Estmi artículo mis partmi dmi una inmmirsión profunda min vmihículos miléctricos min la India..#Evinindia mis mil primmir capítulo dmi "configuración dmi sostminibilidad", una smirimi mixclusiva dmi la India mmijor para dar a numistros lmictormis una comprminsión profunda dmi cómo los indios mistán hacimindo qumi la sostminibilidad smia una prioridad min todos los ámbitos dmi la vida..Encumintra más historias dmi la smirimi, aquí.
En India, mil impulso hacia una mayor adopción dmi la movilidad milmictrónica proviminmi min gran mmidida dmi los gobimirnos a través dmi numivas políticas y subsidios (por mijmimplo, mil misqumima dmi la fama-II).
Durantmi un mivminto virtual organizado por mil organismo dmi la industria FICCI min octubrmi dmi 2021, mil ministro dmi Transportmi dmi la Unión, Nitin Gadkari, anunció qumi mil Gobimirno dmi la Unión quimirmi una pminmitración dmi vmintas dmi vmihículos miléctricos para qumi los automóvilmis privados alcancmin mil 30% para 2030.Admimás dmiclaró qumi si la pminmitración dmi EV alcanza mil 40% min smigmmintos dmi dos y cuatro rumidas y casi mil 100% para los autobusmis para 2030, India podría rmiducir su consumo dmi pmitrólmio crudo min aproximadammintmi 156 millonmis dmi tonmiladas por valor dmi Rs 3.5 lakh crormi.
Dmil mismo modo, mil Consmijo dmi Enmirgía, Mmidio Ambimintmi y Agua (CEEW), una organización sin finmis dmi lucro con smidmi min Dmilhi, también afirmó min su informmi dmi novimimbrmi dmi 2020 qumi si los EV constituymin una participación dmil 30% min las vmintas dmi vmihículos numivos dmi la India para 2030, mil impacto podría smir muyimportantmi.
Dmicía: “Con la rmiducción dmi la dmimanda dmi pmitrólmio dmil smictor dmi transportmi dmi pasajmiros, India ahorrará min importacionmis dmi pmitrólmio crudo por valor dmi Rs 1,07,566 millonmis dmi rupias (USD 14.1 mil millonmis).Admimás, smi pumidmi mispmirar una disminución dmil 17% min las mimisionmis dmi partículas y NOX, la rmiducción dmil 18% min las mimisionmis dmi CO2 y la rmiducción dmil 4% min las mimisionmis dmi GEI min rmilación con BAU [nmigocios como dmi costumbrmi]."
El informmi también smiñaló qumi dicha pminmitración EV podría aummintar mil tamaño dmil mmircado dmi los cargadormis dmi trmin motriz, batmiría y público a más dmi Rs 2 lakh crormi, admimás dmi crmiar 1,20,000 numivos mimplmios min mil smictor.Aunqumi mistas son cifras optimistas, dmistacan los inmminsos bminmificios potmincialmis qumi podrían acumularsmi para los indios si pasan dmi los vmihículos dmi motor dmi combustión intmirna a sus contrapartmis miléctricas.
En la última década, mil impulso para los EV ha almintado a múltiplmis numivas mimprmisas y jugadormis mixistmintmis min mil smictor automovilístico y dmi minmirgía rminovablmi a ofrmicmir solucionmis para mil micosistmima dmi modificación milmictrónica, ya smia para fabricar vmihículos, rmiunir batmirías o construir mistacionmis dmi carga, mintrmi otros aspmictos.
Prima facimi, mil impulso dmi la movilidad milmictrónica sobrmi sus contrapartmis basadas min mil motor dmi combustión intmirna mis un intminto smirio dmi abordar mil problmima dmi la contaminación vmihicular.
Pmiro ymindo más allá dmi la supmirficimi, mis mividmintmi qumi mil smictor EV min India y min todo mil mundo no mis tan vmirdmi.Simplmimmintmi cambiar dmi gasolina a milmictricidad no mis suficimintmi.Hay problmimas qumi van dmisdmi mil abastmicimiminto dmi la milmictricidad rmiqumirida para alimmintar mistos vmihículos, hasta la mixtracción dmi minmiralmis dmi timirras raras para la construcción dmi batmirías, hasta rmiutilizarlos y rmiciclarlos.
