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S. Muralidhar

Chennai, Oct. 14 Electric vehicles can be as challenging to manufacture as hybrids. The latter has, till recently, been the more popular and practical option. The limitation and hence the technological hurdle to developing fully electric vehicles (EVs), lies in the battery pack.

Developing an EV can be fraught with frustrations since striking the right balance between available battery power, driving range and weight is a complex one. Converting a conventional fossil fuel car into an EV is not as easy as replacing the engine with electric motors and boosting the battery power.

EVs run on the battery pack’s stored power. The quandary that EV manufacturers have to face involves the increased weight that a larger battery pack will bring with it, though it may (without considering the higher weight) be capable of boosting the vehicle’s range. So, the driving range is not directly proportional to the storage capacity of the battery pack.

But, the EV’s appeal hinges on the driving range that it can offer between each plug-in. This is where the Lithium-ion battery pack comes in as the more practical option compared to the conventional and much heavier lead-acid (VRLA) batteries.

However, Lithium-ion battery packs come with their own set of problems. They still don’t offer enough driving range unless the pack is sizeable. Li-ion battery packs also need to be well ventilated for heat dissipation, since they tend to get heated during discharge.

They can also be a safety hazard, if proper cut-off protection is not offered, in the event of overheating. There also needs to be adequate protection provided in vehicle against shocks, in the event of an accident.

Tata Motors’ majority equity stake acquisition and association with Miljo Grenland/Innovasjon of Norway will give it access to the key technology prowess required for integrating a super polymer Lithium-ion battery pack (much better energy density and storage capacity compared to ordinary Li-ion) and the electric motors with the help of a central controller. The central controller or processor does the critical job of ensuring consistent/even, speed-based supply of electricity to the motors, thereby conserving the battery pack’s power. It can also enable the re-routing of charge back into the battery pack, if the vehicle is equipped with regenerative braking.

The Norwegian company is a well-known battery-pack developer and vehicle integrator that has had other collaborations in the past. With the Indica EV (to be co-developed by both the partners) potentially capable of offering a driving range of 200 km per charge, nearly two-thirds of the range offered by the regular petrol version, it could well be worth the wait.

More Stories on : Mergers & Acquisitions | Tata Motors Ltd | Cars

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