Ola working on solid-state batteries, okay with govt tapering off EV subsidies

Ola Electric is working on building solid-state batteries, news wire agency Reuters quoted Ola chairman Bhavish Aggarwal as asying.

"We are in very early stages of our experimentation on solid state batteries," Ola chairman Bhavish Aggarwal was quoted as saying by the Reuters.

Solid-state batteries are expected to offer improved safety, a longer lifespan and faster charging compared with conventional lithium-ion batteries that use flammable liquid electrolytes. But mass adoption has proved difficult due to constraints in raw material availability, intricate manufacturing processes and the resultant high costs.

Several companies around the world are working to develop these kind of batteries.

Japan's Toyota Motor earlier this year said that within a couple of years it will launch vehicles with solid-state batteries that charge faster and last longer.

Nissan plans to launch an EV a pure solid-state battery developed in-house by its fiscal year 2028.

Honda plans to launch a solid-state battery test line in 2024, aiming to use the batteries in models in the latter part of this decade. It also invested in SES AI to jointly develop semi-solid state batteries.

China's CATL, one of the world's biggest battery producers, last year unveiled a condensed matter battery, a type of semi-solid-state battery it said could supply enough energy to power electric passenger aircraft. It had said it could start mass production of the batteries for EVs later in 2023, though hasn't provided an update on this.

Chinese EV maker Nio has commercialized 150 kilowatt hour (kWh) semi-solid-state batteries for its EVs, manufactured by Beijing Welion New Energy, which have a range of up to 1,000 km. Nio sells EVs in China and Europe and operates a battery-swapping service for its vehicles.

'Okay with FAME reduction'
Meanwhile, Aggarwal said that his company is okay with government tapering off FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India) subsidies in order to focus on the PLI (Production Linked Incentive) schemes. The Center is expected to come out with FAME 3 during the ongoing budget session. Electric two, three, and four-wheelers are expected to be supported under the FAME scheme, which could receive a budgetary allocation of about Rs 10,000 crore, people familiar with the deliberations told ET earlier.

With Inputs from Reuters