While EVs are growing by leaps and bounds in India, there have been multiple instances of fire accidents and battery failures from time to time. Why is this happening? Explaining this, Deepak Singh Rawal from Hioki India delves into the challenges and solutions with Nidhi Agarwal from EFY.
Q. How is India doing in terms of vehicle technology and industry progress?
A. Overall, India is progressing well in this space. Based on our understanding of the market and customers, we are working closely with both major and smaller brands in India and globally, including companies like Tesla. I have seen clear improvements in vehicle quality.
At manufacturer facilities, advanced vehicles are already being produced with technologies such as powertrains, battery management systems (BMS), batteries, and other components in place. Technologically, the vehicles are ready, but the main challenges lie in infrastructure, the broader ecosystem and the current geopolitical situation.
Q. Do original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) face problems when adding new technologies? If yes, what are they?
A. When new standards or technologies come, costs go up. For example, Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) vehicles are more expensive than Bharat Stage 4 (BS4) because stricter emission rules required changes in engine technology. Diesel and petrol engines became more complex to reduce emissions. Adopting new technology requires changes in production and research and development (R&D), as well as significant investment. In India, a major challenge is the lack of skilled technical manpower.
In India, electric vehicles (EVs) are still a relatively new technology spanning many fields, including electronics, power electronics, chemistry, infrastructure, energy storage, and motors. Currently, our education system does not offer courses focused on this.
Q. How do EV makers keep batteries cool and safe from overheating?
A. We need to understand battery thermal management and cooling systems, which are essential for both internal combustion (IC) engines and EV vehicles, especially for high-capacity batteries. Thermal runaway is a separate issue that usually occurs due to quality defects, such as poor-quality cells, weak welds or soldering in battery packs, improper BMS balancing or poor assembly.
In countries like India, where road conditions and temperature variations are extreme, battery packs must be carefully tested and maintained to meet strict standards and regulations.
Q. How is fast charging optimised to charge quickly without damaging the battery?
A. Fast charging is not suitable for batteries, as we understand it now. Most batteries in India are not entirely manufactured but mostly assembled, so their quality and the data in their BMS do not fully support fast charging. EVs are data-driven, so for software engineers to program the BMS for fast charging, they need to run thousands of tests.
Prototypes must cover hundreds of thousands of kilometres, and battery cycles must be tested repeatedly. Only then can the software create the right algorithms. With more research and development, it could improve in the future.
Q. Which is better, AC or DC charging?
A. Researchers and OEMs are already working on wireless and dynamic charging, and in Europe, buses and trucks can charge while moving using overhead cables on specific routes, allowing long-distance travel without stopping.
For domestic charging, AC chargers are safer but slower, while DC chargers charge batteries much faster, making them better for highways and commercial use. Both types are helpful, but the choice depends on the application, so the government, OEMs and the private sector need to plan which charging type suits each use case.
Q. What are the significant challenges in the real-world implementation of wireless charging?
A. Efficiency in wireless charging drops because there is no physical contact. To improve efficiency, the system needs higher frequencies, which increases the cost of the converter components.
Q. How are EV failures different from IC engine vehicle failures?
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