Exclusive: How Mobile Fast-Charging Can Revolutionize Electric Vehicle Industry In India?

Equipped with DC fast chargers, portable charging stations mainly cater to the commercial sectors, such as fleet operators and EV distribution centres.

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The last five years have been a tremendous journey for the Indian Electric Vehicle (EV) industry with the EV sales experiencing the highest numbers alongside the highest adoption rate of 4% in 2022 alone. With the evolving industry and supportive government policies, we witnessed several innovative industry breakthroughs, one being ‘fast charging.' Since 2021, fast-charging technology has emerged as a potential alternative to address pertinent challenges, especially range anxiety. The advanced technology, when combined with favourable cell chemistry like Lithium Titanate (LTO) or Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP), will become a vital part of the ongoing EV revolution in India.

Need for Fast Charging of EVs in India

In the current scenario, slow chargers are barriers to optimal usage as they remain engaged for a long time. In turn, it blocks the real estate and reduces the throughput for the Charge Point Operators (CPOs). People transitioning to EVs and potential buyers look for quick recharge options which they would have received at fuel station services, had they been with their Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) vehicles. So, enabling fast charging within minutes across vehicle platforms (2W, 3W, and 4W) is the need of the hour. 

While fast charging has been able to solve one of the most significant challenges faced by EV buyers such as vehicle uptime, there’s still a dearth of fast chargers across the nation. This not only makes optimum utilization of these chargers difficult but there also rises another need for EV users, mobile fast charging. It is a charge-on-demand option for EV users which helps save time, electricity costs, and most important, fast charging on the go. Equipped with DC fast chargers, these portable charging stations mainly cater to the commercial sectors, such as fleet operators and EV distribution centres.

Mobile EV fast charging to revolutionize the industry

In India, there are many budding startups offering Charging as a Service (CaaS) that enables riders with instant charging solutions through mobile fast chargers. However, there’s a catch that needs to be addressed – the compatibility of the DC chargers. Few companies have tried to come up with customized mobile electric charging solutions, thus, promoting the concept of green EVs.

The business model when utilized to its optimum potential will not only provide on-demand charging facilities that save time but also reduce the pressure on the electric grid, becoming the backbone of the entire ecosystem. However, we still need to go a long way in creating a connected ecosystem for the technology to deliver the maximum results.

For example, to ensure mass adoption of fast charging technologies (or mobile fast chargers), battery manufacturers in the country must develop battery packs that are fast-chargeable with minimum or no cycle life degradation. The EV batteries should be designed bespoke for Indian climatic conditions and must have efficient thermal management systems, battery management systems, and cooling systems. Moreover, compatibility with fast chargers should be a point of consideration from choosing the cell chemistry to the cell balancing stage, which ensures minimal impact on the cycle life of the EV batteries.

In a nutshell

Undoubtedly, mobile fast charging could be the next big thing in the EV industry to boost the adoption rate and push towards increased energy efficiency in the mobility sector. However, we need indigenous battery technologies to be leveraged for compatible batteries for these portable DC fast chargers. As we look forward to an EV revolution in the country, all the aspects need to work in tandem to make India a global hub for electric vehicles.

This article is authored by Pankaj Sharma, Co-Founder & Director, Log9 Materials.