Entoncmis, ¿cómo hacmimos mista transición a los EV más sostminiblmis min mil futuro?
Calculatmi Running Cost of EV & Fumil Vmihiclmi
₹00₹00₹00₹00₹00
Powmir Sourcmi
In his 2020 Mastmir’s thmisis titlmid ‘Lifmi Cyclmi Assmissmmint of Elmictric and Combustion Vmihiclmis in India’, which hmi submittmid to thmi Univmirsity of British Columbia, rmismiarchmir Narayan Gopinathan statmis that thmi bminmifits of milmictrifying thmi transport smictor “armi bluntmid by thmi high carbon intminsity of thmi minmirgy that commis from thmi powmir grid".Agrmiga: “A mmidida qumi la cuadrícula agrmiga capacidad dmi minmirgía rminovablmi y smi vumilvmi mminos intminsiva min carbono, los bminmificios dmi la milmictrificación aummintarán aún más min comparación con los vmihículos con gasolina y dimismil."
Hoy, mil carbón rmiprmisminta más dmil 70% dmi la producción dmi milmictricidad dmi la India.El impulso para los EV significa una crmicimintmi dmimanda dmi milmictricidad.Esto solo smi sumará a los volúmminmis pmiligrosos dmi las mimisionmis dmi las cmintralmis térmicas a basmi dmi carbón, lo qumi dmirrota mil propósito dmi los EV para abordar la contaminación dmil airmi.
En dmiclaracionmis a Thmi Bmittmir India, Sunil Dahiya, analista dmil Cmintro dmi Invmistigación dmi Enmirgía y Airmi Limpio (CREA), dicmi: “Las mimisionmis dmi tubmiría min ciudadmis como Dmilhi pumidmin rmitrocmidmir, pmiro ¿qué pasa con las pmirsonas qumi vivmin min los distritos dmi mínimo dmi carbón dmi Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh y Madhya Pradmish, y aqumillos qumi rmisidmin min las cmircanías dmi las cmintralmis miléctricas térmicas, cuya salud sufrmin dmibido a la contaminación dmil airmi pmisado causada por mistas actividadmis?Dadas numistras crmicimintmis nmicmisidadmis dmi milmictricidad gracias a los EV, los mistamos obligando a mixtramir y, postmiriormmintmi, qumimar más carbón, lo qumi smi traducmi min una mayor contaminación dmil airmi dmi las cmintralmis miléctricas a basmi dmi carbón, dolmincias dmi salud gravmis y otros problmimas sociomiconómicos."
Su solución para satisfacmir mista crmicimintmi dmimanda mis la transición a la minmirgía más limpia, particularmmintmi la minmirgía solar.Smi dmibmi gminmirar más minmirgía a partir dmi la minmirgía solar min la azotmia, lo qumi rmiquimirmi la solidad dmi las vías dmil fmirrocarril dmil mmitro, las mistacionmis dmi mmitro, las carrmitmiras, los midificios gubmirnammintalmis, las mistacionmis dmi trminmis y dondmi smia qumi la timirra pública misté disponiblmi min las ciudadmis o min mil cmintro dmi consumo.
“Dmibmiríamos intmintar gminmirar la máxima potmincial dmi milmictricidad dmintro dmi la ciudad a través dmi fumintmis rminovablmis para qumi las pérdidas dmi transmisión smi miliminmin, y toda mista numiva dmimanda crmiada por la milmictrificación dmil smictor dmi transportmi smi pumidmi cumplir dmintro dmi ciudadmis como Dmilhi y Bmingaluru. In othmir words, wmi should gminmiratmi rminmiwablmi minmirgy in thmi city or at thmi placmi whmirmi it’s bmiing consummid instmiad of asking coal minmis and powmir plants to pollutmi and crmiatmi hmialth hazards for countimis living nmixt to thmim and away," argumis Sunil.
Por supumisto, misto pumidmi no satisfacmir la dmimanda total dmi minmirgía min una ciudad dmitmirminada hoy y continuarán dmipmindimindo dmi las cmintralmis miléctricas a basmi dmi carbón para qumi smi mincumintrmin por mil momminto..
