Why India needs 22 kW AC Onboard charger for every EV

Chandraprakash G | 2024-Jan-04

Chandraprakash G

Mass market EVs has peak DC charging speed of <30 kW

Majority of cars sold in India are entry level EVs especially the ones used for cabs like Tigor EV followed by popular consumer models like Tiago EV & Nexon EV.

As you could see the peak DC charging speeds of these cars ranges from 18 kW to 30 kW.

The 22 kW AC Onboard charger can charge the EVs at same speed as DC fast charging stations which is impressive.

Cost of DC charger is 10x compared to AC charger

22 kW Type 2 charger by ABB costs around ₹80k
30 kW Exicom DC charger costs around ₹8 Lakh

So in near future if all the EVs from factory has or at least provides option to have 22 kW Onboard charger, it would be vastly beneficial as we could intall 10 x 22 kW AC charging station in the place of single 30 kW DC charging station for the same cost, So the EVs will have 10x the charger availability!

Also the 22 kW AC charging machines are way cheaper and easier to maintain due to lack of huge AC-DC converters on AC charger rather the conversion is handled by EVs Onboard charger, So this would be easier on pocket for anyone planning to invest to install charging stations in City.

Also typical examples like JioBP Pulse charging hubs in Bengaluru, KA with 30 x CCS2 guns can be replaced with around 300 x 22 kW Type 2 for the same cost!

Cost of 22 kW Onboard charger

The cost of 22 kW Onboard charger would be somewhere around ₹1 to ₹1.5 Lakh but implementing creative approaches like Renault Zoe which uses the motor windings of the EV for AC-DC conversion would save a lot of cost on Onboard charger

3-phase connections are non existent in American homes but everywhere in India

Lack of 3 phase is the reason 11 kW AC is the peak power used in destination charging by Tesla

But India has 220V AC and almost all homes with an Air conditioner has a 3 phase connection
So we can tap into existing 3 phase connection to easily install 22 kW AC charger in home or outside without any additional changes to energy meter

Beneficial for EV Cab operators

This would kickstart the cab operators to migrate to EV at much faster pace as there would be ample number of AC chargers rather than expensive DC chargers in City

Profitable for individual EV cab owners

This would be even more profitable for individual EV cab owners as if one can charge at 22 kW Type 2 AC in home and the car would charge up in under a hour before finishing lunch.

Also considering the tariff, if you fear getting into higher tariff zones, simply apply for LT-7 (Low tension - Category 7) under newly created TNEB load classification in Tamilnadu.

This LT-7 connection can be used only for Private / Public charging, so make sure to use this dedicated connection only for charging your car unless you want a heavy penalty.

Also considering cost,
These are billed monthly and Fixed charges for 25 kW (+3 kW of buffer) would cost around 25 * ₹25 / kW = ₹625 / month

Whether you use it or not, ₹625 / month should be paid as fixed charges for 25 kW of load, apart from ₹6-₹9 / kWh for energy.

Conclusion

If you have an EV and use it as a Cab then better to take dedicated LT-7 connection for charging as your consumption will be high.

Also if you are crossing the 1000 kWh which will let you into ₹11/kWh on 2 month domestic billing cycle, it’s better to take dedicated LT-7 connection for charging your EV as it’ll be cheaper at ₹6-₹9 / kWh and also will not spike your domestic energy usage.

Final words,
As many know getting a connection from TNEB is not a simple task, so specifically for this Govt had made this entire process online, so you can apply online and these LT-7 connections will be given under a month or two.