By Mukesh Kumar Bansal, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), TelioEV
India is on the verge of a revolution in electric vehicles (EVs). The government has set aggressive goals for EV adoption, and the corporate sector is significantly investing in this nascent market. To accelerate EV adoption in India, various issues must be addressed, including range anxiety, insufficient charging infrastructure, and expensive upfront prices.
Smart charging technology can help overcome these obstacles and accelerate EV adoption in India. Smart charging is a data-driven method of charging electric vehicles that optimises the process based on grid conditions, energy requirements, and client preferences.
Smart charging technology provides several major advantages, including:
Reduced range anxiety: Smart charging can reduce range anxiety by delivering real-time info on charging station availability. This enables EV owners to plan their travels with greater confidence and reduces the risk of running out of battery charge.
Lower charging expenses: By encouraging EV owners to charge during off-peak hours when power rates are lower, smart charging can help EV owners save money on charging costs.
Improved grid stability: By spreading EV charging over a longer period of time, smart charging can help to balance the grid load and minimize stress on the energy system
Increased renewable energy integration: Smart charging can be utilized to connect renewable energy sources like solar and wind into the electrical system. This has the potential to lessen India’s dependency on fossil fuels while also making EV mobility more sustainable.
Smart charging can enable vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, which allows EVs to discharge extra electricity back to the grid while they are not in use. This can assist in stabilizing the grid even more and open up new revenue prospects for EV owners.
How Smart Charging Can Help India Increase EV Adoption?
In a variety of ways, smart charging can boost EV adoption in India. For starters, it can assist in alleviating range anxiety, which is a significant obstacle to EV adoption. Smart charging can help EV users plan their travels more confidently and lessen the anxiety of running out of battery charge by delivering real-time data on available charging stations.
Second, smart charging can contribute to reducing EV ownership costs. Smart charging can help EV owners save money on charging expenses by encouraging them to charge during off-peak hours. As a result, EVs may become more affordable to a broader spectrum of consumers.
Third, smart charging can aid in grid stability. Smart charging can help to balance the grid load and decrease stress on the electrical system as the number of EVs on the road grows. This can help to prevent grid interruptions and guarantee that EVs have a consistent power source.
Fourth, the development of smart charging can facilitate the power system’s incorporation of renewable energy. By collaborating with renewable energy sources, smart charging can help guarantee that EVs are charged with clean, sustainable energy. This could assist India in reducing its carbon footprint and creating a more environmentally friendly transportation network.
When it comes to using electric vehicles, V2G technology—which smart charging can support—has the potential to drastically alter consumer behavior. EVs may now return excess energy to the grid thanks to V2G technology, which can help stabilize the system and open up new revenue streams for EV owners.
The next Action plan is to expedite the adoption of smart charging in India, the business community, government, and other relevant parties must work together to – establish and implement established guidelines for smart charging, offer monetary rewards to encourage the installation of intelligent charging infrastructure, inform customers about the benefits of smart charging and persuade them to make use of this technology and make R&D investments to develop innovative smart charging solutions tailored to the unique requirements of the EV market in India. India can establish itself as a global leader in the adoption of EV transportation and smart charging by implementing these measures.
In India, smart charging is a crucial enabler of EV adoption. Smart charging can make EVs more inexpensive, dependable, and sustainable by solving the issues of range anxiety, high charging prices, and grid stability. To facilitate the acceptance and deployment of smart charging solutions, the government, the business sector, and other stakeholders must collaborate to build an ecosystem. India may speed its transition to a more sustainable transportation system by doing so.