Niti Aayog brings out draft battery swapping policy
NEW DELHI: Government think tank Niti Aayog on Thursday came out with a draft battery swapping policy for electric vehicles and suggested incentives as well as a rigorous testing protocol for swappable batteries.
The draft policy also comes at a time when there are rising concerns over safety issues around electric vehicles in the wake of multiple instances of such vehicles catching fire.
The Aayog in its draft policy said that all major cities such as state capitals, UT headquarters and cities with population above five lakh will be covered under the second phase, given the importance of the twowheeler and three-wheeler vehicle segments in growing cities across India.
The policy sought a level playing field across business models involving the sale of EVs with fixed or swappable batteries. It proposed that demand side incentives offered under existing or new schemes for EV purchase can be made available to EVs with swappable batteries eligible under this policy.
“The size of the incentive could be determined based on the kWh rating of the battery and compatible EV,” it suggested. As per the draft policy, an appropriate multiplier may be applied to the subsidy allocated to battery providers to account for the float battery need for swapping stations.
It is also proposed that a seamless mechanism for the disbursement of subsidies shall be worked out by the ministry or department concerned.
To ensure a high level of protection at the electrical interface, the Aayog proposed that a robust/rigorous testing protocol shall be adopted. Battery management system (BMS) of the battery must be self-certified and open for testing to check its compatibility with various systems, and capability to meet safety requirements, it said.
The draft pointed out that as per the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, the tax rates on lithium-ion batteries and Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) are 18% and 5%, respectively. “The GST Council, the decision making body on GST provisions, may consider reducing the differential across the two tax rates,” it suggested.
The policy also proposes to assign a Unique Identification Number(UIN) at the manufacturing stage for tracking and monitoring EV batteries.