LEAF forum debuts to unify EV charging standards for light electric vehicles

The forum is expected to focus on aligning stakeholders on common standards and approaches to support a more cohesive and reliable public charging ecosystem.

“>

The Light Electric-Vehicle Acceleration Forum (LEAF) launched on Monday as a neutral, industry-led consortium focused on advancing the EV charging ecosystem to accelerate the adoption of electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers.The forum was inaugurated by Union Heavy Industries Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy and will engage with government and regulatory bodies to support the expansion of charging infrastructure in line with policy goals.

Interoperability efforts in the light electric vehicle segment are gaining traction, with standards such as the Light Electric Combined Charging System (LECCS) being developed to support both slow and fast charging through a unified connector.

The standard, approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards under IS 17017, is expected to enable better communication between charging networks and facilitate seamless user access across different platforms, addressing a key barrier to wider EV adoption.

The forum has been established through a memorandum of understanding among Hero MotoCorp, Ather Energy, and IPEC India, with the founding members serving as its initial steering committee.

At launch, it brought together over 20 organisations from across the light electric vehicle ecosystem, including manufacturers, charging operators, suppliers and software firms, with plans to expand membership in the coming months.Industry executives said the next phase of electric vehicle adoption in India would depend on addressing charging-related challenges, including fragmented networks and inconsistent user experience.They noted that improving interoperability and enabling seamless access to charging infrastructure at scale would be critical to easing user “charging anxiety.”

The forum is expected to focus on aligning stakeholders on common standards and approaches to support a more cohesive and reliable public charging ecosystem.