How do you bolster that growth?

Simply put: You must take a lead and invest yourself selflessly into the process, pain, and effort that goes into building awareness among people, sharing your knowledge and experiences, and advocating for conducive policy to set a level playing field for industry stakeholders. It does not end here but also involves understanding the critical practical and psychological needs of the early adopters and finding innovative solutions for spreading positive word-of-mouth through them, dispelling myths, putting a great deal of thought to find the bumpy spots and smooth them out.

You need to take a radical approach at each step riding on your legacy of being the pioneering company and a market leader. This further entails setting in place the building blocks that will be needed to succeed once the technology is adopted on a larger scale in the larger interest of the users. Such initiatives have the potential to increase people’s interest in the new technology, build their confidence, and influence them to make the right and more informed decisions.

At Glida India, we understand that users must be provided with confidence to freely move forward so that they will not have to deal with range anxiety, which continues to be a significant issue and barrier in the widespread adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs).

We firmly believe that public EV charging infrastructure with a larger number of DC Fast Chargers at accessible locations is the futuristic solution for everyday mobility. They reduce charging time, address range anxiety, and make long-distance travel easier. This will go a long way in establishing electric vehicles in the mainstream.

Last week was one of great action for Fortum Charge & Drive India. Mr. Awadhesh Kumar Jha – Executive Director, Glida India – was invited as a keynote speaker at two critical industry forums: the maiden edition of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) India Europe Business & Sustainability Conclave organized in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India (February 28 – March 1, 2023), and the “EV Charging Infrastructure in India” Conference organized by Renewable Watch Magazine and Power Line Magazine (March 2–3, 2023, Le Meridien, New Delhi).

Mr. Jha has had a lifelong interest in sustainability and propagating clean energy. He is always eager to support ideas that could change things for the better and help make the world a cleaner and healthier place. He is an international keynote speaker, author, thought leader, industry top voice, and futurist on the topic of electromobility.

He also serves as an Executive Member of the India Electric Mobility Council (IEMC) initiated by the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) to promote the adoption of electric vehicles in the country.

Excerpts from His Address at India Europe Business & Sustainability Conclave

– He emphasized how the potential discovery of lithium reserves in India would fundamentally alter the entire EV ecosystem and place it on the fast track in the coming years. Even if only 10% of the discovered 5.9 million tonnes of lithium reserve is economically usable, it amounts to 0.6 million tonnes. Since 1 kWh of battery requires around 160–250 grams of lithium, 1 tonne of lithium can electrify 100 cars with 40 kWh battery capacity. Thus, 0.6 million tonnes of lithium could electrify around 60 million electric cars with an average 40 kWh battery size.

– He continued by explaining that this lithium reserve is sufficient to electrify India’s vehicle market for years, and recycling lithium batteries at the end of their life will feed the ecosystem, making it self-sufficient. With around 40 million internal combustion engine (ICE) cars currently on the road, this builds a promising case for India’s EV industry.

– Additionally, he explained why India needs a strong DC Fast Charger Network across accessible urban locations to support four-wheeler electric vehicles. He stressed that cities are where EV adoption begins, but Indian cities are congested — with nearly 70% of cars in Delhi and Mumbai parked on roads. Public, shared spaces authorized for charge point operators (CPOs) offer a more optimal solution than individual private spaces.

– He also emphasized that government support is crucial for making robust electricity infrastructure available. He called for speeding up electricity connection approvals, which currently delay CPO deployment. India will need around 60,000 charging points annually for electric cars by 2030, up from 5,000 today — a goal achievable if connection delays are resolved.

Click here to watch Awadhesh Kumar Jha addressing the CII India Europe Business & Sustainability Conclave on March 1, 2023.

Key Takeaways from “EV Charging Infrastructure in India” Conference (2nd March 2023)

– Mr. Jha noted: “In a country like India, where resources are constrained, investing in sub-optimal categories like individual home chargers should be avoided. Community charging should be promoted instead. As EVs become more mainstream, the demand for public charging stations will rise.”

– He emphasized that imposing ceilings on service charges can distort the EV industry and hinder market growth.

– He highlighted the importance of interoperability in payment solutions for user convenience. He introduced Charge-Thru, a revolutionary product by Fortum Charge & Drive India, which allows EV users to charge without an app or RFID tag — marking a step toward interoperable EV charging.

– He also announced the launch of a 360-degree integrated payments solution — a co-branded prepaid RuPay Card by Fortum Charge & Drive India — enabling EV users to control their funds and make payments across various CPO networks. Read more here.

Mr. Jha believes that the time for electric mobility has truly arrived and that enhancing the customer experience will be key to propelling the industry’s growth.

Follow Awadhesh Kumar Jha on LinkedIn to read his thoughts regularly.