Daily News Analysis » Made in India Charging Standards

Made in India Charging Standards

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has approved an indigenously developed AC and DC combined charging connector standard for light electric vehicles (LEVs).

AC and DC Charging Explained:

  • AC (Alternating Current) gets converted to DC (Direct Current) either outside of the car (for AC chargers) or within the charger plug-in itself (for DC chargers).
  • Electric vehicle (EV) batteries in North America only accept DC, requiring chargers to always be AC/DC or solely DC.
  • In Europe and Japan, EV batteries can be charged using only AC.

New Made-in-India EV Charging Standard:

  • The standard, ISI7017 was developed by Indian organizations including NITI Aayog and Ather Energy.
  • It’s a world-first standard combining AC and DC charging for Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs).
  • It aims for interoperability, meaning it can be used across different EV models and charging stations.
  • However, it’s not mandatory for EV makers to use this uniform standard, potentially leading to range anxiety.

Need for a National Charging Standard in India:

  • Currently, different EV makers in India use various charging standards.
  • This situation is similar to the different charging ports used by Apple (Lightning) and Android (USB Type-C) phones.
  • Lack of a unified standard results in range anxiety and challenges for public charging stations.

Global Standards in EV Charging:

  • China: Uses the GB/T national standard and has a dense network of charging stations, effectively reducing range anxiety.
  • United States: Lacks a national standard, but some major manufacturers like Ford and GM are aligning with Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS).
  • Europe: Predominantly uses the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard, also an EU requirement for EV charging networks.
  • Japan: Relies on the CHAdeMO standard, established in 2010.

Why in News:

  • The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has approved an indigenously developed AC and DC combined charging connector standard for light electric vehicles (LEVs).