The recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that predicted serious consequences if temperatures were allowed to rise just 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Transport emission accounts for a quarter of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Ending the hegemony of the internal combustion (IC) engine and replacing it with electric Vehicles is thus gaining importance. Lithium Ion batteries and Hydrogen fuels are the two options to power the e-Vehicles.

Lithium Ion Battery:

• It is type of rechargeable battery that contains several cells.
• Each cell consists of cathode, anode and electrolyte, separator between electrodes and current collectors. Li-ion battery use intercalated lithium compound as one electrode material.
• When the battery is charging up, the lithium-cobalt oxide, positive electrode gives up some of its lithium ions, which move through the electrolyte to the negative, graphite electrode and remain there.
• When the battery is discharging, the lithium ions move back across the electrolyte to the positive electrode, producing the energy that powers the battery.

Advantages:

• Li-ion batteries are rechargeable (lifecycle of 5000 recharges), highly space efficient, light-weight and low-maintenance vis-à-vis lead acid batteries.
• High energy density: The much higher power density offered by lithium ion batteries is a distinct advantage.
• Rate of self-discharge is much lower than that of other rechargeable cells such as Ni-Cad and NiMH forms.
• It can provide instant torque to the electric motor and maintain constant voltage throughout entire discharge cycle.
• Clean and safe technology vis-à-vis fossil fuels.

Challenges:

• Raw materials are concentrated only in few places on earth. Example: Afghanistan, China etc.
• They are not as robust as some other rechargeable technologies and requires long durations for charging.
• They require protection circuitry incorporated to ensure they are kept within their safe operating limits.
• Typically they are around 40% more costly to manufacture than Nickel cadmium cells.

Hydrogen-Fuel Cells:

• Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that convert chemical energy in fuels into electrical energy directly.
• A fuel cell produces electricity, water, and heat using fuel and oxygen in the air.
• An electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, catalysed by platinum, to produce energy.
• Water is the only emission when hydrogen is the fuel.

Advantages:

• A fuel cell operating on pure hydrogen emits zero emissions at the source.
• Fuel cells provide a much longer operating life than a battery, and since fuel cells have a higher energy density, they are lighter than an equivalent battery system.
• Fuel cells create energy electrochemically, and do not burn fuel, they are fundamentally more efficient than combustion systems.
• They do not require recharging and is a renewable source of energy.
• Hydrogen can be produced from domestic resources, eliminating the need to import foreign oil. It gives energy security.
• Fuel cells are modular, and can be scaled up depending on the power needs of a facility. Larger fuel cells can be linked together to achieve multi-megawatt outputs

Challenges:

• While widely available, hydrogen is expensive. it takes a lot of time to separate the hydrogen element from others.
• The transport and storage of hydrogen is deemed impractical.
• Since it is a very powerful source of fuel, hydrogen can be highly inflammable.
• Other non-renewable sources such as coal, oil and natural gas are needed to separate hydrogen from oxygen. As a result, carbon dioxide is also emitted in the air and makes global warming worse.

Conclusion:

India is one of the largest importers and in 2017, it imported nearly 150 Million US Dollar worth Li-Ion batteries. Indian manufacturers source Lithium Ion Battery from China, Japan and South Korea among some other countries. Hydrogen fuel cell technology is expensive and commercial usage is still very minimal.

The Lithium Ion batteries currently score over the Hydrogen Fuel cells due the former’s wide applications from mobile phones to wearable devices to e-Vehicles. The FAME India is a part of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan whose main thrust is to encourage electric vehicles by providing subsidies. India must however make a concerted attempt to incentivize both EVs and FCEVs.