The installation cost for both fast and slow charging networks is quite high. Kindly discuss how these costs are driving up the price of charging for electric vehicle owners, and how this could be addressed.

NHEV is the first-ever pilot that is adopting the Battery-as-a-subscription model which allows the battery and the vehicle to be sold separately. The subscription model leads to a massive reduction of about 30 - 40 per cent in the price of EVs and incentivises the fleet operators to buy electric the next time.

We all are familiar with Dhirubhai Ambani's model of Reliance when they gave cell phones in the hands of common people for just Rs 500. That model was based on CDMA technology which enforced a contract for the user to use only Reliance's network. Every month a postpaid bill was flashed to the user with usage expenses and a premium cost added for the phone which was not paid at the time of buying.

Similarly, the Battery-as-a-subscription (BaaS) model is the first of its kind that is tested under the NHEV Pilot. The battery and the vehicle are sold separately which reduces the Capex for fleet operators and owners by 30-40 per cent. Like Dhirubhai's model, every month a post-paid bill is flashed to the fleet operator with expense components.

The components of the monthly bill are:

• Chargers' Utilisation: This includes the cost of charging infrastructure used by the EV over that period.

• Roadside Assistance (RSA): This includes the cost of providing the Roadside Assistance (RSA) facility to the EV over that period.

• The premium amount: This is a small premium amount added to the monthly bill. This amount is charged against the initial unpaid Capex for the battery at the time of purchase of the EV.

There is a huge gap in the availability of charger stations in India as compared to other countries. What could be an immediate solution to this problem?

Before NHEV, no one ever stepped in for EV infrastructure financing for highways, thus it came up with Annuity Hybrid E-Mobility (AHEM) inspired by Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) holding the capability to change any 300 km highway or expressway into an E-highway within 90 days with charging stations, EV car fleets and buses, along with swift Roadside Assistance (RSA) and less priced EVS for nonstop running on the stretch to secure their repayment.

Under AHEM, procurement is done from on-boarded partners and suppliers, selected based on their performance and capabilities unlike traditional lowest bid wins criteria, for Capex in a fixed amount and deliverables for a considerable period of 12 months (Annuity) to earn OpEx for breakeven in 36 months. This model offers great flexibility and liquidity to the project partners.

NHEV has made e-mobility profitable for the first time and is planning to expand by bringing the charging station in direct competition with the petrol pumps technically, financially, and commercially.

The four noteworthy features of the National Highway for Electric Vehicles (NHEV) include:

1. Electric Mobility as a Service: Till now, most of the population viewed E-mobility as a product. However now with NHEV, electric mobility is transmuting into a service for the people. This is a culture-shattering step which promotes renting/booking an EV rather than buying it.

2. New financing model for EVs: For the first time, a new financing model for E-mobility in highways is introduced. NHEV has created a funding model called Annuity Hybrid E-Mobility (AHEM).

3. E-Mobility turned profitable: With two complete charging stations and many more to be constructed, NHEV has turned E-Mobility profitable. This brings charging stations in direct competition with fuel pump stations technically, financially, and commercially.

4. World's Longest E-highway Tech Trial: NHEV has completed the world's longest technical trial, TTR1 between Delhi and Agra to achieve success over four pain areas of the industry:

• NHEV offers backup under 30 minutes during vehicle breakdown,

• 30 per cent lesser EV prices for the fleet operators,

• More than 30 per cent utilisation of charging stations and

• Lastly the project reaches breakeven within 36-40 months.

Currently, there are multiple types of charging connectors used, making it difficult for EV start-ups to develop a universal charging solution that works across all EVs. Elaborate on how this lack of standardisation is making it difficult for charging infrastructure providers to scale up their operations.

Among prominent obstacles, we point out that early automakers have made significant investments in creating charging solutions to later create intellectual property (IP) on charging technologies for a distinct competitive advantage.

Second, automakers created their charging system in a way that emphasises brand distinction. To extend the life of the batteries, special charging parameters, such as voltage and current, are set for each charging port according to the battery chemistry. Third, the automotive sectors constantly view new charging methods such speedy fast charging and inductive charging solutions as market attracting factors.

Both present charging solutions do not seem to be capable of achieving the standardisation of the EV charging ecosystem. Nevertheless, with the assistance and collaboration of the e-mobility sector, particularly at the national level, some degree of standardisation can be accomplished. The successful collaboration of numerous parties, including automakers, utility providers, and policy makers, is a critical factor in the efficient implementation of EV charging infrastructures. NHEV ecosystem is bringing together the charge point operators and the third generation charging stations are planned to be standardised in every manner across 5,500 kilometres, solving this critical hindrance in the EV ecosystem.

The speed of EV charging infrastructure rollout is crucial to the success of e-mobility, and national efforts to standardise could assist lower barriers to EV charging and hasten EV adoption. The greater standardisation of charging protocols and devices will significantly draw new companies to the development of the charging infrastructure and enhance the charging network, perhaps boosting customer confidence in their decision to buy EVs.