IOC launches battery swapping facility for quick recharge of electric vehicles

New Delhi/ Chandigarh - Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) of New Delhi, launched its maiden battery swapping facility at one of the outlets at Chandigarh to charge electric vehicles (EVs) as an add on facility at one of its petrol pumps. it is expected to replace the discharged batteries of the EV’s which drives in with fully charged ones in quick time. it is expected to scale up such facilities after the proto run followed by the pilot lot of 20 stations.

IOC has signed a non-binding strategic cooperation document with Sun Mobility to explore setting up energy infrastructure for EVs through a battery swapping model across its petrol pumps in select cities. Partnership will be on setting up battery swapping facility, called Quick Interchange Station (QIS).

All three/four batteries of EVs can be replaced with fully charged ones at the QIS. At the end of the process, a bill for charging the batteries will be generated. The Pilot QIS has 14 batteries, a touch screen for swapping preloaded cards, and an electricity sub-meter.

Sun mobility had signed the agreement with Ashok Leyland in 2017 and showcased its first electric bus with swapping technology in Auto expo 2018.

¹ Sun Mobility Solution of Bangalore is a 50:50 joint venture between Virya Mobility 5.0 and SUN New Energy Systems, pioneer companies in the areas of electric mobility and clean energy production, spearheaded by Chetan Mani the founder of Reva. (Reva is the first indigenous electric small car in developed in India. It has a plant in Bangalore, so far 7,000 cars have been manufactured and are apparently running successfully in the city.