MG Motors to give used EV batteries a new lease of life

SAIC Motor Corp-owned MG Motors has found an innovative way to give a second lease of life to used EV batteries. In an interaction with BusinessLine , Gaurav Gupta, the chief commercial officer(CCO) of MG Motor India said the economic potential of battery reuse will further reduce the costs of EV batteries, leading to the increased value of a used EV.

MG Motors has partnered with Exicom Tele-Systems for the facilitating the reuse of ZS EV batteries. As part of the association, Exicom, which works with SAP to store and manage data, takes the MG ZS EV batteries and puts them through a controlled process of evaluation, disassembly, and repackaging to design custom battery packs for non-automotive applications.

‘AI and ML are the future’

Gupta said new technologies like AI and ML are the future of the automotive industry. Cars are no longer just vehicles for taking people from one place to another, but are whole experiences. “Today, consumer focus is not just on horsepower, but software-based advancements as well. Technology is redefining the manufacturing of cars,” he pointed out. He said for a sustainable future, batteries are the key to the transition from fossil fuel dependence to eco-friendly energy. “In the last decade, we have witnessed a surge in the production of lithium-ion batteries, leading to a reduction in prices. This has made electric vehicles and energy storage commercially viable,” he pointed out.

The CCO said there has also been advancement in manufacturing batteries, mainly in battery chemistry and design. It has resulted in higher energy storage that converts into a higher vehicle range per change, addressing customer anxiety around the range. In the future, the cost of EV batteries is expected to reduce while its efficiency and range will be increasing in the long term.

Gupta explained that the company has been leveraging advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning. “With our iSmart NextGen technology in all connected cars, we are presenting cars as a wholesome experience and not just a mere vehicle for transporting people.” Using Natural Language Understanding (NLU), the assistant not only overcomes the challenges of understanding different accents like Indian-English and English accents but also adapts Indian-English pronunciation. Similarly, Over the Air (OTA) technology provides updates on the go in our connected cars. With this technology, MG connected cars get a new look screen and themes, new apps and new entertainment content from time to time as new updates are made available.

M2M-embedded sim

MG Motors ushered in the internet-connected passenger cars in India with the launch of the SUV, MG Hector, which offers connectivity on the go with i-SMART NextGen technology. MG Motors has also introduced Machine to Machine(M2M)-embedded sim in the cars. The embedded sim, which is an internet protocol version, and is future proof with IPV6 for 5G, enables connected cars to communicate on their own with the cloud and the service provider. It keeps the cars connected to the internet and keep the operating system updated over the air.

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