The first battery swapping facility – called as Quick Interchange Station (QIS) – was recently inaugurated at an Indian Oil retail outlet in Chandigarh; 20 more stations will follow under the pilot project.
India’s leading fuel retailer Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is foraying into EV charging services in its existing network of fuel stations. The company has partnered with Sun Mobility for establishing battery swapping infrastructure, called as Quick Interchange Station (QIS), for electric vehicles. It has signed a non-binding strategic cooperation document to work on different areas of energy infrastructure through battery swapping model for EVs across the country.
On June 26, ICO launched its first QIS as a pilot project at one of its fuel outlet in Chandigarh. Users can drive in into the dispensing facility and swap a discharged battery for a fully charged one in just a couple of minutes. The QIS has a capacity for 14 batteries, and is equipped with a touch screen for swapping preloaded cards and an electricity sub-meter.
IOC’s chairman Sanjiv Singh has said, as quoted in The Hindu, that battery swapping technology offers the best alternative to slow charging and helps the drivers make optimum use of the operational hours. The latest initiative is initially targeted at commercial vehicles such as electric autos, e-rickshaws and electric two-wheelers that are either factory fitted or retrofitted with swappable battery systems, he added.
“We are developing sustainable models of renewable energy, and taken many initiatives like the introduction of BS-VI fuels, spreading the network of CNG and PNG stations, making available LPG to a majority of the population, targeting 20 percent ethanol blending, producing biodiesel from used cooking oil, and widespread use of solar energy for mobility purposes”, said Sanjiv Singh.
“As India emerges from the lock-down, the focus should be on creating a conducive, collaborative EV ecosystem to make e-mobility take off in the country. IOCL’s extensive footprint – as the largest oil and gas corporation – will ensure that battery swapping infrastructure is accessible to customers at the same scale and ease as conventional vehicles,” said Chetan Maini, co-founder and vice-chairman, Sun Mobilty.
IOC is planning to gradually scale up the QIS facilities to 20 more stations in select cities. Three more facilities in Chandigarh, Amritsar, and Bengaluru will be set up in the immediate future, while New Delhi, Gurugram, and other major cities will also be covered under the pilot project, as per The Hindu’s news report.
