The Silent Force Behind Smart Cars: 3M India's Innovation Journey

The green mobility revolution in India is no longer a far-fetched dream, it is a pressing need The battery will play an integral role as the connected and autonomous electric vehicles (EVs) of the future redefine mobility.

- Anil Radhakrishnan Chief Product Officer Tata Elxsi

With regard to the adoption of EVs, we have made considerable investments. However, the robust supporting framework for tracking active and inactive batteries, or "Battery Aadhaar," still needs attention.

In addition to enabling greener transport, this mobility framework strives towards more intelligent, safer, and responsible systems — especially regarding Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs). While India aims to aggressively promote clean mobility, the concept of Battery Aadhaar could work silently and assist seamlessly towards that vision.

The Need for a Battery Identity System

The foundational component of every electric vehicle (EV) is their batteries. Unlike traditional engines, batteries are intricate, sensitive, and prone to degradation over time. The EV industry continues to grapple with persistent challenges spanning from safety concerns and inconsistent performance to complications withsecond-life applications, inefficient recycling workflows, and archaic methods. To make matters worse, the lack of traceability has opened the door to grey markets, counterfeit parts, and hazardous reuses.

Battery Aadhaar addresses these challenges by aiding each battery with a digital identity — biometrics-based. It captures critical information like the battery's origination, chemistry, usage patterns, charging history, and maintenance logs. This data follows the battery throughout its lifecycle from assembly lines to roadways, midlife repurposing centers, and final recycling stages. All stakeholders benefit from such transparency: compliance and quality can be assured by manufacturers, informed ownership decisions can be made by users, and predictive maintenance can be provided by service providers. Regulatory bodies can enforce safety and sustainability norms. In essence, Battery Aadhaar becomes the ‘truth layer’ of India’s battery ecosystem.

Accelerating Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs)