Bharat Charge Alliance and CHAdeMO Association join hands to standardize electric 2W and 3W charging infrastructure in India

As of today, there are no standardized protocol and charging connectors in the light electric vehicle industry. The Bharat Charge Alliance (BCA) is an open platform that aims to enable a common interoperable EV charging network in India that electric 2W and 3W users can use. Comprising of EV OEMs, charging station & component manufacturers, battery & energy providers and charge point operators, BCA has been constituted to form a safe and interoperable charging infrastructure across India for all the alliance members and their respective customers.

The BCA initiative is led by Kapil Shelke, Founder & CEO of Tork Motors. Regarding the initiative, Kapil said, “I have always believed in the democratization of technology to make it accessible and cost-effective for the consumer. Standardization of charging infrastructure will open up a whole new dimension for EV users in the two- & three-wheeler segments, where the chunk of the market exists, and adoption is rising. Interoperability and ease of utilizing each other’s charging network will be key towards ending the anxiety and apprehension about EVs and its ecosystem among sceptics.”  

The Alliance aims to set up EV charging infrastructure with the implementation of global protocols and standards. It is also advocating minimal change in vehicles to enable cost-effective and flexible charging touchpoints. In a bid to firm up its efforts, BCA & CHAdeMO Association have joined hands to promote interoperable charging infrastructure in India. The specifications for building interoperable charging infrastructure will be adopted based on the IS/IEC standards.

The Alliance intends to implement IS17017-25 (adopted from IEC 61851-25) EVSE standard and IS17017-2-6 (IEC 62196-6) vehicle inlet and connector standard published by the Bureau of Indian Standards.

Speaking on this collaboration, Tomomi Hakomori, Public Affairs Director at CHAdeMO Association, said, “We are pleased to be able to collaborate with BCA and to contribute to improve the charging infrastructure in India, and are really looking forward to the flourishing future of e-mobility in India”.

“CHAdeMO” is both the name of the DC charging technology and of the organisation tasked to develop the technology. CHAdeMO has enabled a DC charging standard for various types of electric vehicles, with seamless communication between the vehicle and the charger. CHAdeMO Association is an e-mobility collaboration platform around the CHAdeMO DC charging protocol. Members of CHAdeMO Association comprises of major automotive OEMs spanning all 7 continents.