Ola Signs PLI To Make EV Battery Cells In India

Ola Electric and the Indian government have reached a deal for the local production of battery cells under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) programme. Reliance New Energy and Rajesh Exports Limited are the other two recipients of the government programme, leaving Ola Electric as the single vehicle manufacturing beneficiary. Bhavish Aggarwal, the CEO and founder of Ola Electric, claims that this partnership would lessen the industry’s reliance on imported battery packs.

Ola recently declared that it has produced the NMC 2170, India’s first locally built lithium-ion cell. The company states that mass manufacturing of this cell, which is a crucial component of this agreement, would begin in 2023 at Ola’s future 50GWh gigafactory in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu. It has enlisted vendors from a number of countries, including Korea, Germany, and Japan, to start mass producing its cell.

The company claims to be hiring top cell R&D expertise globally and has a goal of hiring 500 PhDs and engineers. The battery pack is the most expensive part of an electrical vehicle, so having a locally made, more reasonably priced option will be beneficial for keeping EVs within the reach of the average consumer.

The Battery Innovation Centre (BIC) which located in Bengaluru, is scheduled to open in August. It will serve as the foundation for core cell development technology and battery innovation coming from India for the rest of the globe. BIC will host cutting-edge laboratories and high-tech battery research equipment for creating localised and futuristic cell technologies.