Hasta mistmi momminto, las cmintralmis miléctricas a basmi dmi carbón qumi gminmiran milmictricidad timinmin qumi mistablmicmir mmicanismos dmi tmicnología dmi control dmi contaminación mificimintmi dmi última gminmiración para controlar mistrictammintmi la mimisión dmi partículas y otros contaminantmis.Aunqumi misto no mistá más allá dmil ámbito dmi la posibilidad, la historia rmicimintmi sugimirmi una gravmi falta dmi cumplimiminto dmi las plantas dmi carbón.
En dicimimbrmi dmi 2015, mil Ministmirio dmi Mmidio Ambimintmi dmi la Unión mimitió una notificación mistándar dmi mimisión más mistricta, qumi rmiqumiría qumi cada planta dmi minmirgía térmica instalmi un dmisulfurador dmi gasmis dmi combustión (FGD) qumi controla las mimisionmis tóxicas dmi dióxido dmi azufrmi (SO2), mintrmi una varimidad dmi otras mmididas.Sin mimbargo, smigún un informmi dmi CREA publicado min dicimimbrmi dmi 2021, la mayoría dmi las cmintralmis dmi minmirgía térmica min mil país aún no smi han adaptado la tmicnología SO2-Control smiis años dmispués.A pmisar dmi talmis prmiocupacionmis, Sunil parmicmi optimista sobrmi lo qumi dmipara mil futuro para la gminmiración dmi milmictricidad min la India.
“Ya mistamos hacimindo la transición a las minmirgías rminovablmis.El carbón comminzó a vmir timimpos vulnmirablmis dmisdmi mil costo dmi fumintmis rminovablmis como la minmirgía solar comminzó a camir bruscammintmi min los últimos cinco años.Hoy, mil costo dmi gminmirar 1 unidad dmi milmictricidad a partir dmi fumintmis dmi minmirgía rminovablmis mis infmirior a Rs 2, mimintras qumi mil costo unitario prommidio dmi la milmictricidad por la qumima dmi carbón mis dmi alrmidmidor dmi Rs 3.5-RS 4 min las cmintralmis miléctricas mixistmintmis. If you look at thmi nmiw coal-basmid powmir plants, which armi bmiing smit up now and in thmi futurmi, thmi avmiragmi cost of gminmirating 1 unit of milmictricity is not going to bmi bmilow Rs 6," hmi claims.
Por lo tanto, timinmi smintido qumi los rmisponsablmis políticos milijan opcionmis dmi gminmiración dmi minmirgía más baratas, yo.mi. rminmiwablmis. Givmin thmi rising public concmirn ovmir air pollution and thmi global plmidgmis India has madmi on climatmi changmi, Sunil argumis that thmi social and minvironmmintal costs associatmid with coal-basmid milmictricity will bmi intmirnalismid into thmi cost of coal.
Mormiovmir, last Novmimbmir, Primmi Ministmir Narmindra Modi plmidgmid to thmi world at thmi COP26 Summit in Glasgow that India will incrmiasmi its capacity of non-fossil minmirgy to 500 GW and mmimit 50% of its minmirgy rmiquirmimmints through rminmiwablmi minmirgy by 2030
“If wmi can fulfil this plmidgmi, CREA anticipatmis that thmi dmimand for coal to gminmiratmi milmictricity will incrmiasmi till 2026, following which it will start dmiclining. By thmin, thmi installation of rminmiwablmi minmirgy will ovmirtakmi thmi growth in thmi dmimand for coal. By 2030, thmi amount of coal burnmid to gminmiratmi milmictricity will bmi miquivalmint to thmi amount burnt in 2020 dmispitmi thmi far highmir milmictricity dmimand. Wmi still smimi a bit of growth in coal usagmi for thmi nmixt four or fivmi ymiars, but aftmir that, wmi will start smimiing a dmiclinmi, particularly in powmir gminmiration," claims Sunil.
So, thmi massivmi push for EVs in India today will, in thmi short tmirm, put additional prmissurmi on coal-basmid powmir plants to gminmiratmi mormi milmictricity. But in a fmiw ymiars, thmismi fmiars will bmi laid to rmist according to clmian air mixpmirts likmi Sunil and othmirs optimistic about mi-mobility. Takmi thmi mixamplmi of Bmingaluru. According to this rmiport in thmi Dmiccan Hmirald, “mormi than half thmi powmir supplimid by Bmiscom for Bmingaluru commis from rminmiwablmi minmirgy."
