There is ever-increasing stress on the planet Earth to meet the growing energy demands of its population. India is poised to become the most populous nation by November 2023 and our ever-burgeoning demand for energy is rapidly burning a hole in our nation’s exchequer. The transportation sector in India alone accounts for a big chunk of this energy demand, and the exhaust from vehicles is already a major source of global warming. Therefore, it is important to look for alternate sources of energy to fuel our transportation sector.
The need for electric scooters
The Indian transportation sector has many two-wheelers that run on internal combustion engines. They use petrol as energy input and deliver a decent mileage of 35-50 kilometers to a liter. Scooters, in particular, tend to deliver a lower mileage of around 30-35 kmpl and are often the preferred mode of transportation for city dwellers. It allows for quick transportation, and decent fuel economy, and purchasing a scooter is not an expensive affair. However, the prices of petrol have been constantly rising with many metros reporting the price of petrol at around 110 rupees a liter. Given this rate, it amounts to about 3.5 rupees per kilometer of petrol. The data through various scientific types of research reveal that during weekdays, the average daily commute of an individual is about 50 – 60 km and this converts to spending 200 – 250 rupees on petrol alone every day.
Electric scooters offer a cleaner, smoother and cheaper means of transportation. An electric scooter does not require any petrol to run but rather needs the use of rechargeable electric batteries. The electric scooter has a motor, driven by a rechargeable battery, and in most cases, the speed is limited to 25kmph or 60kmph depending on the model. The typical rating of an Electric scooter battery used an electric scooter is about 1.2 to 3.6-kilowatt hours with a voltage of either 48V or 72V. The FAME-II policy of the government of India has given a much-needed fillip to the electric mobility sector, offering to fund 10,000 crores for this sector. This has opened up a huge opportunity for Electric scooter battery manufacturers to seek funding for expanding their business operations.
Recharging electric scooter battery
As it is understandable, once the electric scooter battery gets drained, then it can only be recharged through electrical energy. Generally, a home charger is sufficient to charge the battery in 2-3 hours, and given the current price of electricity at 8 rupees per unit (average), it only needs 15-25 rupees for charging the battery from zero to 100%. The typical range of an electric scooter is about 60-80 km, making the per-unit kilometer cost of operation to be as low as 25 paise per kilometer. Compared to a conventional scooter, this is one-tenth of the price of a unit kilometer of operation. Thus, investing in an electric scooter makes more sense for an average Indian buyer. Another method for battery recharging is called battery swapping. In this, the battery unit is removable and it can be replaced with a fully charged battery at the battery swapping stations. This method is very successful in China and brings down the upfront cost of the electric scooter. Thus, these scooters are called Electric scooters with Removable batteries.
Manufacturers of electric scooter battery
The electric scooter battery price varies from company to company. The technology used and the kind of lithium compound used to manufacture the battery decides the final price of the battery. In the electric scooter battery, the other and the cathode are both made up of lithium compounds. Given that the electric mobility industry is rapidly expanding in India, therefore it has opened up huge opportunities for many companies to enter electric scooter battery manufacturing. The following companies are industry leaders in this domain, offering electric scooter batteries at an affordable cost and with durability. Currently, all-electric scooter batteries are manufactured using Lithium, a rare element that is not mined in India. Therefore, this opens up another business space for recycling spent lithium-ion batteries to bring down the cost of lithium-ion batteries.
- Amara Raja Batteries: Amara Raja is a global giant in terms of battery manufacturing. Their famous brand “Amaron” is a reliable brand of battery for almost every application. With their entry into the electric scooter and car batteries segment, they have invested heavily in technology and state-of-the-art production line. One of India’s fastest-growing businesses is the Amara Raja Group, which has a worldwide clientele of over a billion people and annual revenue of over $1 billion. The world’s largest battery company is transitioning from lead-acid to lithium-ion batteries and creating options for electric vehicles. Additionally, a Gigafactory to produce batteries for electric cars is planned.
- Exide Industries: With an unmatched reputation and recall, Exide has a long history of being one of India’s most trusted brands. With the widest selection of both modern VRLA batteries and traditional flooded batteries, it is now India’s biggest storage battery producer. The firm exports batteries across the world in addition to supplying the domestic market. Exide battery is a pioneer in the field of automotive batteries and continuously invests to keep itself ahead of its competitors by adopting innovative practices and offering state-of-the-art solutions in this domain.
- Loom Solar: Based in Faridabad, Haryana, Loom Solar is a start-up that makes lithium batteries and solar panels. It is a government of India-approved startup and an ISO 9001:2015 recognised company. It is found in 500 districts in India. The firm only has one production plant and a sizable number of dealers spread out throughout the nation. Loom Solar has received gold and silver medals from the 11th Annual 2019 Golden Bridge Business and Innovation Agencies in the United States of America. The company also makes Li-ion batteries for grid storage and electric automobiles, which are both growing in popularity.
- Li-Energy: To make lithium-ion batteries for electric cars and renewable energy, Li Energy built a gigafactory in India. The biggest li-ion battery factory in India, it can produce 1.2 gigawatts of power annually. The firm is a pioneer in the use of prismatic Li-Fe phosphate battery know-how. This is particularly useful for Indian commercial markets as it is safe, long life, and has an excellent thermal management solution. It was founded in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, in 2019 and is a privately owned business.
- HBL Power: This research-based manufacturer aims to close India’s technological gaps by developing and producing high-quality goods and services that are in great demand there. Local solutions are given top priority in the company’s business strategy. Aircraft batteries were one of their first profitable products, and as a result, HBL began producing one of the broadest selections of specialty batteries in the world and eventually rose to become the top battery supplier to the Indian Air Force. For more than 40 years, they have been at the forefront of creating novel products and affordable solutions that address critical requirements in several vital sectors. HBL has a worldwide presence and serves customers in many important areas.
- Waaree Ess Private Limited: Waaree ESS offers comprehensive energy storage solutions, such as energy power plants, industrial ESS, street light systems, and more. Practically every consumer requirement may be satisfied by Waaree’s ESS technology, which can also provide tailored solutions for a range of applications in the electric power industry. Due to its extended lifespan, safety, and superior performance, Li-ion batteries from their firm provide both economy and great dependability. Waaree ESS is a pioneer in the solar energy industry and offers ESS solutions for homes, utilities, and businesses that may be used in daily life.
Conclusion: The Indian electric scooter battery market is poised for a giant leap. With the government’s focus on electric mobility, many companies have entered this untouched market space and are investing heavily in technology. The above-listed companies are the top electric scooter battery manufacturers in India, known for their durable and long-lasting batteries. All of these companies have invested a lot of money in building and upgrading their technology to suit the electric scooter battery domain and are Original equipment manufacturers for many of the electric scooter brands like Ola, Ather, etc.
FAQs:
Q. What is a rechargeable electric scooter battery?
Ans. Electric scooters need a battery source to operate their motor. A rechargeable electric battery is one that can be recharged through electricity when the battery is discharged. The charger needs to be connected to the onboard charger or removed and charged offline.
Q. Are Li-ion batteries better than lead acid batteries for an electric scooter?
Ans. Most certainly! A lead acid battery of the same capacity has a bulkier size and adds more weight to the scooter, thereby reducing the driving range. A Li-ion battery has more energy density and power density than a regular VRLA battery.
Q. What is the electric scooter battery price in India?
Ans. Different companies will price their product based on the technology they offer. For a lithium-ion battery, one can estimate the price to be about 20000-25000 for replacement.