Boosting EV Growth in India with Energy Storage Solutions

1. Accelerating EV Growth with Energy Storage Solutions in India India is steadily increasing its move towards e Mobility adoption with electric 2 wheelers and 3 wheelers leading the transition towards sustainable mobility. Pace of electrification for 4 Wheelers, Buses and Trucks is also expected to rapidly increase supported by facilitative EV policy, increased product availability and rapid increase in charging infrastructure. Easily accessible and robust electric vehicle charging network will play an important role in the mass transition towards e mobility. With automotive manufacturers focussing on both increase in both Battery size as well as energy density to help provide longer range and address range anxiety the power requirement to charge a electric vehicle is increasing. Considering the anticipated rise in the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the roads, both policymakers and utilities are placing a greater emphasis on evaluating scale up and improving grid efficiency to cope with the added demand for electricity during peak times from EV charging. While there is need to upgrade and enhance transmission and distribution systems there is also definite need for investing in generation capacity to meet additional power requirement for charging EV’s specially during peak demand times highlighting need for a robust and expansive energy storage network. To help reduce reliance on Fossil fuels and meet its growing energy requirements India has set an ambitious renewable energy target of achieving 500 GW from non-fossil sources by 2030. India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) has estimated that India will need at least 160 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of energy storage capacity by 2030 to meet its renewable energy goals. Energy storage will play a vital role in helping scale EV charging infrastructure because it can be strategically coordinated with scale up of EV charging infrastructure. Energy storage systems can also help increase charging capacity by storing excess electricity when demand is low and releasing it when demand is high thereby avoiding overloading the grid and reducing need for costly grid upgrades. Technological advancements like Vehicle to Grid can also help minimise reliance on grid by using vehicle batteries as power source that store energy when demand charges are low and give back to the grid when demand charges are higher thereby helping save energy bills for users. Energy storage systems offer a direct solution to address the challenges associated with the future of EV infrastructure in the country and are crucial for addressing several issues, including charging time and range anxiety concerns and strengthening the overall EV infrastructure in India while benefiting users though faster charging rates and reduced energy costs.