Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Nov 8: Ola Electric Mobility Ltd. may be heading for turbulent times amid allegations that it accessed confidential battery technology “leaked” by a former researcher of South Korea’s LG Energy Solution.

According to a report by The Hindu Businessline, LG Energy Solution has accused one of its former researchers of transferring proprietary pouch-type ternary lithium-ion battery manufacturing data—including key steps and know-how—to the Indian EV major.

The researcher is reportedly under investigation by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, Seoul Metropolitan Police, and LG Energy Solution. Reports suggest the individual has admitted to sharing the information with Ola Electric but claims ignorance of its confidential nature.

This controversy adds to a series of legal challenges faced by the company. In July 2024, MapmyIndia’s parent company, CE Info Systems, had issued a legal notice against Ola Electric for allegedly violating terms of a license agreement related to the use of its navigation APIs and SDKs. Ola’s parent company, ANI Technologies, has been in a licensing pact with MapmyIndia since 2015.

Ola Electric, which topped India’s patent filings in 2022-23 with 205 patents, unveiled its first made-in-India lithium-ion cell the same year. By June 2024, it had started producing its proprietary cylindrical lithium-ion battery, the 4680 Bharat Cell, boasting over 20% higher energy density and range than conventional 2170 cells. The company also announced a $500 million investment to set up its Battery Innovation Centre (BIC) in Bengaluru.

Industry veteran and Go GreenBOV founder Dhivik Ashok told Businessline that a former LG employee is Ola’s highest-paid staff member. “There are many questions around the technology that has been built. Even the scooter—was it designed in India? It was copied from somewhere else and put out in the market, and eventually customers paid the price,” he was quoted as saying.