The electrification for commercial vehicles travelling long-distance may have begin on a very slow start globally given the huge challenges of the size of batteries, charging infrastructure and long charging time among others.
But on the other hand, despite having a slow initial start, India is aiming to take a lead in driving adoption of electric vehicles, especially in the two-, three-wheelers and e-buses for public transportation.
In what may come as a very interesting update, the joint venture between Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) and Israel’s Phinergy, which aimed to manufacture aluminium-air batteries in India, will start its maiden pilot soon.
Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India took to social media to announce that the JV between IOCL and Phinergy has manufactured 100 small aluminium plates that will power a 50-seater bus for about 500km in India.
It was in 2020, that IOCL and Phinergy announced the formation of a joint venture in India to collaborate in developing aluminium-air battery system including R&D, customisation, manufacturing, assembly, sell and service of aluminium-air energy systems technology. Aluminium is naturally available in India and its extraction and recycling technologies are also very well established.
