Reliance eyes EV ecosystem, displays batteries, charging station
Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is set to disrupt India’s fledgling market for electric vehicle chargers by launching its own range of EV chargers and removable batteries. The company expects that battery swapping will help reduce the upfront and operating costs of electric vehicles, crucial for its widespread adoption in India, one of the world’s largest automobile markets.
The Mukesh Ambani-led conglomerate is looking to tap into the entire ecosystem of EVs ranging from cells and batteries to charging and battery swapping as it seeks to “democratize EVs and make them more affordable,” a company executive said requesting anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
As part of the plan, RIL has developed a removable lithium-ion battery that can power an electric scooter, electric three-wheeler and a light commercial vehicle, besides lighting up homes during a power outage. The batteries can be changed at RIL's battery swapping stations or re-charged by households using rooftop solar panels, which it also plans to sell.
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The company is demonstrating the integrated energy ecosystem — the battery technology in an electric two-wheeler, swappable battery and charging station that is capable of charging the batteries using both solar power and electricity at the Renewable Energy India Expo, the two-day show that begins in Delhi on Thursday.
This is the first time RIL is showcasing its own battery in an e-scooter designed and developed for the purpose and the way it will function in an integrated eco-system. It highlights how the company’s ambitious $10 billon strategy for the New Energy business will pan out, said a
