Delta is setting up plant in Tamil Nadu to make EV charging products
Delta India, a leading power and energy management company, is setting up a new facility in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, to manufacture wide range of EV charging solutions. The first phase of the new plant is expected to be operational by Q4 of 2020. “As of now, we are operating from our Rudrapur factory for the EV chargers and more than 100 chargers are made every month there. This is sufficient for us now. The new plant in Krishnagiri will help us move forward,” Akshaye Barbuddhe, Business Head, EV Charging Solutions, Delta India, said.
Delta, in India since 2003, is a 100% subsidiary of Delta Electronics (Thailand) PCL. The company operates in three business categories: Power Electronics, Automation and Infrastructure. It has three manufacturing facilities (Rudrapur in Uttarakhand, Gurugram and Hosur in Tamil Nadu), two R&D centres (Gurugram and Bengaluru), 12 regional offices, and more than 200 channel partners across India. With the support of its R&D and technical teams, Delta will manufacture and supply EV charging products that are specific to the Indian market.
“We have planned to increase the number of engineers in R&D to 2000 by 2025. This will be done in the Bangalore facility,” Barbuddhe said, Delta has established an E-Mobility Tech-Lab at its Gurugram premises to
create indigenous technology capability. It has also set up a platform where the compatibility of the charger with various e-vehicle models can be tested and the product quality and compliance can be achieved. The E-Mobility Tech-Lab comprises AC & DC EV chargers, electric vehicles, OCA certified Testing Tools, Charging Process Simulators, Load Simulators and Charge Point Operator software platform.
Witnessing a widespread adoption of its Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions in the country, the company is also encouraged by the government’s focus on driving energy efficiency in the automotive sector. Delta has associated with several prominent customers in this space like Maharashtra Mantralaya, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), NTPC, PowerGrid Corporation Delhi, SDMC Office, Gujarat Bhavan, Delhi, and the Union Ministry of Health.
“The first few years of our journey in India
was just theoretical. The practical work was started during the second half of last year. The EV has picked up good traction with many private investments, and a large push form the government. Last year, we created a small and medium-scale ecosystem. With this some States can take e-mobility as a complete solution. Our business development effort has been very niche, and we take an extra mile to create an ecosystem that builds a customised business model,” he said.
Delta has partnered with the electric vehicle startup, EV Motors, to install public charging stations: ‘PlugNGo’. EV Motors plans to introduce 6500 charging outlets over the next 5 years. Earlier this year, Delta launched Mumbai’s first DC Fast-Charger station at Maharashtra Mantralaya with a capacity of 15 kW. It has been developed on the Bharat EV specifications standard.
AS an OEM, the company has a good infrastructure and a pan India service presence. “Whatever we have done in Maharashtra was a part of the EESL initiative. We have a partial contract with them. We are working in multiple ecosystems and helping them with all technological products to set up own charging stations. Recently, we and our partner had a launch where they have set up a charging station at DLF Cyber City in Gurugram. Many of such ecosystems are backed by our technology and products. Besides these, we are working with OEMs in two-wheelers, three-wheelers, cars and busses. Even though the journey is slow we are working on it,” Barbuddhe said.
Delta has set up mostly DC fast chargers and a few AC chargers. He said that it was a baseless assumption that fast charging would affect the battery. The normal lead acid battery cannot cope with the fast charging and then the li-ion battery came in. As technologies develop there will be different solutions. Barbuddhe said their experience in working with the OEMs across the globe would help them bring out very good products. “This experience will bring satisfaction to the customers. On the technology aspect, we are adapting global technology in the local way. We have the scope to optimise cost and have a local approach to it as the customers are different in Europe and India. We have everything right from technology, manufacture to service assembly and much more. When we come out with a product, our global team would have started that 5-7 years earlier. So, we are futureready and ready for technology adoption. We are part of the global stuff and we develop the product for the Indian market. Our best part is having the global experience.”
Delta has a clear idea about battery swapping and considers it as a optimum way of pushing the e-mobility for a certain segment of two-and three-wheelers. The company is looking at this option and has the solution ready but has not converted it as a product yet. It may not be offered in the open market as the company is planning to partner with OEMs to bring this out. “We are working with few OEMs and we are also in touch with some infra OEMs, who intern work with the vehicle manufacturers,” he said.
Delta products are also ready to adopt green energy solutions and can be connected to any energy source. The company is also strengthening its manufacturing capabilities to offer EV DC Chargers up to 150kW and 350kW shortly. They will adhere to all local and international standards like CCS, CHAdeMO & GB/T. “EV is just in the initial phase. The market is shaping up with core generation. It will slowly take the urban areas first and then move to other areas,” Barbuddhe said.