Exide Industries Ltd, India’s leading manufacturer of lead acid storage batteries and power storage solutions provider, has formed a joint venture with the Switzerland-based Leclanche SA, one of the world’s leading energy storage solution companies, to build lithium-ion batteries and provide energy storage systems for India’s electric vehicle market and grid-based applications. Exide Industries, which is committed to setting up large-scale manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries, will be the majority shareholder and Leclanche will be the strategic minority shareholder of the JV.
The JV will set up a production plant in Gujarat. A module and battery pack assembly line is expected to be operational by Q2 2019 and a lithium-ion cell production plant is expected to be in operation by mid 2020. In the intervening period, cells will be sourced from Leclanche’s plant in
Willstatt, Germany.
With all the major cities in the world suffering from record-breaking pollution levels, there is an urgent need for radical new ways to power transport. Countries all over the world are working to find alternative solutions to reduce harmful NOx emissions, which are damaging to human health and the environment.
As part of the JV, Leclanche will provide access to its knowhow and intellectual property for lithium-ion cells, modules and battery management systems and Exide Industries will leverage its extensive sales network and brand. The JV will focus on e-transport, stationary energy storage systems and specialty storage markets. In e-transport, the target segment is fleet vehicles including e-buses, e-wheelers and e-rickshaws.
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