World Environment Day 2024 Special: Is Battery Swapping Technology The Future Of India’s Commercial Trucks?

On World Environment Day 2024, let's explore how electric trucks can ensure environmental sustainability and how establishing battery-swapping stations can improve logistical uptime. Read on

Key Highlights

• Commercial-grade electric trucks are the future of last-mile and long-haul logistics operations, aiming for high uptime and profitability.
  
  
• The integration of battery-swapping technology can address the problems of lengthy charging times and the insufficient establishment of charging stations across India, which trouble truck fleet owners and operators.
  
  
• With the right set of governmental incentives, programs and policy integrations, the establishment of battery-swapping technology for trucks would be possible to enhance the uptime.

With the significant developments in powertrain technology and aggregate integrations, the realm of electric mobility is gaining significant traction, in terms of improvement in adoption rates, among logistical businesses and fleet owners in India. The radical shift in how we perceive electric haulage solutions and sustainability goals has led to the sector's growth. 

Moreover, technological innovations such as the utilisation of predictive maintenance based on artificial intelligence (AI) and digital systems like an AI-based telematics unit have significantly contributed to improving the efficiency of commercial-grade electric vehicles. This indeed has resulted in the improvement of logistical operations and adoption rates. 

In addition to the establishment of a robust fleet management system aimed at improving fleet operations of electric vehicles, the zero tailpipe emission capabilities of trucks have resulted in the integration of multiple total cost-of-ownership focused benefits for fleet owners. This includes incentives from private manufacturers and low-interest and EMI-based loans. 

However, the problem of charging time and not enough establishment of charging stations across the country are troubling fleet owners and operators planning on plying the vehicles for high uptime and profitability. But like every problem, there is a solution to this issue according to leading industry experts. Let’s explore them in detail. Read on: 

Related Link: Safe and Sustainable: Blue Energy Motors' LNG Trucks Set New Standards for India's Trucking Industry

Battery Swapping For India’s Electric Trucks

Today, being a day with significance, to setting new targets and moving towards a sustainable future – World Environment Day 2024, celebrated every year on June 5th – let’s explore how as a country we can lower the sector’s emissions by 2.8-3.8 gigatonnes of CO2 (cumulatively) by 2050 and help fleet owners and operators tackle range anxiety. Read on:  

Battery Swapping Tech: Good Or Bad?

According to the research conducted by the ‘The International Council On Clean Transportation (ICCT),’ China is the largest market for electric trucks with 36,000 units sold in 2022 alone. The country is also focused on the utilisation of battery-swapping technology and data suggests that in 2022, 49.5 % of China’s electric trucks sold were swap-capable.

As per ICCT, China’s battery swapping stations for electric trucks use mechanical arms to swap the battery pack in just 3-6 minutes. The battery packs used by such swap-capable trucks are 141 kWh - 282 kWh and have the capacity to offer a range of less than 100 km one-way for short haulage operations which is decent, enabling lower emissions. 

These battery-swapping stations in China store precisely 7 batteries and it takes about 40 minutes to charge up the battery pack from 20-30 % when connected to a fast charger. The 7 number of battery packs are chosen based on intensive research and simulations which showcased that it is the optimal number of batteries required in a swapping station. 

(Battery swapping station for electric trucks in China) Image: ICCT

This number is decided closely considering how many trucks would receive it, the time it takes to swap the batteries and the time it would take to recharge a depleted battery. 

However, it must be noted that even though battery-swapping technology can significantly reduce charging, environmental concerns and uptime-related issues, there are some problems that China has been facing. The primary problem they face with battery swap stations is the lack of standardisation of batteries. 

Batteries produced by different manufacturers can vary in shape, size, and how they are connected to the trucks. At present, truck drivers can only swap batteries at certain battery-swapping stations. Next, the high cost of installation is a factor that needs to be addressed. Based on ICCT’s interviews with station owners, setting up a battery-swapping station costs around ¥7–8 million (Rs 8-9-crore). 

Now coming to India, the solution to resolving these issues, if integrated, would be policy implementations by the government, wherein incentives are offered to promote swapping station adoption.

Conclusion: How To Establish Battery Swapping Tech For Indian Trucks

An essential aspect of integrating battery-swapping technology in India would be the prioritisation of the form factor. When utilising mechanical arms to swap battery packs without manually lifting the battery pack in and out of trucks to minimise downtime, the battery’s contact points must line up and connect with the contact points on the powertrain. 

Considering India, this would have been an issue if multiple manufacturers were offering different battery packs that can vary in size and format. However, in India, there is still time for standardisation since there are far fewer manufacturers and models, to begin with. This makes it easier to achieve standardised form factors, battery sizes and shapes and their interchangeability. 

Moreover, as mentioned earlier, with the right set of incentives, programs and policy integrations, the establishment of battery-swapping technology for trucks would be possible to enhance the uptime and profitability of fleet owners and subsequently, enhance the adoption rate of electric trucks in India. 

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