Author:Dr.Rashi Gupta
Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid) and Electric Vehicles (FAME)-II scheme has recently been launched by government for E-Mobility and Battery manufacturing in India. Its a step for curbing pollution and decreasing India’s dependence on oil imports. Under the FAME-II scheme incentives will be given to lower the cost of electric vehicles. Without incentives, cost of electric vehicles is much higher than conventional vehicles. E-Mobility needs to become cheaper than conventional vehicles for its growth even in absence of incentives.
Electric Vehicles (EV) have the advantage of very less operating cost than conventional vehicles. This implies with increase in the distance covered by EV, their lifetime cost becomes lesser than that of conventional vehicles with same the distance covered. However, it is found that on an average, cars are parked 90% of time, due to which cost of owning EV remain higher than that of conventional vehicles. EV with Vehicle to Grid (V2G) functionality can provide grid services while it is parked which has the potential to reduce ownership cost of EV.
Vehicle to Grid
With V2G capability, EV can take excess energy in the grid at low rate and supply it during peak demand at higher rate. This will also help in reducing peak demand on the grid and stabilizing it while earning money for EV owner at the same time. The concern that rise in E-Mobility will cause an increase in peak demand on the grid will be overcome by using V2G. Many countries have started implementing V2G projects. V2G becomes profitable for EV owner with dynamic pricing of electricity, wherein electricity rate is high during higher demand on the grid and low when excess generation is present on the grid.
Dynamic pricing needs to be implemented throughout India for assisting E-Mobility. Dynamic pricing also increases demand for Energy Storage and Renewables. Since cheap Renewable Energy Generation can be stored in Energy Storage devices and sold at high rate under dynamic pricing.Indian Government has already begun the process of replacing the exisiting electrcity meter with the smart meter which can be used also for implementing dynamic pricing. However, the switch over to smart metering is still at a very slow pace.
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Smart metering and dynamic pricing will enable implementing V2G in India and hence needs to be adopted at a faster rate. Along with V2G, Fast charging infrastructure is also essential for growth of E-Mobility.
Fast Charging Infrastructure
Range anxiety is another major roadblock for EV which can be alleviated by installing fast chargers. As fast chargers can charge EV in short time without need of waiting for hours. Further, as a fast charger can charge more cars in a day than slow charger, less number of chargers are required, thereby requiring less number of grid connections. This leads to decrease in number of required grid connection permissions and also land requirement for charging stations. However, fast charging station will increase peak demand by putting large load on grid for a short time. Since, fast charging station demands high power for charging EV in short period of time and remains in idle state rest of the time. Fast charging often leads to grid infrastructure being upgraded for handling its high power demand. These issues with fast charger can be overcome by using battery integrated fast charging stations.
Battery Integrated Fast Charging
Batteries can discharge at a fast rate to supply the high charging power demand for short duration and charge slowly over time with less power demand on the grid. This leads to reduced peak demand and eliminates the need of grid infrastructure changes. Fast charging stations with high
power demand are often connected to medium voltage grid which is better at handling higher load than low voltage grid. This does not increases load on the low voltage grid thereby eliminating need of upgrading low voltage grid. Battery integration will support incorporating renewable generation as well by reducing its intermittent nature. Fast charging infrastructure is also considered to encourage solar generation.
Fast chargers have been observed to be used mostly during the day time. Solar generation which is also available during day time can supply the fast charging stations. Thus, Battery Integrated Fast Charging infrastructure and V2G functionality can not only boost E-Mobility but also play major role in increasing renewable generation in India. Thus India needs to take measures to implement V2G and install Battery Integrated Fast Charging stations for sustained growth of EV even in absence of incentives and make E-Mobility greener.
AUTHOR
Dr.Rashi Gupta
Managing Director
Vision Mechatronics Pvt Ltd.
Dr. Rashi Gupta, fondly known as “Batterywali of India”, is the pioneer of manufacturing of Advanced Lithium Batteries in India. She is the founder director of M/s Vision Mechatronics Private Ltd, leading it towards a name to reckon for in the field of Robotics, Renewable Energy & Energy Storage. She’s been fearless & ferocious in making a name for herself & the company in a market filled with Goliaths.
Views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors or publishers.