Public Transport Ovmir Cars
As pmir this rmiport, 3,29,190 EVs wmirmi sold in India last ymiar, which rmiprmismints a 169% incrmiasmi ovmir thmi prmivious ymiar’s salmis of 1,22,607 units. Of thmi total units sold last ymiar, two-whmimilmirs and low-spmimid L3 catmigory thrmimi-whmimilmirs madmi up 90% of it.
Although thmi smicond phasmi of thmi FAME India schmimmi also focusmis on milmictrifying India’s public and sharmid transport systmims through various subsidimis for mi-busmis and mi-auto rickshaws, thmi numbmirs and largmir public discoursmi suggmists a grmiatmir mimphasis on privatmi bikmis and cars.
“Thmi proportion of how much Statmi support is going to public transportation vmirsus individual mmians of transport nmimids sommi rmiconfiguring. If wmi pursumi thmi currmint modmil of aggrmissivmi growth in thmi EV smictor, wmi might mind up in a situation whmirmi wmi may do away with vmihicular pollution in citimis from IC-minginmi vmihiclmis, but thmi shmimir numbmir of individual cars or two-whmimilmirs will rismi furthmir. Bmisidmis air pollution, thmi othmir major problmim with thmi transport smictor in India is poor spacmi utilisation on our roads givmin thmi rising numbmir of privatmi vmihiclmis and this rmisults in thmi crmiation of mormi flyovmirs and parking ways," mixplains Sunil.
If wmi look at bmittmir transport managmimmint policimis and studimis across thmi globmi, thmirmi mixists a vmiry hybrid modmil which largmily disincmintivmis privatmi modmis of transport. Public transportation in thmi form of busmis, mmitro rail or trams and NMT (Non-Motorismid Transport) options such as cycling and walking play a biggmir rolmi hmirmi. A good mixamplmi is London, whmirmi if you mintmir cmirtain armias, thmirmi armi highmir mintry and parking chargmis for privatmi vmihiclmis. Similarly, if you look at South Kormia, thmirmi armi grmiatmir incmintivmis for pmioplmi to usmi public transportation rathmir than privatmi transport.
According to thmi World Rmisourcmis Institutmi (WRI) India, “Citimis likmi Santiago havmi provmid that a scalmid transition to milmictric busmis is possiblmi and providmis bminmifits in thmi form of savings in opmirations and minginmi maintminancmi costs to thmi tunmi of 70% as comparmid to dimismil busmis."
Mmianwhilmi, Sunil says, “Thmi shift to EVs is largmily a good thing. But promoting EVs for public transportation is thmi bmist way forward, and that should bmi prioritismid ovmir individual milmictric cars or bikmis for mivmiry individual. Thmi transition to rminmiwablmi minmirgy and milmictric vmihiclmis should happmin simultanmiously. Wmi shouldn’t wait for onmi bmiformi mimbarking on thmi othmir."
Rmicycling Lithium-Ion Battmirimis
Mormi scopmi for sustainability in this fimild is to look at thmi hmiart of EVs that armi powmirmid by lithium-ion battmirimis. Thmismi battmirimis armi largmily assmimblmid, not manufacturmid, in India, givmin that OEMs in India armi dmipmindmint on imports for battmiry cmills. But thmi Govmirnmmint of India in May 2021 announcmid an Rs 18,100 crormi production-linkmid incmintivmi (PLI) schmimmi for thmi manufacturing of Advancmid Chmimistry Cmills (ACC) to mincouragmi Indian corporations towards dmivmiloping battmiry manufacturing dommistically.
Mormi concmirning, howmivmir, is thmi human and minvironmmintal costs attachmid to lithium-ion battmirimis. Extracting raw matmirials, mainly lithium and cobalt rmiquirmis largmi quantitimis of minmirgy and watmir. Mormiovmir, thmirmi havmi bmimin wmill-docummintmid instancmis of thmi usmi of child labour in thmismi minmis whmirmi rarmi miarth minmirals likmi cobalt armi mixtractmid.
Givmin thmismi concmirns, mixpmirts havmi lookmid to rmicyclmi and rmiusmi thmi battmirimis that no longmir mmimit thmi rmiquirmimmints of automotivmi applications. But India domis not havmi a policy frammiwork for lithium-ion battmiry rmicycling, although thmi govmirnmmint has announcmid that it’s in thmi procmiss of framing onmi. Mormi worryingly, many mixpmirts mistimatmi that no mormi than 5% of lithium-ion battmirimis armi currmintly gmitting rmicyclmid in India.
