India's electric vehicle push will lead to a greener future

Vinod C Dixit

(dixitpatrakar@yahoo.in)

Electric vehicles (EVs) are growing in popularity and certainly in the mind space. Looking at the road ahead, India aspires to reach its vision of 100 per cent Electric Vehicles by 2030. Surely, factors such as increasing government support, decreasing cost of technology, growing interest of the country in EVs, distressing pollution levels etc., would collectively fuel and accelerate India's transition to electric vehicles and enable the government to fulfil its vision. The pandemic has given a boost to electric vehicles across the world as commuters avoid public transport. One of the main advantages of electric vehicle is that it does not emit harmful gases compared to conventional vehicles. The government has also come forward to increase the number of EVs. But the government's will to make a complete transformation to EVs will require tremendous changes from the base level onwards. Consumers in India are seeking a lower price point for EVs than consumers in other countries, with the global average tipping price point for EVs being at USD 36,000 viz. around Rs 27 lakhs. PM Modi has rightly said that "Clean mobility powered by clean energy is our most powerful weapon in our fight against climate change" and also added that his vision for the future of mobility in India is based on 7 Cs: common, connected, convenient, congestion-free, charged, clean, cutting-edge. The electricity source in the case of EVs is equally significant. If energy is generated by means of environmental destruction such as coal-fired power stations, as is often the case in developing countries, it essentially contradicts the environmental benefits of electric cars. As electric vehicles are free of internal combustion engines and commonly speaking, have fewer parts, they are generally more silent than traditional vehicles. The newly-launched 'Switch Delhi' Campaign has seen a great response so far, which is an encouraging sign for the EV industry.

The cost for an electric vehicle is, therefore, considerably higher than for a conventional vehicle but it makes a lot of sense to dive if you want to keep the product for a decade or more. This is due to the considerably lower operational and maintenance costs of an EV. EVs nowadays have become much more affordable than before. Moreover, the cost of servicing, upkeep, and maintenance of an electric car has foundered significantly. Since electricity is more economical than fuel, EVs are relatively cost-effective. Buying an EV can reduce your carbon footprint because there will be no emissions at all.

EVs have overcome their erstwhile shortcomings and newer models are better than bygone counterparts. Electric car manufacturers would have to go an extra mile to get people to make the switch from regular cars to EVs. EVs hold the key to permanent solutions of a better, cleaner India for the sustainability of its populace. By promoting the EV sector's organic growth and enhancing its popularity among the people with governmental media programmes, a substantial cut in fossil-fuel run vehicular mobility can be made possible.

No doubt, EVs are expensive, primarily because of the battery. By switching over to clean-green energy run EVs, we can make skies crystal clear, allowing us to look at distant places. We must remember that "Change is the only constant in life". Change is a part of our life and most of the times, humans work together for a positive change that can benefit society. What our Indian market needs is encouragement for indigenous technologies that are suited for India from both the strategic and economic standpoints.