The draft is up for consultation, and Niti Aayog has invited comments on it until June 5
Niti Aayog has released a draft battery swapping policy which prioritises all metropolitan cities with a population above 40 lakh for the development of battery swapping network under the first phase.
In the draft policy, the Aayog said all major cities such as state capitals, UT headquarters and cities with population above 5 lakh will be covered under the second phase, given the importance of the two-wheeler and three-wheeler vehicle 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 EV owners.
It said any individual or entity is free to set up a battery swapping station at any location, provided that the specified technical, safety and performance standards are adhered to.
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.
The draft is up for consultation, and Niti Aayog has invited comments on it until June 5.
