This Startup is Developing New Batteries for the Entire EV Industry
Ipower manufactures Lithium-Ion Batteries using best-in-class NMC and LFP cells. The company has developed in-house BMS software for providing IoT solutions and remote control features. Ipower Batteries’ innovative Lithium-Ion solutions to the Smart Electric Mobility segment are marked with advanced tracking, geo-fencing and battery immobilization, remote monitoring & control features. Powering electric mobility with evolving energy storage solutions – Ipower is one of India’s most promising names in the green energy segment. With all the necessary compliances, resources and a highly dependable team, Ipower is equipped to build a greener tomorrow. During an interaction with Nitisha; Vikas Aggarwal, Founder & MD, Ipower Batteries Pvt Ltd talks about lithium batteries and his future plans to make batteries for all types of electric vehicles.
Kindly elaborate on Ipower Batteries and their special offerings.
Ipower is known for its tailormade batteries. Whatever design/dimension/capacity our OEMs want, we deliver those. We ensure the quality of the product. From batteries for electric scooters to electric 3-wheeler, from energy storage solutions to solar batteries, we have everything that the industry needs.
There are many players in this industry but what makes us apart is the in-house BMS and the IoT platform via which we keep an eye on every battery in the market and on the road. With the in-house BMS and IoT solution, we are offering smart batteries that are the needs of the hour, and the same is asked by the Government of India under the AIS 156 Amendment.
The Government wants India to be a 100%, electric vehicle nation by the year 2030. What is your take on it and how it can be achieved? Share your views.
India will achieve the goal of 100% EV, sooner or later. Only electric vehicles can drive India to its ultimate goal of Net Zero. 2030 is going to play a very important role. If we see what target India had for 2030, it’s pretty achievable. 30% of private cars, 70% of commercial vehicles, and 80% of two and three-wheelers to be electric by 2030, and seeing how India did in 2022, these numbers are achievable. Seeing how our OEMs are going forward, I am confident that we will achieve this target.
Still, the market is driven by the subsidies provided by the government, but we need the synergy between the EV manufacturers and the general public so that this market can become self-sustainable, without any support or interference from the government.
What kind of challenges Indian automotive industry is facing to adopt Electric vehicles?
One of the biggest challenges that the market is facing as of now is the lack of charging stations. Other than that almost everything is sorted in the market. Now we have financing solutions to finance the EVs, we have smart batteries and on to that now the market is bringing smart chargers. But the public charging stations are the only missing element. Government and various private organizations are working to fill this gap and I am confident by 2030, India will have everything that is needed in the clean mobility ecosystem.
EV chargers have been considered a major issue of EV adoption. According to you, what initiatives should be taken by industry leaders and the government?
See the market is new, 2022 was the year of validation and acceptance, and 2023 will be phase 1 of the market. Yes, EV charging stations play a major role in EV adoption but I would like to highlight that Government and EV charging manufacturers are doing all of the things that are needed to fill this gap. If you will see the rise in the number of public EV charging stations, it’s almost 4X. To promote this further, DISCOMS can develop some sort of incentives.
Kindly throw some light on the Battery swapping policy.
To understand the battery swapping policy, first, we have to understand why it is needed. One of the major reasons for having a battery swapping policy is the rate of battery charging and the price of batteries. Lithium batteries take time to charge. Unlike ICE vehicles where you can fill up the tank in just 2-3 minutes, EV batteries take a good amount of 3-4 hours to charge. But with a battery swapping station, you can exchange your discharged battery with a charged battery in minutes.
Battery swapping solves two major problems, first charging time and second range anxiety. If you are looking for a long drive, and your battery is running out of power, just swap it.
Is there any new product you are planning to launch in the coming months?
Yes, we are currently working on AIS 156 certified batteries. These are the new range of batteries based on the parameters set by the government of India. We were the first to not only accept this initiative of GoI but to start working on the same. From slow speed electric scooters to high speed electric scooters, from e-rickshaw to loader, we are developing new batteries for the entire EV industry.
How the year 2021-22 in terms of business and what was will be your future marketing strategies for the growth of the company?
2022 was a great year but in the end when AIS 156 came, it changed the entire game, the entire ecosystem. Only those can survive the AIS 156 Amendment who have the capability and resources to manufacture the entire battery in-house like us. We accepted that this is it, this is the new way and we have to do it. We are very fortunate that our OEMs believed in our capabilities and we delivered. In 2023, we are engaged in manufacturing safe and reliable batteries as per the AIS 156 Amendments. The safety of the electric scooter is our primary task and we are committed to it.
