Ola Electric is taking a multi-pronged approach to further strengthen its grip in the Indian electric two-wheeler market, with planned increased produ
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After capturing a large chunk of the ever-growing Indian electric two-wheeler market pie, Ola Electric is now aiming for technology leadership in the Indian EV space. Speaking during an interaction with HT Auto, Ola Electric’s Chairman and Managing Director Bhavish Aggarwal said that the company is taking a multi-pronged approach to achieve its goal of comprehensive growth in the Indian EV space. This strategy includes building the Gigafactory near the already operational Future Factory in Pochampalli, Tamil Nadu alongside developing new battery technologies as well.
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Solid-state battery under development
Ola Electric Chairman and MD revealed that the company is working on a series of new battery technologies, based on which, the company plans to make its own battery cells indigenously in India, which will help the electric vehicle (EV) maker to price its vehicles more affordably. One key technology on which Ola is working is the solid-state battery.
Solid-state battery technology has been dubbed one of the most advanced and most efficient cell technologies in the world, as it offers more energy density compared to the current electrolyte-based lithium-ion battery packs. Also, this technology is considered safer and capable of offering a significantly higher range.
The solid-state battery packs not only promise a longer range per charging cycle but also help in reducing vehicle weight and improving thermal efficiency, which in turn ensures better safety for electric vehicles. This technology also offers faster charging time for EVs and a longer battery lifespan as well.
While many automakers around the world have already started mulling the idea of using solid-state batteries in their future electric vehicles to gain the advantages that this technology offers over conventional lithium-ion batteries, Ola claims to take the first-mover advantage with this.
At its Battery Innovation Centre (BIC), Ola Electric showcased how the EV maker is working on the new battery tech. Aggarwal said that Ola is currently at a very early stage of its experimentation on solid-state batteries. Without giving a specific timeframe, he told HT Auto that in the near future, possibly before 2030, Ola plans to use solid-state battery technology in its electric vehicles.
Interestingly, Ola Chairman’s claim comes at a time when Toyota has already announced that it is working on solid-state battery technology very aggressively and expects to launch them globally in the next few years.
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Cost-effectiveness through indigenously built battery cells
Ola Electric does not currently produce its own battery cells but imports them from South Korea’s LG Energy Solution and China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd (CATL). However, the SoftBank Group-backed electric scooter maker aims to make its battery cells in-house. At the BIC, Ola Electric is currently working on three different battery technologies.
One of them is the 4680 battery cells which are bigger and more energy efficient than the 2170 cells, which are currently being used in the Ola range of electric scooters. Interestingly, global electric car major Tesla is also vehemently working on this same battery cell technology. Apart from the 4680 electrolyte-based lithium-ion battery cells, Ola Electric is also working on a sodium-ion battery technology and solid-state battery.
Ola Electric Chairman revealed that the company plans to use its indigenously built battery cells in its electric vehicles from early next year. In that case, we may see the 4680 powering the future Ola electric scooters from early 2025.
First Published Date: 30 Jun 2024, 09:49 AM IST