Godi India makes lithium-ion cells that let EVs achieve greater range

Home-grown cell manufacturer Godi India on Monday said it has produced the country’s first ever 5.2 Ah 21700 cylindrical lithium-ion cells with an energy density of 275 Wh/kg based on silicon anode technology which will allow an electric vehicle to achieve a greater range compared to graphite on a single charge.

The Hyderabad-based company has already completed the first batch of deliveries of cells to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in India to be used in electric two-wheelers. The company, which began its production in 2020 at its Hyderabad facility, recently got the BIS certification following rigorous testing of the cells for over six months.

The electrode composition has been indigenously developed as per the market requirement and with the use of silicon in the anode, an electric vehicle could achieve a greater range, up to 15-20 per cent compared to graphite, on a single charge due to the increased energy density, the company said.

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“We have already delivered 5.0Ah cells to top six OEMs in India and planning to deliver 5.2Ah cells in the near future. We believe that these high energy density cells developed with in-house technology will be an important landmark for ‘Made in India’ for domestic and international market,” Mahesh Godi, the company’s founder and CEO, said.

The company is also scouting for locations in Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, for setting up an indigenous Giga factory for manufacturing cells. It also recently tied up with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research- Central Electrochemical Research Institute for operating and maintaining its advanced cell manufacturing facility in Taramani, Chennai.

Godi said it has planned for a 100 MWh pilot production facility for 5.0 - 5.2Ah cells followed by a GWh plant to cater to the requirements of the highly demanding electric two-wheelers' needs, which is more than 50GWh by 2030 exclusive for electric two-wheelers' battery segment.

“With a lithium-ion cell market size of $5 billion for E2W by 2030, silicon is the future of energy storage as it can store nearly ten times the energy when compared to the traditional graphite anode,” he added.

Though Godi didn’t name the customers, Ather, TVS, Hero, Ola, and Okinawa are some of the major home-grown companies that have emerged as major players in the electric vehicles segment.

The company is also looking to export its lithium-ion cells made using its own technology to key international markets like Norway, Germany, Canada, the UK, and the US.