Pune: The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) has indigenously developed charger for electric vehicles considering the need to boost the charging mechanism of electric vehicles in the country, said Reji Mathai, director, ARAI.
Speaking during a press conference on Tuesday, Mathai said that to promote electric vehicles, infrastructure for charging is important and since the mobility chargers are imported, the focus of ARAI is to develop chargers indigenously, which will be cost-effective and boost local economy.
“Many components of EV like motors and controllers are imported and even chargers are being brought from abroad. ARAI has developed an indigenous technology for EV charger AC001, which has been taken up for manufacturing and promotion by Bharat Electronics. The charging points will be set up by Bharat Electronics and parts for EV charger systems- Type 1, Type 2, CCS and CHAdeMO will be manufactured locally,” said Mathai.
He said that the charger has been designed considering the safety aspects and power surge in India with other aspects like environmental conditions and it will also be cost-competitive. ARAI has recently signed MoU with Bharat Electronics Limited where ARAI will provide the knowhow of the charges and Bharat Electronics will manufacture the chargers. The cost of the charger is expected to be in the range of ₹50,000-60,000.
In addition, as ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistant System) vehicles and cylinder testing centres need dedicated space, ARAI is setting up a new centre in Takwe. Investments to the tune of ₹500 crore shall be made in phased manner in the next 3-4 years in setting up this centre.
“One of the areas would be ‘Testing Tracks’ which could be useful for carrying out development of ADAS vehicles. Additional facilities related with the cylinder testing and Transmission Gearbox Testing Center (TGTC) have been planned along with a Hydro-fuel cell and Rapid Prototyping centre at Takwe,” said Mathai.
Nitin Dhande, senior deputy director, ARAI, said that the organisation is planning to set up dedicated skill development centres that will impart necessary knowledge and shall undertake skilling for engineering students in the electric vehicles segment. The course content is ready and some part of it could be available in the form of e-content. These centres would also have research and test labs, which could also be utilised to nurture startups in the e-mobility sector. ARAI is currently in talks with Telangana and Kerala Government to set up such centers.
17th edition of SIAT will be online
The 17th edition of Symposium on International Automotive Technology (SIAT) 2021 organised by The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) in association with SAEINDIA and SAE International (USA) will be held from September 29 to October 1, 2021. In the light of the current situation related to Covid, the conference and Expo will be organised in virtual mode for the first time, said Reji Mathai, director, ARAI and SS Thipse, convenor, SIAT 2021 at a press conference at ARAI on Tuesday.
Other officials from ARAI including Nitin Dhande, senior deputy director; Anand Deshpande, senior deputy director; Vijay Pankhawala, deputy director and BV Shamsundara, deputy director were present.
Central Heavy Industries Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey will inaugurate SIAT 2021 and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will be the chief Guest for the valedictory for the closing ceremony
The theme of SIAT 2021 will be ‘Redefining Mobility for the Future’. It will serve as a forum for exchange of ideas and brainstorming for the automotive industry, with participation of eminent experts worldwide in various automotive arenas and will cover topics including Active and Passive Safety Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Advanced Powertrain Technology, Biofuels, Construction Equipment Vehicles, E-mobility, Emission Measurement & Control Technology, Harmonization of Regulations, Materials & Manufacturing and Public Transportation Systems among many others.
Source: hindustantimes.com
