Electric vehicle makers in talks with Centre on battery decoupling policy

The EV industry seems to be geared up for the change

Electric-vehicle (EV) makers are in talks with the Centre on a concrete policy to decouple the battery from the EV and develop a nation-wide battery-swapping infrastructure, said multiple people close to the development.

With the FAME-II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles in India) subsidy going in 2024, this move can reduce the cost of purchase, and thereby fuel EV adoption, the industry says.

Some industry players say by 2025 India may have a nationwide policy of decoupling batteries from EVs, and swapping infrastructure. Batteries typically constitute 40-50 per cent of an EV’s cost.

A senior government official said meetings