Battery safety and longevity, the effects of charging and discharging, and various safeguards and features are among the most critical considerations for a battery pack. In a discussion with EFY’s Nitisha, Anshuman Divyanshu from Exicom provides valuable insights into these key aspects.
Q. What are the typical specifications of your two- and three-wheeler battery packs?
A. We supply chargers to many of the leading OEMs in the country. Our two-wheeler battery packs typically range from 1.9 kilowatt-hours (kWh) to 2.3kWh, while for three-wheelers, we offer 10.6 kWh battery packs. We manufacture both chargers and batteries. Additionally, we provide DC fast chargers to many charging point operators setting up nationwide charging infrastructure.
Q. What unique features set you apart from your competitors in the market?
A. Our AC chargers comply with ARAI (mandatory in India) and CE standards (European certification). Our chargers are IP66-rated, the toughest rating for AC chargers. Our AC and DC chargers incorporate dynamic load sharing and distribution. This technology ensures optimal load balancing among multiple chargers without exceeding the maximum connected load, preventing penalties and ensuring safety. We’ve pioneered a 24/7 remote monitoring system (RMS) for DC fast chargers, enabling real-time health monitoring of our chargers. RMS allows proactive and preventive maintenance, enhancing reliability and minimising downtime. This innovation ensures our chargers remain operational, addressing a key issue faced by many Indian charging stations.
Q. Can you customise battery packs to meet specific vehicle design requirements?
A. Yes, battery packs require significant customisation to align with each vehicle’s unique design and performance requirements. We collaborate closely with vehicle OEMs to deliver the desired outcomes, including range, safety, and user experience. Battery packs are not standardised. While we may produce 1.9kWh, 2.3kWh, or 10.6kWh packs, the integration with a vehicle demands tailored adjustments. This involves aligning the battery’s behaviour with the vehicle’s internal systems. The process is a joint effort between R&D teams, involving extensive data sharing, rigorous testing, and fine-tuning to ensure the battery and vehicle work seamlessly together. It’s not as simple as installing a standard battery pack into a vehicle—it requires meticulous coordination to achieve optimal performance and safety standards.
Q. How do you ensure the safety of your chargers and batteries during operation?
A. Our chargers incorporate six to seven layers of protection, including voltage regulation, reactive load handling, and temperature monitoring. Safety components such as high/low cut-off devices, fuses, and relays are integrated into the hardware and are governed by operating logic and predefined temperature and voltage ranges.
For example, in extreme heat, our chargers employ a ‘derating’ mechanism that limits current output until the temperature normalises, after which it resumes maximum output. For batteries, our proprietary battery management system (BMS) regulates performance under various conditions, such as frequent braking or steep inclines. It also compensates for poor charging infrastructure in some areas, ensuring batteries adhere to safety standards and operate optimally.
Additionally, we proactively incorporate global best practices and comply with government standards, continuously enhancing safety and performance across all our products.
Q. How do you ensure the interoperability of chargers across different vehicle types?
A. Our chargers are designed to be fully interoperable, ensuring compatibility with all types of vehicles. This is particularly critical for public charging infrastructure, where the vehicle type—whether Tata, MG, or another brand—is unpredictable. Before launching a new product, we conduct extensive testing with various vehicles.
For two-wheelers and three-wheelers, the scenario is still evolving. A few years ago, multiple standards—up to five or six—caused inconsistencies. However, with the government’s push for standardisation, we are collaborating with OEMs to develop interoperable products for these vehicles. Most two- and three-wheelers can use the 3.3 kilowatt industrial socket as a baseline charging option. Beyond this, higher-power charging requires additional customisation.
Overall, our products are designed to meet the needs of diverse vehicles, ensuring seamless charging compatibility across the market.
Q. Do you offer an intelligent monitoring system with IoT and cloud capabilities?
A. All data is stored in the cloud for our chargers and batteries, making it accessible to us and our customers for performance monitoring. These devices generate significant data, which is invaluable for designing our future products. As the market matures, the extensive data points we collect—regarding how vehicles and chargers perform under various conditions—are funnelled into our R&D process to identify and implement necessary improvements. With everything now cloud-based, we are also exploring ways to incorporate predictive intelligence by integrating AI. This allows us to analyse patterns in the data and leverage these insights to enhance and innovate our future product offerings.
Q. What is the typical lifespan of battery systems?
A. Battery systems typically come with warranties ranging from three to four years. Batteries store energy, and there is a finite limit to how much energy they can hold and the number of charge-discharge cycles they can undergo. Under normal usage conditions, a battery is expected to last between five and seven years. However, in cases of heavy usage, the lifespan may be reduced to anywhere between three and five years.
Q. What precautions should be taken to ensure the longevity of a battery?
A. From a safety perspective, several key factors are crucial. One important aspect is the power source. Frequent charging and discharging can significantly impact battery life, much like mobile phones, where charging before the battery is fully drained is recommended. Allowing a battery to discharge completely can reduce its lifespan. However, as battery technology evolves, manufacturers are incorporating safeguards to enhance the durability of battery packs.
