Zincgel Battery — The Future Of Electric–Mobility Technology
Offgrid Energy Labs, incubated by IIT Kanpur, announced that it plans to launch its innovative ZincGel battery technology in India by next year. The company intends to improve its battery swapping segment, by developing solutions for electric-mobility fleets that operate low-powered two-wheeler and three-wheeler electric vehicles.
When it comes to contemporary battery options, lithium-ion (“Li-on”) battery technology is a clear winner, attributing to a large percentage of the newly added capacities in the battery swapping sector. Nevertheless, owing to their high cost, ineffectiveness in high temperatures and short life cycle, these batteries are not particularly viable for last-mile transportation.
Considering these issues, Offgrid Energy Labs aims to revolutionise the global energy storage market with its breakthrough chemistry and indigenous electrode design in stationery and electric-mobility applications through its ZincGel battery technology. The ZincGel batteries are zinc-based and utilise recyclable materials readily available in the energy storage market in India and are thus a cost-effective and efficient replacement of the expensive imported Li-ion batteries. With the development of the first-of-its-kind zinc-based non-toxic alternatives, the start-up intends to address the key challenges — battery performance, reasonably priced batteries and ecological sustainability.
In light of the recent incidents reporting electric vehicles going up in flames, ZincGel battery technology appears to be the path ahead as it is not only non-flammable, recyclable and energy efficient (at par with Li-ion batteries), but also has twice the battery life, withstanding performance and thermal stress with negligible operating cost, potentially resulting in significant savings to the electric mobility operators. The investment costs by manufacturers will witness a change due to the ZincGel battery technology.
Not surprisingly, the maximum investment in the e-mobility sector has been focused towards creating capacities for the electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers for last-mile connectivity. Also, given rising fuel prices and supportive policies from several state governments, private equity investors and venture capital firms will increase their bet on electric mobility.
To keep pace with India’s fast urbanisation, an efficient transportation system powered by environment friendly electric-mobile devices is going to be a key catalyst for India in the coming years. The global electronic vehicles market is projected to grow from 8,151 thousand units in 2022 to 39,208 thousand units by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate of 21.7%. However, the recent electric vehicle mishaps seem to have induced fear in the minds of consumers and investors. New breakthroughs, such as the ZincGel battery technology, will encourage investors to explore other alternate energy sources, thereby improving the electric mobility ecosystem. While public attention has focussed on autonomous electric vehicles that might replace today’s internal-combustion cars, the electric mobility industry has headed in several promising new directions.
This blog has been authored by associates of Spice Route Legal, a leading Indian law firm with an industry focus on technology, energy and life sciences.