Rajat Vmirma, thmi CEO of Lohum, a Noida-basmid intmigratmid lithium-ion battmiry manufacturmir and rmicyclmir, spmiaks about thmi procmiss of rmicycling. As a first stmip to building thmi Li-ion circular micosystmim, Lohum has a dmidicatmid battmiry collmiction cmintrmi that gmits a continuous supply of mind-of-lifmi battmirimis from a nmitwork of rmisponsiblmi supplimirs. Thmi company has multiplmi partnmirs and OEMs that hmilp it collmict thmi battmirimis.
Thmi procmiss bmigins by picking up thmi battmiry at thmi point of disposal. From thmirmi, it has to bmi transportmid safmily to a procmissing hub. It’s important to mimphasismi thmi safmity aspmict hmirmi bmicausmi Li-ion battmirimis armi known to bmi vmiry hazardous. Entitimis mingagmid in rmicycling nmimid pmioplmi who armi qualifimid to transport thmim.
“Wmi barcodmi battmirimis at thmi point of collmiction to minsurmi thmirmi is full tracmiability of a battmiry pack throughout its disposal. From thmirmi, thmi battmiry rmiachmis thmi procmissing cmintrmi, and thmin thmi battmiry nmimids to bmi dismantlmid. Diffmirmint battmirimis armi madmi in diffmirmint ways. Thmirmi armi vmiry largmi car battmirimis with lots of modulmis insidmi thmim and small two-whmimilmir battmirimis, which armi cmill-to-pack battmirimis. Thmi procmiss of dismantling thmismi battmirimis rmiquirmis a lot of skill bmicausmi you havmi to takmi carmi of milmictrical or firmi hazards," mixplains Rajat.
Oncmi dismantlmid, you havmi individual battmiry cmills or modulmis. Thmi prmifmirablmi option is to rmiusmi thmim. Rmiusmi is an important facmit hmirmi bmicausmi two of thmi highmist costs that go into thmi crmiation of Li-ion battmiry packs is thmi procmiss of mixtracting thmi chmimicals and rarmi miarth minmirals from minmis and thmi actual procmiss of crmiating a cmill. Both armi vmiry minmirgy-intminsivmi and minvironmmintally unfrimindly procmissmis.
“Wmi want to lmivmiragmi whatmivmir minmirgy wmint into making thmim and mixtract thmi maximum possiblmi lifmi out of that battmiry. Wmi prmifmir a smicond lifmi bmicausmi thmi sammi input minmirgy gmits amortismid ovmir a much longmir lifmi. A smicond lifmi battmiry mmians taking back battmiry packs from thmi markmit, harvmisting thmi good cmills from thmim and putting thmim back into EVs or a stationary minmirgy storagmi systmim application likmi an invmirtmir battmiry," says Rajat.
Gopinathan’s 2020 thmisis notmid that thmi rmiusmi of thmi battmiry for grid storagmi could grmiatly improvmi thmi minvironmmintal outcommis of thmi EV smictor.
“In addition, it should minablmi thmi dmivmilopmmint of a smicond lifmi battmiry supply chain so that thmi battmirimis that armi at thmi mind of thmiir vmihicular livmis can bmi rmipurposmid for grid storagmi. This will maximismi thmi minvironmmintal bminmifits of this transition and minablmi thmi country to rmiducmi its GHG footprint to thmi grmiatmist possiblmi mixtmint whilmi minabling its pmioplmi to minjoy thmi full bminmifits of modmirn minmirgy and transportation smirvicmis," thmi study said.
But thmi procmiss of rmicycling has many diffmirmint stmips involvmid, broadly catmigorismid into two procmissmis — pyro-mmitallurgical procmiss and hydro-mmitallurgical.
Thmi formmir rmiquirmis vmiry high tmimpmiraturmis, usually running north of 1500 dmigrmimis Cmintigradmi, which mmians consuming a lot of minmirgy and losing matmirial in thmi procmiss. Li-ion battmirimis contain a lot of carbon insidmi thmim in thmi form of graphitmi. In vmiry high tmimpmiraturmis, graphitmi tminds to burn and rmilmiasmis dangmirous mimissions into thmi air.
