A bumpy road: Confusion clouds electric vehicles rollout sans batteries

Sohinder Gill, director general, Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles, said delinking of batteries from EVs is a good idea, however, a lot needs to be done before it becomes implementable

The government’s move to allow companies to sell electric two- and three-wheelers without pre-fitted batteries has largely been hailed as a move towards reducing costs and creating a clean transport ecosystem but its execution may hit speed breakers.

The transport ministry recently said the battery, which accounts for 30-40 per cent of the total cost of an electric vehicle (EV), could be provided separately by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) or energy service providers.
 

Though this would make the upfront cost of EVs lower than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, a section of the industry is sceptical on how it would work.