Ola Electric’s Lithium Battery cell has received a Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification, said Bhavish Aggarwal. The battery is expected to significantly reduce the production cost of Ola Electric’s products. He further added that these batteries Ola’s electric scooters will feature these batteries by next year.
The 4680 cells developed by the EV brand are more energy-dense and advanced than the traditional 2170 cells. It currently sources its batteries from LG Chem, South Korea, and China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology.
The company will initially have the capacity to produce approximately 1.5 gigawatt-hour (GWH) of cells annually. The company has invested ₹10 crore for the same.
“Indian EV manufacturers are dependent on battery manufacturers from China, Japan, Taiwan, and Korea; the world is moving towards sustainability, and without India gearing up, this journey towards sustainability becomes incomplete, as we are 20 percent of the world population,” said Aggarwal.
Lithium battery production will help EV companies as it will reduce the cost by approximately 40 percent to 50 percent. Spread across districts of Krishnagiri and Dharmagiri in Tamil Nadu, the Gigafactory and Future factory is part of Ola’s initiative to become an EV leader within the country.
The company is also working on developing solid-state batteries. Solid-state batteries, unlike lithium-ion batteries, have higher density and are expected to offer increased safety and lifespan. The lithium-ion batteries use liquid electrolytes as separators.
Lithium-ion batteries have a higher risk of damage and swelling caused due to temperature changes. On the other hand, solid-state batteries use electrolytes in the solid state and are known to remain stable at very high temperature even if the electrolyte is damaged.
The experimentations on the sold-state batteries are in the very early stages, and is difficult to commit to any deadlines for the same, added Aggarwal.