India’s vendors want China tech for EV auto parts
NEWDELHI: Taking a cue from the domestic mobile phone industry, a group of automobile component makers visited China earlier this month to get acquainted with the technology related to electric vehicles.
The group of 10-12 tier-one automotive component manufacturers and representatives of its lobby group Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA) met executives of Chinese companies such as Beijing Dynamic Power Co. Ltd, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd (CATL) and BYD Auto Co. Ltd to get access to electric mobility technologies through joint ventures or any other form of partnership, said two people with direct knowledge of the development.
The group also visited an electric vehicle show in Guangzhou. This is the first time a group of Indian automobile part manufacturers has visited China for technology related to automobiles. The Indian automobile market is predominantly Japanese-dominated and most Indian component makers have imbibed technological innovations brought by Japanese OEMs (original equipment manufacturers).
The Indian team comprised executives from Lucas TVS Ltd, Minda Industries Ltd, NRB Bearings Ltd, Wabco India Ltd, Tata AutoComp Systems Ltd, Sterling Tools Ltd, Alicon Castalloy Ltd, JBM Auto Ltd, Denso, J.K. Fenner India Ltd and Anand Automotive Systems Ltd.
Their main purpose was to get access to technologies for charging infrastructure, lithium-ion batteries and power electronics.
The executives first met their counterparts from Beijing Dynamic Power, which makes inverters, UPS and DC power systems. They also met executives from CATL, which specializes in manufacturing lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. Subsequently, a meeting with top executives from BYD Auto—one of China’s biggest electric vehicle makers—was also held at its headquarters at Shenzhen.
Most of the component makers are looking to invest in manufacturing charging stations, electric motors and lithium-ion batteries in the long term.