India teams up with Japan to develop affordable EV charging standard

India and Japan are reportedly working on a joint initiative to develop a standard for electric vehicle charging in emerging markets. The duo will use Japan’s protocols to make easier-to-install and operate EV charging stations.

The CHAdeMO Association, which is responsible for developing the charging standard in Japan, will work with a group of automakers, such as Suzuki and Mahindra, to develop a proposal for the Bureau of Indian Standards. The committee’s draft proposal is expected to be submitted this year.

The association, which has about 500 members, aims to encourage the widespread usage of electric vehicles in India and other emerging markets. For those unaware, most Southeast Asian countries lack the necessary infrastructure to support the charging of electric cars.

In addition, the proposed standards would allow charging stations to output up to 22 kilowatts. This is half of the figure that’s typically used in Japan. Moreover, by simplifying the construction process, it would make it easier for factories to install charging points as well.

Since the lower output would lengthen the charging time of electric cars, it is expected that the trade-off would be acceptable given the development of high-range EVs. Additionally, since the demand for electric cars in emerging markets would initially be mainly for compact cars, this issue could be resolved.

The proposed standards would allow Japanese automakers to export their electric vehicle models to other countries without affecting the charging connectors. This would also allow local companies in emerging markets to expand their regional business.

In India, the goal is to have 30% of new car sales come from electric vehicles by 2030, while other countries in Southeast Asia are also expected to start using electric cars. Despite the rapid growth of China's electric vehicle market, the adoption rates in other emerging Asian countries have been relatively slower with India recording fewer than 20,000 electric cars last year.

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