Govt. readies draft battery swapping policy

Initially, the govt. plans to set up battery swapping stations in metropolitan cities with a population of over 40 lakh.

Niti Aayog has released a draft battery swapping policy. Under the new policy, the government plans to develop a battery swapping network across India in phases.

In the first phase, metropolitan cities with a population of more than 40 lakh will be prioritized. The second phase will cover all major cities including state capitals, UT headquarters and cities with a population of over 5 lakh.

The draft policy makes provisions for EV makers to sell vehicles with swappable batteries without a battery. This should reduce the purchase cost and will make EVs more accessible.

As per the draft policy, any individual or entity will be free to set up a battery swapping station at any location, provided that technical, safety and performance standards are maintained. This should come as a boon for the EV ecosystem as setting up charging stations at scale in urban areas may not always be feasible.

Source: Economic Times