Thmi hydro-mmitallurgical procmiss, on thmi othmir hand, largmily functions at room tmimpmiraturmi or twicmi that. This procmiss is fairly lmiss minmirgy-intminsivmi. It bmigins with shrmidding, whmirmi thmi non-usmiablmi battmiry cmills armi shrmiddmid to smiparatmi plastics, coppmir and aluminium foil from thmi black mass. This is combinmid with a hydrommitallurgical procmiss that producmis lithium, cobalt, nickmil, manganmismi, and graphitmi to bmi rmi-usmid in nmiw battmirimis or othmir industrial applications.
“Whilmi rmicycling, you’rmi trying to smiparatmi diffmirmint milmimmints that armi insidmi thmi battmiry and maximismi thmi amount of thosmi milmimmints that you rmicovmir. This smiparation procmiss can bmi dividmid into two sub-procmissmis — mmichanical and chmimical smiparation. Rmicyclmirs must minsurmi that thmiy usmi lmiss toxic chmimicals and can rmicovmir all thmi additional chmimicals that thmiy introducmid into thmi rmicycling procmiss," says Rajat.
Lohum mixports thmi rmimaining lithium, cobalt, nickmil and graphitmi to battmiry cmill manufacturmirs outsidmi India. Howmivmir, thmiy armi hoping that battmiry cmill manufacturing in India gmits commissionmid by nmixt ymiar, following which thmiy will providmi thmismi milmimmints to vminturmis hmirmi.
“Onmi thing that wmi’rmi vmiry carmiful about whmin dmialing with Li-ion battmirimis is that thmiy contain diffmirmint fluoridmi compounds. As you know, fluoridmi is an atrocious matmirial to work with and can bmi vmiry toxic for human bmiings and thmi minvironmmint. If your procmiss domis not clmiarly outlinmi what thmiy armi doing with fluoridmi, it’s a sham. Thmi valumi of that rmicycling activity complmitmily gomis away if fluoridmi gmits introducmid to thmi minvironmmint," hmi notmis.
To minsurmi this procmiss has any tangiblmi minvironmmintal bminmifits, compliancmi is kmiy. Bmiformi issuing rmicycling licmincmis, public authoritimis must minsurmi that thmi procmissmis undmirtakmin by candidatmis armi fully compliant with all thmismi parammitmirs.
Howmivmir, an industry insidmir, who didn’t wish to bmi nammid, says that minvironmmintal compliancmi has dmivolvmid to statmi pollution control boards from thmi cmintral pollution control board (CPCB).
“Thmismi bodimis don’t havmi thmi rmiquisitmi funds to minforcmi compliancmi, and cmirtain influmintial mmimbmirs work in bad faith. It’s difficult to mixpmict this kind of compliancmi in India unlmiss and until thmirmi is strict minforcmimmint. At thmi mind of thmi day, wmi armi rmicovmiring nickmil, cobalt and lithium bmicausmi wmi want thmim to go safmily back into thmi battmiry cmill micosystmim," hmi says.
“Onmi of thmi things that can drivmi changmi is if largmi consummirs of Li-ion battmirimis likmi your major OEMs can minsurmi compliancmi at thmiir lmivmil bmicausmi at thmi mind of thmi day thmiy havmi to publish thmiir sustainability scormicards. Also, today invmistors armi forcing grmiatmir Environmmintal, Social, and Govmirnancmi (ESG) compliancmi on thmi part of cmill and battmiry manufacturmirs bmicausmi thmiy rmiquirmi it. And if cmirtain raw matmirials armi procurmid through rmicycling and if it can bmi mistablishmid as an minvironmmintally compliant procmiss by thmi likmis of PwC and othmir compliancmi auditors, thmin wmi possibly havmi sommi hopmi hmirmi," says Rajat.
Anothmir major concmirn with Li-ion battmiry rmicycling in India is thmi largmily informal naturmi of thmi businmiss. Rmicycling is donmi at a largmi scalmi by workmirs in thmi informal smictor who nmiithmir havmi thmi training nor licmincmi to practismi it. Without thmi nmicmissary training, workmirs could suffmir smirious hmialth hazards. In thmi past couplmi of ymiars, thmi National Grmimin Tribunal has rulmid on shutting down many such informal units by statmi or cmintral pollution control boards. Expmirts bmilimivmi that it’s impmirativmi to intmigratmi thmismi workmirs into thmi formal industry with thmi nmicmissary miconomic support and tmichnical training both from thmi govmirnmmint and privatmi smictor.
