Vorarlberg-based battery specialist e.battery systems and Indian company Amara Raja Batteries are starting joint development of the first liquid-cooled battery for 2- and 3-wheeled vehicles in India. The battery with immersion cooling and rapid charging will be designed specifically for the fast-growing Indian market for e-scooters and e-rickshaws and is scheduled for testing in early 2023. From fall 2023, production of more than 10,000 units per year is planned in a specially built semi-automated production line in India.
With around 15 million new registrations per year, India is the second largest motorcycle market in the world. The share of e-scooters is currently around twelve percent – and rising sharply. This also applies to the growing market for electric rickshaws. The Austrian technology company e.battery systems, based in Wolfurt (Vorarlberg), and Amara Raja Batteries, India's second-largest battery manufacturer, are now jointly developing safe, durable and efficient lithium ion batteries for 2- and 3-wheeled vehicles. Series production is scheduled to start in fall 2023.
At the beginning of August, the two companies signed a long-term agreement at Amara Raja Batteries' headquarters in Hyderabad in the southern Indian state of Telangana to develop, produce and market the first swappable battery with immersion cooling on the Indian market. In the innovative technology, the battery cells are surrounded by a non-conductive liquid. This ensures uniform cooling and enables faster charging processes.
"It can get very hot in India. That is where safety and precise temperature control are of paramount importance. An immersion liquid cools more efficiently as well as more effectively than conventional methods and thus the battery's life can be expended by up to 30 percent," explains Christopher Schöpf, founder and CEO of e.battery systems.

In early 2023, e.battery systems and Amara Raja Batteries plan to test the first prototypes and then start the certification. Production is scheduled to start in fall 2023. To this end, the two companies will jointly set up a partially automated production line at the site in India. In the first step, the leading manufacturers of electrically powered 2- and 3-wheeled vehicles will be supplied with over 10,000 batteries per year.
Schöpf sees enormous potential in international cooperation: "The demand on the Indian market is growing rapidly and the technology can also be adapted for other e-mobility sectors. With our technical know-how, we are giving vehicle manufacturers a head start in the market."
With its investment in lithium-ion technology, the major Indian company specializing in lead-acid batteries for industrial and automotive applications is expanding its portfolio. "We are focusing on customized battery systems. Together with e.battery systems, we are realizing another forward-looking solution and thus enabling the transition to zero-emission transport," emphasizes Vikramaditya Gourineni, Executive Director of Amara Raja Batteries.

Amara Raja Batteries Limited is part of the Amara Raja Group and is a technology leader and one of the largest manufacturers of lead acid batteries for industrial and automotive applications in India. The company's industrial and automotive batteries are exported to 32 countries worldwide. In India, Amara Raja Batteries supplies the automotive sector as well as telecommunications service providers, railroads, the energy sector and other industries. The Amara Raja Group employs over 15,000 people at 16 locations. www.amararajabatteries.com