to develop capacity in key EV sub-systems including batteries, motors, and power. Akhilesh Gupta, senior adviser to the Ministry of Science and Technology, has announced India’s desire for neutrality by 2070. One of them is transportation, and he believes switching to electric vehicles and raw hydrogen will be critical.
According to a government news report, the country needs a comprehensive technology program, which includes the development of appropriate battery technologies, such as solid-state batteries, that can withstand high temperatures in tropical areas. In addition, given the variety of tasks to be performed and the need to adapt to management systems, research programs should be classified as special purpose vehicles that can interact with industry and educational institutions.
The technician inspected the electrical systems under the electric car battery, as well as for assembling and manufacturing processes, to ensure that the battery systems were safe and did not pose a fire threat. He also outlined the immediate steps to be taken to build high-quality, reliable battery packs.
A professor from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras (IIT-Madras) described the roadmap for the development of the EV technology component in India, starting with basic research and moving forward through applied research, engineering, and industry. The professor added that India’s diversity of EV platforms and models allows for collaboration at all levels and the development of critical technical skills.
DST has been pushing for electricity transmission over the past few years with support, efforts, and affordable infrastructure. According to a DST spokesman, the agency helped develop India’s set of standards for India’s EV charging infrastructure. Released draft specifications of the Battery-as-a-Service model (also known as battery swapping) for lightweight electric vehicles such as motorcycles and autorickshaws..
The FAME-II program (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) was launched by government in 2019. The current effort aims to increase the use of electric vehicles, especially in public transport and sharing. The goal is to provide support for approximately 7,000 electric buses, 500,000 electric wheels, four-wheeled electric vehicles, and two million electric wheels. EVs have begun to enter the Indian market due to the huge increase in public EV charging infrastructure, which has been achieved through public and private participation.
The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog), a national tank, published a draft plan for Indian Railways to suspend EV charging stations at stations across the country in January. According to OpenGov Asia, the policy framework highlights the use of renewable energy in charging stations, in line with Indian Railways’ carbon-neutral policy for the next eight years. Railway stations are iconic landmarks that play a role in the transportation industry, making them ideal public charging stations.