Customers can help maintain battery health by following proper charging practices. This includes using a stable power source with appropriate voltage and current, preferably with copper wiring. Charging under these conditions helps prevent deterioration and extends the lifespan of the battery pack.
Q. What sustainability initiatives have you implemented for your batteries, including their recyclability?
A. We are actively collaborating with companies specialising in recycling to support the recycling process once a battery’s useful life has ended. Internally, we strongly emphasise sustainability within our plants and factories. We strive to use resources optimally, employing regenerative electric systems to minimise electricity wastage. Given that much of the electricity in India is derived from thermal grids, we make concerted efforts to conserve energy. Additionally, we integrate solar energy into our operations wherever possible and prioritise using raw materials that are environmentally friendly or recyclable in our product design.
Q. How do your chargers ensure energy efficiency and minimise power wastage?
A. Minimising energy loss during the charging process is essential for energy efficiency. In DC chargers, AC-to-DC conversion inherently causes some energy loss. To address this, we adhere to global and Indian standards to reduce energy losses. We use high-quality components designed to consume less electricity and minimise wastage.
All our DC chargers are now equipped with dynamic load-sharing capability, ensuring optimal power distribution when two vehicles with different power demands are connected. The system delivers the exact power required by each vehicle, preventing wastage. For instance, if a vehicle requires low power while the charger outputs high power, it leads to inefficiency. Dynamic load sharing optimises power delivery, significantly reducing energy losses.
Q. How do you support customers with maintenance, training, and troubleshooting solutions?
A. Our service and maintenance team handles all maintenance activities. On the sales side, we have a presence in most major cities, with the corporate office in Gurgaon managing sales relationships and coordination. We also offer comprehensive training programs tailored to our products. When new customers begin a project, they receive thorough training on our products, ensuring they are well-equipped as first-time users to understand and operate them effectively. These programs are designed to familiarise customers and their teams with the chargers, covering basic troubleshooting techniques and solutions for common issues that do not require advanced technical expertise. This approach empowers users with essential knowledge, enabling them to perform Level 1 troubleshooting independently and resolve frequent problems efficiently.
Q. Can you share details about your manufacturing facilities?
A. We have a manufacturing facility in Gurgaon dedicated to producing EV chargers and telecom equipment, alongside another facility for battery pack manufacturing in the same location. Additionally, we have an electrical rectifier manufacturing unit based in Solan, Himachal Pradesh. To expand our capabilities further, we are setting up a large Giga Factory in Hyderabad, which is expected to become operational between March and April of this year. Most of our manufacturing processes, including assembly lines for PCBAs, control boards, and other electronic components, are handled in-house. However, certain items, such as battery cells, are currently imported as no manufacturers produce them domestically. With several large companies now planning to enter the cell manufacturing space in India, we expect to transition to locally produced cells within the next one to two years.
Q. Are you working on any new innovations to address future EV requirements and trends?
A. We recently launched an innovative product called the distributed charger, becoming one of the first companies in India to introduce this technology. This product offers customers the flexibility to fully customise their operations, allowing them to determine the number of dispensing units and the power output for each unit. The product has garnered positive feedback and is now being sold across India to major customers, including large CPUs. Additionally, we are focusing on enhancing software integration to provide comprehensive network management solutions. With the growing number of charging stations, customers seek efficient, automated tools to manage their networks, reducing manual intervention. We are developing software tools to help our customers streamline their operations and improve overall efficiency.
Q. How do you deliver your services, and who are your typical customers?
A. We are primarily a B2B company supplying chargers to OEMs, where the chargers are integrated into their vehicles for end customers. We also supply government organisations and institutions that are setting up charging infrastructure. Recently, however, we have started shifting towards a B2C approach. This change comes as we observe a growing number of customers seeking to purchase chargers as off-the-shelf products.
Q. Why are you transitioning from a B2B to a B2C approach?
A. In the early stages of the EV industry, sales of chargers were predominantly B2B, primarily through OEMs. However, as the market matures, more customers want to purchase chargers through aftermarket channels. This includes individuals whose chargers are out of warranty or who wish to install chargers at secondary locations. Since OEM dealerships often do not stock these chargers, customers increasingly turn to online platforms or aftermarket sales channels. We have begun selling our AC 7.4 kilowatt chargers on Amazon to cater to this demand. Starting this month, we will expand our presence to other online platforms. Additionally, we have created our online store for chargers, which is set to launch soon.
Q. What are your fiscal growth insights and plans for upcoming years?
A. Last fiscal year, we achieved growth across both product categories. Our revenue mix remained stable, with 70% coming from Telecom and 30% from EV charging. We generated approximately ₹12 billion in revenue, with double-digit growth in both segments. Looking ahead, with policies and announcements being implemented, the next financial year promises to be highly dynamic and exciting. New car models, two-wheelers, and three-wheelers are set to launch, offering improved products and enhancing overall electric mobility. This development is expected to drive the sector forward significantly. FY 2025-26 will likely be a pivotal year, as substantial investments from stakeholders and an increase in new vehicle models will provide customers with better choices.
