India is on the path of an EV Revolution. Popular Luxury automakers such as Toyota, BMW, and Lexus have already forayed into the segment with their MPVs. However, the industry still faces certain challenges. One of the roadblocks is the long time required for charging EV batteries. However, this will no longer be a problem once India implements the ‘aluminium air technology.’ A joint venture of India and Isreal, once the research is over, the electric batteries in EVs will be replaced with aluminium air technology. What EV owners have to do is head to the pump, reload the aluminium energy, and drive!
The recently concluded Auto Expo 2023 showcased India’s first vehicles operating on aluminium air. A pilot project is going on in Israel on Tata Motors and Mahindra and Mahindra cars. If the experiments win, it will disrupt the e-mobility sector in India. How would aluminium air tech change the scenario? Aluminium has a high energy density of 8kWh/kg. A 600 gm aluminium plate can generate 2.5 kWh of energy. A vehicle can cover 25 kilometres with this energy. As the aluminium weight increases, the energy quantity will also go up. Experiments have shown that a vehicle can cover about 500 km using aluminium energy.
Above all, the aluminium air systems for electric vehicles do not require charging. It can be handled with hands. The idea is to reload the aluminium energy at pumps just like we reload fuel at pumps now. The facility will first come in the Indian Oil Corporation pumps. This lightweight and safe aluminium air system can be refitted to the vehicle within minutes.
This project is a 50:50 joint venture between Indian Oil Corporation and IOC Phinergy Limited. The research and development of the aluminium air technology, production, and allied services will be designed in India. “We will first bring about this technology in India via electric three-wheelers and four-wheelers. Indian Oil Corporation will bring a new change to India through aluminium air technology,” said Sanjeev Gupta, Executive Director, IOCL.
Phinergy and IOP have partnered with Hindalco in India on R&D and pilot production of Aluminium plates for Aluminium-Air batteries, and recycling of Aluminium after usage. Electric vehicles powered by aluminium air enjoy no grid dependency, lower capital cost, and about five times the range of EVs powered by traditional batteries. Since it is made in India, it supports the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. “Introducing the aluminium air technology gives us hope. Hindalco will take care of the production. Now, it is a certified product in Israel and Europe. IOP, formed by IOC and Phinergy, believes that aluminium air technology will soon be a reality in India,” said David Mayer, CEO of Phinergy.
