Battery-swap policy to push EV adoption in public fleet

A government policy for battery swapping is seen giving a boost to the domestic electric vehicle (EV) industry, especially on the public transport front, as it will provide an affordable solution to the issue of charging range anxiety.

In her Budget speech on Tuesday, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government will introduce a policy for battery swapping. Industry stakeholders said the policy will help develop the infrastructure needed to make EVs mainstream and improve their use-case, especially in the public transport and goods delivery segments.

Having more electric vehicles on the roads is an important part of the government's plan to reduce carbon emissions from transport. "Battery swapping technology addresses key challenges around upfront cost, range anxiety and long charging time, enabling faster adoption of EVs," said Chetan Maini, chairman of Sun Mobility, which is one of the first companies to develop battery-swapping technology in India.