Ignition of change in electric vehicle battery ecosystem in India

Manufacturers are gradually emerging in a business dominated by assembly operations

Last year, Coimbatore-based electric two-wheeler (E2W) maker Boom Motors literally faced the heat after one of its bikes caught fire. This occurred at a time when similar accidents in bikes made by other E2W makers were grabbing headlines. As a result, the company not only changed its name to Bharat New-Energy Company (BNC) but also developed an in-house battery — Etrol 40.

“The primary driver for us to develop this battery has been safety. Even though there are over 100 battery makers in India, there is an absolute shortage of good-quality vendors,” said Anirudh Ravi Narayanan, chief executive officer and co-founder, BNC. Etrol 40, a 2.1 kilowatt hour (kWh) battery pack that can be used by two-wheelers, three-wheelers and light vehicles, will not only be for BNC’s captive consumption but will be marketed to other players as well.

BNC is not the only one. Last week, Tata Group, which commands an 85 per cent shar