Guidelines Issued to Boost Battery Swapping Ecosystem

On January 11, 2025, the Ministry of Power notified Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Battery Swapping and Charging Stations aimed at meeting the requirements of electric vehicles (EV) with integrated batteries. The guidelines aim to promote the use of swappable batteries as an alternative energy solution, promote batteries as a service, and develop the battery swapping ecosystem.

The guidelines cover operational standards, safety procedures, and legal obligations. All providers of swappable batteries and operators of battery charging stations (BCS) and battery swapping stations are subject to these rules. In addition, certain clauses from the ‘Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure—2024’ on the general requirements, safety, functionality, user experience, public land, tariffs, charging station network, etc. would now apply to Battery Charging Stations, Battery Swapping Stations, and Battery Providers.”

The guidelines also provide critical definitions like “battery as a service” (BaaS), battery swapping, battery swapping ecosystem, battery charging & swapping station, battery providers, and battery-to-grid systems, which allow EV batteries to store energy and return electricity to the grid when needed.

Operators of BCS and BSS will be allowed to use current electrical connections under the guidelines, regardless of whether the connected load is increased or not. Larger vehicles, such as buses and lorries, may also use liquid-cooled swappable batteries as part of the infrastructure. All charging stations and battery switching stations will be subject to the current safety requirements.

The Ministry delineated three principal goals:

• promoting battery swapping as a viable alternative method for powering EVs,
• encouraging the adoption of the BaaS model,
• and fostering the development of a comprehensive battery swapping ecosystem.

The guidelines provide operational efficiency and scalability by introducing fleet operators and organizations to the notion of captive charging and switching stations. A wider variety of EV consumers will be served by public BSS and BCS facilities, which will facilitate the quicker adoption of battery swapping technologies

The guidelines are introduced with the aim of addressing issues like charging time, range anxiety, and the high initial cost of EV batteries while also opening up new economic prospects. The project supports India’s overarching objective of attaining sustainable mobility and lowering its reliance on fossil fuels.

India’s battery swapping sector has experienced slow growth, primarily due to challenges related to battery standardization and infrastructure, resulting in only 2,500 battery swapping stations nationwide compared to 25,202 charging stations for vehicles with fixed batteries. However, these consistent efforts could be a turning point in India’s quest for sustainable mobility, as battery switching is essential to resolving the issues with conventional charging techniques.

For a detailed note on the role played by EV charging infrastructure, click here.