So many in the pipeline: India’s new EV policy tweaks could see one charging point in every 3X3 sq. km grid – but EV sales need to pick up too | Photo: Ather Energy

India: Several policy tweaks, battery recycling policy in the works

New policy tweaks by the Union ministry of power mean that India could install at least one EV charging point within every 3km X 3km grid, set up a charger every 25km along national highways and possibly even exempt EVs from toll taxes. Fast chargers are also likely to be installed every 100km along inter-city highways.

The Centre is reportedly also mulling a li-ion battery recycling policy, a large chunk of which is likely to service batteries from EVs. The policy will roll out incentives for entities to collect and recycle spent EV batteries. India’s li-ion battery market is expected to balloon at 35% CAGR and go from 2.9GWh in 2018 to 132GWh in 2030.

NASA testing all-electric aircraft for clean aviation

NASA is testing an all-electric plane — the X-57 Maxwell — which could offer insights into commercialising electric propulsion for flying. The plane will use two experimental configurations and may boast of up to 500% increase in cruise efficiency over conventional aircraft. And most importantly, electric aircraft promise to be truly zero-emissions.

Inventors of Li-ion batteries awarded chemistry Nobel

The three inventors of the lithium-ion battery were chosen for the 2019 Nobel prize in Chemistry last week for their contribution to making energy storage from renewables possible and affordable. The three professors, John B. Goodenough of the USA, Japan’s Akira Yoshino and British-American Stanley Whittingham will share the $980,000 in prize money, which is a recognition of their breakthrough that goes back to work started in the 1970s, during the global oil crisis.

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