Nexcharge, a joint venture between Exide Industries and Leclanché SA, has announced the inauguration of its state-of-the-art, fully-automated manufacturing plant at Prantij, Gujarat.
The facility, set up with an investment of over Rs.250 crore, 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. The plant, which is spread across a total area of 6.10 lakh sqft is the largest in India for the production of Li-ion battery packs and modules (pouch/ prismatic/cylindrical), a release from Nexcharge said.
Focus on technology
According to Stefan Louis, CEO & CTO, Nexcharge, “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 six assembly lines becoming operational, Nexcharge can now offer a range of products with different applications for our automotive and non-automotive customers.”
Also read: Exide Industries To Set Up Mega Li-Ion Cell Manufacturing Plant
Current offering
At present, Nexcharge offers battery pack for 2W, 3W, personal and commercial pack in transportation business unit and telecom, UPS, inverter battery pack in Industrial and Utility battery pack as well as large format ESS. Nexcharge is also supported by a state-of-the-art, in-house R&D facility in Bangalore.
Flexible manufacturing
Speaking on the development, Surender Narula, President, Nexcharge, said, “We can now make 3V to 1000V battery packs with sizes varying from 10cm to 2m. Our production setup is divided into three sections — the module assembly has three production lines for assembling cylindrical, pouch, and prismatic cells. The pack assembly has two 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.”
Best-in-class solutions
Sharing his views Subir Chakraborty, Managing Director & CEO, Exide Industries Ltd. 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.”
Safe disposal of batteries
All lithium-ion batteries are disposed of and recycled responsibly. At the facility, Nexcharge promises to adopt the best safety practices and ensure that the health and safety of its engineers and employees are of top priority, the release noted.
