Lok Sabha Question No. 132 (STARRED), answered on 2023-12-12
Subject: Battery Technology for EV Industry
Ministry: HEAVY INDUSTRIES
Asked by: Shyam Yadav Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEAVY INDUSTRIES

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 132 ANSWERED ON 12.12.2023

## BATTERY TECHNOLOGY FOR EV INDUSTRY

## *132. SHRI SHYAM SINGH YADAV:

Will the Minister of HEAVY INDUSTRIES भारी उद्योग मं त्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken initiatives to improve battery technology and eradicate the challenges and adoption barriers for the Electric Vehicle (EV) industry;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government has made any PublicPrivate Partnerships (PPP) in the FY 202223 to improve the infrastructure for public EV-charging stations of four wheelers:
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (e) whether the Government has developed Battery Swapping Policy for increased efficiency in the EV eco-system; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEAVY INDUSTRIES (DR. MAHENDRA NATH PANDEY)

- (a) to (f): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (F) OF LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  No.  132  FOR  12.12.2023  ASKED  by  SHRI  SHYAM  SINGH YADAV REGARDING 'BATTERY TECHNOLOGY FOR EV INDUSTRY'.

(a) & (b): Yes, Sir.  In order to improve battery technologies and to eradicate the challenges and adoption barriers for the Electric Vehicles industry, the Government of India on 12 th  May, 2021 approved and introduced the PLI scheme, 'National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery storage' (PLI ACC) for implementation of Giga-scale ACC manufacturing facilities in India.  ACCs are the new generation advance energy storage technologies that can store electric energy either as Electro-Chemical or as Chemical Energy and convert it back to electric energy, as and when required.  The PLI ACC scheme is technology agnostic.   The scheme envisages establishing ACC battery manufacturing setup in the country for a total capacity of 50 GWh, with a budgetary outlay of Rs. 18,100 Crore.

(c) & (d): Setting up of EV PCS is an unlicensed activity and therefore, Government has not made any Public-Private-Partnerships (PPP).  With reference to the provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003, it has been clarified that during the activity of charging of battery for use in electric vehicles,  the  charging  station  does  not  perform  any  of  the  activities  namely  transmission, distribution or trading of electricity, which require license under the provisions of the Act.  Thus, the charging of batteries of electric vehicles through charging station does not require any license under the provisions of Electricity Act, 2003.

In order to improve the infrastructure for public EV-charging stations of four wheelers, Ministry has sanctioned Rs. 800 Cr. as capital subsidy to the three Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) under  Ministry  of  Petroleum  and  Natural  Gas  (MoPNG)  for  establishment  of  7,432 electric vehicle public charging stations.  In addition to this, the total number of EV PCS already running in the country as per EV yatra portal is 11,902 as on 06.12.2023.

Further, Ministry of Power has issued revised consolidated Guidelines & Standards for the Charging  Infrastructure  for  Electric  Vehicles  on  14.01.2022  (amended  on  07.11.2022  and 27.04.2023). The details may be seen at the website of Ministry of Power (https://evyatra.beeindia.gov.in/central-govt-initiative-details/amendment-in-revisedconsolidated-guidelines/).

(e) & (f): NITI Aayog has prepared the draft Battery Swapping Policy.  The battery swapping is an alternative which involves exchanging discharged batteries for charged ones and provides flexibility  to  charge  them  separately.    This  de-links  charging  and  battery  usage  and  keeps  the vehicle in operational mode with negligible downtime. Battery swapping is generally used for smaller vehicles such as 2Ws and 3Ws with smaller batteries that are easier to swap, compared to 4 wheelers.  The details of draft Battery Swapping Policy may be seen at the website of NITI Aayog[https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2022-

04/20220420\_Battery\_Swapping\_Policy\_Draft.pdf].

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