Planning to incorporate green energy in its fleet, Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has recently issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the procurement of 439 light Electric Vehicles (EVs) along with 35 fast chargers.
The order will be split across the Indian Army and Indian Air Force, which will receive 415 and 24 vehicles, respectively.
The fast chargers to be procured will also be split across the army and air force – each service getting 29 and six units, respectively.
The procurement will be under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category, which calls for a minimum indigenous content of 50%.
The RFP calls for delivering a light vehicle in a 4-wheel, 5-door configuration, capable of seating five persons with storage space in the rear. The EV should have a permanent magnet synchronous motor with a rated power of not less than 100 kW.
An ARAI range of not less than 400 km and an onboard charger with a minimum 2.5kW capacity are required.
The fast charger should be of a minimum 50kW capacity and capable of charging the battery pack from 0-80% in 60-90 minutes. A battery pack and motor life of not less than eight years/1,60,000 km has been requested.
The performance specifications requirements include a top speed of not less than 120 kmph and the ability to climb a gradient of 15 degrees in fully laden conditions. A maximum payload of 900 kg has been asked for.
The light EV should also have power windows on all four doors, tiltable power steering, central locking, alloy wheels with tubeless tires, a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and a reverse parking sensor.
The Army and Air Force are authorized to hold light vehicles for use in their formations and units to meet the requisite mobility requirements of the personnel. The present fleet of light vehicles is powered by fossil fuels, which leads to carbon emissions and pollution.
“To keep with futuristic trends and in support of the initiatives of the Government of India to achieve Net Zero Carbon Emission, there is need for the introduction of EVs with fast charging facility in the vehicle fleet of the IA and IAF,” the MoD stated.