New Delhi: The Bharat Charge Alliance (BCA), an open platform aimed at synergies in creating a safer and interoperable eco-system for Indian light elective vehicle (EV) industry, is joining hands with CHAdeMO Association, the organisation tasked to develop the technology to promote interoperable charging infrastructure.
The specifications for building interoperable charging infrastructure will be adopted based on the IS/IEC standards. BCA intends to implement IS17017-25 (adopted from IEC 61851-25) EVSE standard and IS17017-2-6 (IEC 62196-6) vehicle inlet and connector standard published by Bureau of Indian Standard. Having adopted global IEC standards, the Alliance wants the vehicles to remain market (domestic and/or international) agnostic. ETAuto was the first to report on this Indian EV industry alliance, on 27th July.
The on-ground roll out is expected in a few weeks, and the Bharat Forge-backed EV startup Tork Motors is set to be the first player to adopt the new standardised charging protocol. Around 25 EV players, mainly 2 and 3-wheeler companies,are said to have expressed interest in the alliance for interoperable charging networks.
The Indian EV industry comprises EV OEMs, charging stations, component manufacturers, battery and energy providers and charge point operators. BCA has been constituted to form a safe and interoperable charging infrastructure across India for all the alliance members and their respective customers. Its mission is to define requirements that work for all OEMs in the industry & provide add-on technology over existing IS & IEC standards apart from custom protocols.The Alliance aims to set up a safe, robust and consumer friendly EV charging infrastructure with the implementation of global protocol and standards. This will enable a common/universal EV charging network, which can be used by both 2W and 3W users in B2C and B2B domains. It is also advocating minimal change in vehicles to enable cost effective and flexible charging touchpoints.
“CHAdeMO” is both the name of the DC charging technology and of the organisation tasked to develop the technology. CHAdeMO has enabled a DC charging standard for various types of electric vehicles, with seamless communication between the vehicle and the charger.
CHAdeMO Association is an e-mobility collaboration platform around CHAdeMO DC charging protocol. As an ecosystem of companies offering CHAdeMO-related products and services, the Association works together to promote and enable electric mobility on a global scale. Members of CHAdeMO Association comprises major automotive OEMs spanning all 7 continents.
The BCA initiative is led by Kapil Shelke, founder and CEO, Tork Motors. Speaking about the initiative, Kapil said, “I have always believed in democratization of technology in order to make it accessible and cost effective for the consumer. Standardization of charging infrastructure will open up a whole new dimension for EV users in the two- & three-wheeler segments, where a chunk of the market exists, and adoption is rising. Interoperability and ease of utilizing each other’s charging network will be key towards ending the anxiety and apprehension about EVs and its ecosystem among sceptics.”
Tomomi Hakomori, Public Affairs Director at CHAdeMO Association, said, “We are pleased to be able to collaborate with BCA and to contribute to improve the charging infrastructure in India, and are really looking forward to the flourishing future of e-mobility in India”.
