KOLKATA: Bengal’s e-vehicle aspiration, particularly e-buses in public transportation, has hit a bump following a massive crunch in supply of lithium ion batteries that power electric vehicles (EV). The admission came from transport minister Firhad Hakim on Thursday at a symposium organised by the Merchant Chamber of Commerce.
Hakim said Bengal wanted to replace its diesel-guzzling, highly polluting bus fleet with zero emission e-vehicles at a faster pace but the acquisition of e-buses was not as easy. It requires a long waiting period after placing an order as there is a serious shortage of lithium ion batteries. China, the biggest producer of lithium ion batteries, has slowed down its export. “Manufacturers are not being able to meet the delivery commitments as they have the buses ready but not the batteries,” he said.
“We are exploring the idea of whether we could import the same from Australia and whether such import will be cost-effective or not. Since the battery is the most expensive component, the vehicles will be costlier if the battery costs more,” Hakim told TOI. The price of battery-grade lithium carbonate, a powder that is used in the making of batteries, has surged by 27%.
