Blog
Electric Vehicle Training Courses in India - A Beginner’s Guide
Electric Vehicle Training Courses - Global automotive industry has always trusted the skilled labour and technical workforce since the first Industrial Revolution. With the onset of the Electric Vehicle Revolution in the last decade, the situation has changed very little. Every country including major electrical automotive manufacturing giants like the UK and EU still employ as high as 3.5 million people in this industry. Even India finds itself in the need of at least 20 million Electric Vehicle engineers, technicians, researchers and labourers (European Climate Foundation and Niti Ayog, 2019).
The limitations of current academic curriculum related to Electric Vehicle manufacturing, battery management systems and charging infrastructure, leaves EV enthusiasts and academicians with no option but to pursue independent Electric Vehicle training courses. There are many independent institutions in India which provide comprehensive Electric Vehicle courses to students and experienced professionals. Here is a complete guide to navigate the EV industrial training segment in India.
Types of Electric Vehicle Training Courses/Programs
Indian academic institutions and industrial organisations have been struggling to match the rising demand of skilled labour in the Electric Vehicle Industry. The suggestions of Niti Ayog and Rocky Mountain Institute (2017) include development of a ‘Nationalised Learning Platform’ for researchers, academic institutions, OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), State/Govt. And other Private stakeholders.
The Government of India has also been in the process of developing the Swayam platform and raising the level of NPTEL courses to provide industrially salient certification programmes. But lack of proper IT infrastructure has led to multiple delays. There are still options of independent certification institutions approved by various government and public institutions like Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC), Central Staff Training and Research Institute (CSTARI).
The following details of Electric Vehicle Training Courses can help EV professionals and aspirants to identify which learning options match the industry requirements.
Electric Vehicle Training Courses/Programs - Categories
Electric Vehicle Internships and Co-ops
Electric Vehicle Degree Programmes
Electric Vehicle Certification Programmes
EV Research and Development Programmes
Electric Vehicle Degree Programmes
Students looking for an academic approval in the Electric Vehicle industry may opt for the formal degree programmes in EV manufacturing, design and business. Engineering institutions like IIT-Madras and IIT-Delhi have started their own research centres for EV Mobility (C-BEEV, Centre for Battery Engineering and Electric Vehicles). This allows students to have more practical exposure to the ongoing research in the field.
However, only a few elite institutions have research facilities for hybrid vehicles, battery infrastructure for grid or charging. Almost none of them offer approved courses by the AICTE or UGC. While there are some institutions like Chitkara University, Amrita University, GISE which provide specialised degree courses for Electric Vehicle training, most of them are deemed universities or institutions. To sum it up, Indian academic institutions are still to receive their final approvals from NSDF (National Skill Development Federation) or AICTE for proposed Electric Vehicle curriculum.
Electric Vehicle Internships and Co-Ops
The future of the Electric Vehicle Industry in India is being driven by the manufacturing advantage and talent pool of the nation. As accepted by ex-HRD Minister Hon’ble Prakash Javdekar, AICTE approved curriculum takes at least 3 years to update. This happens for mainstream courses but not for avant-garde fields like electric mobility and grid infrastructure. In line with the unavailability of academic opportunities students who wish to pursue higher education in the Electric Vehicle industry, can attend Electric Vehicle internships and industrial co-ops.
Students with minimal or no prior exposure to Electric Vehicle training courses/Programs can attend such programmes to improve their EV skills. Electric Vehicle internships offer students an entry into the EV community and help them to choose a specialization to pursue in the future. Such courses are often offered under the Excellence centres of Academic Institutions/Universities deployed by EV Consultancy Leaders and Think Tanks.
Electric Vehicle Certification Programmes
Electric Vehicle Technology Certification Programmes offer the latest information to EV aspirants in this industry. Independent research institutions, Electric Vehicle consultancy companies, and training centres offer such Electric Vehicle training courses. These institutions continuously update their curriculum based on the latest developments in the industry. The pedagogical panel of such courses often comprises industry veterans, subject-matter experts, patent owners, OEM R&D personnel and international teaching staff.
Such courses are often accredited by international standards institutions like SAE, ASME, ARAI, NSDF, ASDC etc. Electric Vehicle Certification Programmes offer specializations to aspirants like Vehicle Grid Integration (VGI), usage of LFP (Lithium-Ferrous-Phosphate-Graphite) Batteries, Leaf Battery Integration, CAFE compliance, etc.
Such courses are often suitable for aspirants who have some basic Electric Vehicle Training in the form of a crash course, internship or co-op. Most of these Electric Vehicle training courses or EV Technology Certification Programs are designed for employability improvement or knowledge development of Electric Vehicle professionals and enthusiasts. Popular organisations like Autobot Academy by Autobot India, SAE-India, NPTEL provide such certification programmes and batches are mostly open throughout the year.
Industrial Knowledge Development Programmes and Conventions
Indian science and technology communities have always cherished the professional forums of various specialisations for many years now. These communities offer opportunities to experienced professionals and industry members to debate, contribute and collaborate with each other to inspire the latest developments in the respective field. Electric Vehicle Communities is a relatively new and under-explored concept in India. Through Knowledge Development Programmes (KIPs) and Conventions, the corporate community gets an opportunity to lead collective learning initiatives in the Electric Vehicle industry. KIPs and Conventions are usually workshops summed up in days or weeks conducted by Electric Mobility Consultants, Learning Centres, and Standards Institutions. They offer theme-based learning oftenly aligned with brainstorming sessions, seminars by industry leaders, research paper recitations on latest technical developments and practical problem-solving sessions.
Currently such programmes are being offered only by a limited number of institutions like ARAI and Autobot India.
Electric Vehicle training courses are provided for various specializations in the industry. Almost all learning programmes are usually theme based and provide certification in a specific EV trade. In order to get the maximum outcome from an Electric Vehicle course in India one should know what kind of specializations are available in this field. It has been found that the following specializations currently have the highest scope of development in the electric and hybrid vehicle industry for the next few years.
Specializations in Electric Vehicle Training Courses
Electric Vehicle Powertrain Design and Fabrication
Electric Vehicle Battery Management System
EV Charging Infrastructure Technology
Electric Vehicle Design (Mechanical and Embedded Systems)
Electric Vehicle Design And Development (Software And Simulation)
Here is more information about the Electric Vehicle specializations in India.
Electric Vehicle Training Courses for Powertrain Design and Fabrication
Electric Vehicles are basically dependent on the extraction of electric power and its transmission to the powertrain for motion. Powertrain Design, Fabrication and Integration Courses for Electric Vehicles enable any aspirant to understand the operational depth of an EV or Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV). Such courses generally inform students about inverter topologies (battery pack and vector control), semiconductor studies, cooling mechanisms and more. Some key topics covered in such EV training courses are:
Convertor and Inverter Topology
Power Loss studies
Metal-Oxide-Silicon Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET) analysis
Magnetic Circuits (Force vs. torque production)