Nexcharge starts making lithium-ion battery packs in Gujarat

Nexcharge, an exclusive joint venture between Exide Industries (Exide) and Leclanche inaugurated its fully automated lithium-ion battery packs and modules manufacturing plant at Prantij, Gujarat.

The plant is spread across 610,098 sqft, which is, claimed to be, the largest production facility for lithium-ion battery packs and modules (Pouch/ Prismatic/ Cylindrical) in India. The facility has six fully automated assembly lines and testing labs with an installed capacity of 1.5 GWh and will cater energy storage systems for India’s electric vehicle market and grid-based applications.

Stefan Louis, CEO and CTO, Nexcharge said, “We have invested more than Rs 250 crore in setting up this state-of-the-art facility with a focus on technology driven innovations, which is in line with our commitment of long-term investments and plans in India. With our 6 assembly lines becoming operational, Nexcharge can now offer a range of products with different applications for our automotive and non-automotive customers. Our team of well-resourced engineers will continue to work to design battery packs as per the customer's requirements which will help us offer high-quality products at competitive prices.”

At present, Nexcharge's product offering includes battery pack for two-, three-wheelers, personal and commercial pack in transportation business unit and telecom, UPS, inverter battery pack for in Industrial and utility battery pack as well as large format ESS. Nexcharge has also established an in-house R&D facility in Bangalore.

Surender Narula, president, Nexcharge added, “Our current product range is substantial and our new production lines warrants us the flexibility to assemble products of different sizes and designs. We can now make 3V to 1,000 V battery packs with sizes varying from 10 centimetres to 2 metres. Our production setup is divided into three sections – the module assembly has 3 production lines for assembling cylindrical, pouch, and prismatic cells. The pack assembly has 2 lines for high-voltage and low-voltage packs. And the last one, the FG Testing section has a set of 20 testers for charging and discharging cycle and BMS functioning. As new technology emerges, we will maintain our position of offering state-of-the-art technology.”

Subir Chakraborty, MD and CEO, Exide Industries, and chairman, Nexcharge said, “The upgraded facility at Prantij is a step towards Exide’s commitment to provide best-in-class batteries and energy storage solutions for automotive and industrial applications as we aspire to become a leading player in the rapidly emerging new-age electric mobility and stationary application businesses in India.”