LFP vs NMC for Indian conditions: 3 years of field data

TL;DR

LFP wins on cycle life and safety. NMC wins on energy density. For most Indian fleet applications, LFP is the right answer; for performance scooters where every kg matters, NMC still has a role.

The data we have

We've shipped K-2W packs in both chemistries since 2024. Across 14 OEM partners, 22 states, and ~3 million cell-cycles of telemetry, here's what we see:

Capacity fade at 2 years

LFP: 6.2% average capacity loss after 2 years of typical fleet use (~1,200 cycles) NMC: 18.5% average capacity loss over the same period and cycle count

Safety incidents

LFP: zero thermal events in production. (We do have lab-induced events for AIS 156 testing.) NMC: two thermal events across all production packs. Both contained at the pack level (no propagation, no fire). Both traced to BMS firmware bugs since fixed.

Real-world energy density

LFP: ~140 Wh/kg at the pack level NMC: ~190 Wh/kg at the pack level

What this means for buyers

For shared mobility fleets where the vehicle is on the road 12+ hours/day, LFP pays back through cycle life. The 35% energy density disadvantage is meaningful in vehicle range, but solvable with a slightly bigger pack.

For consumer scooters where the vehicle sits parked most of the day and weight matters for handling, NMC is the right call — especially if the fleet operator is willing to accept higher capacity fade in exchange for ride feel.

What we recommend

Default to LFP. Use NMC when the application's weight sensitivity outweighs the cycle-life and safety advantages of LFP. There is no third chemistry that's "better at everything" — anyone telling you otherwise is selling you something.