Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA)

46 6.2 Mining-Specific Technical Challenges Beyond the generic commercial vehicle EV challenges, the mining environment presents additional technical complexity. • Thermal management in extreme Indian climate conditions: ambient temperatures exceeding 45°C in Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Odisha mining regions accelerate lithium-ion degradation and require active thermal management systems that add weight, cost, and energy consumption. • Regenerative braking energy recovery on pit ramps: open-cast mines offer significant gradient-descent energy recovery potential, but haul road conditions and loaded/unloaded trip asymmetries complicate energy balance modelling. • Dust and vibration resilience: Indian open- cast mines operate in dusty, high-vibration environments. Battery pack ingress protection (IP rating) and shock-absorption mounting systems require ruggedisation beyond standard commercial vehicle specifications. • Megawatt-class charging at remote sites: Most Indian collieries lack grid connections capable of supporting 1–2 MW depot charging. Distribution transformer upgrades and, in many cases, dedicated feeder lines from state utilities are prerequisites. Table 6: Bottleneck Classification and Mitigation Strategies Bottleneck Severity Root Cause Mitigation Pathway High upfront cost (2– 2.5× diesel) Critical Battery pack dominates BOM VGF; capital subsidies; battery leasing Battery cost (~USD 110/kWh) Critical Cell manufacturing scale & import PLI scheme expansion; domestic gigafactories Charging infrastructure gap Critical Absent megawatt-class depot charging Mining cluster charging mandates; PPP Import dependency (cells, BMS) High No domestic cell manufacturing at scale Critical minerals strategy; ACC PLI Bank financing hesitancy High No resale comps; technology risk Green guarantees; DFI first-loss coverage Absent resale/second-life market Moderate Early market; no price discovery Battery passport regulation; repurposing pilots Localization gap High Core components imported Phased localisation mandates; MAKE IN INDIA End-user price resistance High Cargo owners demand ICE-parity pricing Long-term take-or-pay contracts; carbon credits