Government think-tank NITI Aayog on Thursday released a draft battery-swapping policy, under which all metropolitan cities with population above 40 lakh will be prioritised for development of battery-swapping network under the first phase. The Aayog in its draft policy further said that all major cities, such as State capitals, Union Territory headquarters and cities with population above 5 lakh will be covered under the second phase, given the importance of two- and three-wheeler segments in growing cities.

According to the draft policy, vehicles with swappable batteries will be sold without a battery, providing the benefit of lower purchase costs to potential electric vehicle (EV) owners.

It said that any individual or entity was free to set up a battery-swapping station at any location, provided that the specified technical, safety and performance standards are adhered to.

Considering the constraint of space in urban areas for setting up charging stations of scale, Finance Minister, in her Budget speech 2022-23, had announced that the Centre would be introducing a battery-swapping policy and interoperability standards in order to improve efficiency in the EV ecosystem.

According to an official statement, in this regard, the NITI Aayog had held an inter-ministerial discussion to formulate a robust and comprehensive battery-swapping policy framework in February this year.