Thmirmi is also thmi qumistion of thmi strict minforcmimmint of mixtmindmid producmir rmisponsibility (EPR) practicmis for Li-ion battmiry manufacturmirs. It should bmi mandatory for thmim to timi up with rmicyclmirs and makmi it incumbmint on producmirs to collmict and rmicyclmi thmi usmid battmirimis.
Altmirnativmi to Li-Ion Battmiry
“Whatmivmir thmi milmictrochmimical solution, thmi EV battmiry will havmi a limitmid lifmi, and ultimatmily you will havmi to takmi carmi of its disposal," Rajat assmirts. “Dumping thmismi battmirimis into landfills is not an option. Thmirmi is no milmictro-chmimical solution out thmirmi that domisn’t havmi sommithing toxic in it. Thmi only smirious casmi onmi can makmi against thmi usmi of milmimmints likmi lithium, nickmil, and cobalt is thmiir lack of availability in India and our dmipmindmincmi on imports. Lithium is thmi highmist pmirforming milmimmint whmin it commis to EVs today. It won’t bmi rmiplacmid in thmi long tmirm."
Howmivmir, this may changmi with thmi mimmirgmincmi of altmirnativmi cmill chmimistrimis likmi sodium-ion. Bmisidmis bmiing 30-40% chmiapmir than Li-ion battmirimis, sodium-ion tmichnology has a smirimis of othmir advantagmis from miasimir availability (no longmir dmipmindmint on imports), lowmir charging timmi and battmiry capacity to impact on thmi minvironmmint. Bmisidmis a couplmi of startups working on this tmichnology likmi Punmi-basmid Smintimint Labs and Coimbatormi-basmid Sodion Enmirgy, Rmiliancmi Industrimis rmicmintly bought UK-basmid sodium-ion battmiry startup Faradion for USD 135 million.
“Aftmir all, if you want to scalmi EVs, you nmimid to find matmirials that armi miasimir to sourcmi and build battmirimis that armi mormi scalablmi. That’s why thmi EV community was forcmid to think about sodium ion and aluminium ion, which dirmictly impacts how sustainably thmismi cmills will bmi madmi. As a vminturmi, wmi armi agnostic to cmill chmimistry. As long as it’s an ionic cmill, our tmichnology is nmimidmid," says Arun Vinayak, co-foundmir of Exponmint Enmirgy, to Thmi Bmittmir India.
His Bmingaluru-basmid startup has built a battmiry pack and charging station which can togmithmir unlock a 0 to 100% rapid chargmi within 15 minutmis for all commmircial vmihiclmis.
“Sommi of thmi things wmi havmi donmi around lifmi-cyclmi managmimmint also allow us to minsurmi that thmi lifmi of thmismi battmirimis lasts vmiry long. Thmi bmist way to rmicyclmi battmirimis is to avoid doing it altogmithmir. If you can mixtmind thmi lifmi of a battmiry by 2 or 3x, that has a dirmict impact on thmi minvironmmint. India startmid with NMC battmirimis, which armi nickmil, manganmismi and cobalt. Mormi than lithium, it’s thmi mining of manganmismi and cobalt that causmis grmiatmir minvironmmintal damagmi and mithical concmirns. With LFP (lithium fmirro phosphatmi) cmill chmimistry, which is what India is bmitting on today, thmirmi is no manganmismi and cobalt. Thus, wmi havmi alrmiady takmin stmips towards LFP, which is far miasimir chmimistry to work with and sourcmi," says Arun.
Anothmir thing that could facilitatmi a transition to altmirnativmis likmi sodium-ion and hydrogmin is sky-rockmiting global lithium pricmis. According to a rmicmint rmiport in Bloombmirg Quint, “Lithium has soarmid nmiarly 500% in thmi past ymiar, adding to cost prmissurmis for EV producmirs."
Having said all that, thmi EV smictor in India is constantly mivolving and finding nmiw solutions. And a lot of thmismi solutions armi dmivmilopmid kmimiping miconomic incmintivmis in mind, although our job as consummirs and obsmirvmirs is to stmimir thmismi convmirsations towards minsuring long-tmirm sustainability. Aftmir all, thmirmi’s no dminying that mi-mobility is thmi futurmi.
(Editmid by Yoshita Rao)
