Government unveils new EV drive technology in India: May cut imports and costs

The government has unveiled a new electric vehicle technology aimed at promoting domestic manufacturing of key EV components. A 30 kW wide band gap (WBG) based integrated drive system (IDS) was launched at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras on Monday as part of efforts to strengthen India’s capabilities in advanced power electronics, IANS reports.According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the system has been developed by the Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Thiruvananthapuram, in partnership with IIT Madras and Lucas TVS under the National Mission on Power Electronics Technology (NAMPET).Officials said the 30 kW power range is particularly suitable for India’s fast-growing electric passenger vehicle segment, which includes compact cars and shared mobility fleets. Currently, a large portion of high-performance EV powertrain systems and semiconductor-based components are imported into the country.It is expected that the indigenous system will help in reducing dependence on imports while reducing costs through localization. The government believes that domestic production of such components will also support large-scale manufacturing in line with initiatives such as production-linked incentive schemes.

The integrated drive system combines the electric motor and inverter into a single compact unit, replacing traditional setups where both components are separate. This integrated design improves power density while reducing space requirements, making it suitable for modern EV platforms.According to the government, widespread adoption of such locally developed drive systems can strengthen India’s EV supply chain and create opportunities for small and medium enterprises involved in power electronics and related hardware manufacturing. The initiative is also expected to improve the country’s competitiveness in semiconductor-based electric mobility technologies. Input from IANS.