A swanky car pulls in to a ‘charging station’ on a highway and parks on top of a magnetic pad for about 10 minutes while the driver enjoys a cup of coffee. Another vehicle dives into a special lane, embedded with wireless charging technology, to ‘refuel’ the car on the move. This may seem like a scene straight out of a sci-fi movie, but the day is not too far when petrol and diesel become a thing of the past as the policymakers intend to go fully electric. Given the galloping fuel prices and the uproar over how severely petrol and diesel are taxed in the country, the electric cars will become the most economic option from the first day an owner drives it on the road.With an objective of achieving zero emission and cutting down the oil import bill on national consumption of around four million barrels a day, the government has made it clear it wants only electric vehicles (EVs) to ply on Indian roads by 2030.
The policy was termed too ambitious for a country where the concept is still in its infancy with the current market share of EVs pegged at less than one per cent, but the state-owned Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) has already shifted gears by procuring 10,000 electric-powered cars for the use of government officials. Tata Motors and Mahindra supplied the first order and are eagerly awaiting the outcome of another multi-crore tender. While the Indian auto makers including Maruti started investing big on latest electric technologies in an effort to meet the government’s vision, a few critics suggested that hydrogen would be the future and not electricity. Mercedes-Benz India managing director, Roland Folger, is one such who felt the all-electric move would be more counter-productive in terms of additional power demand. Spotting an electric vehicle on India roads is a rare sight. Last year, there were about 2,000 EVs sold in India as compared to 30,46,727 petrol/diesel cars. Only Mahindra’s e-Verito and e2o small electric cars are on sale and Tata Tigor Electric is set to roll out soon. A fleet of EVs that various manufacturers showcased during the Delhi Auto Expo 2018 has raised hopes.
The spectacular line-up of cars gave a glimpse into the future and also underlined the growing interest in EVs. The niche segment would get a much-needed push when Tesla, which has been closely monitoring the Indian market, makes it’s entry. The American company is the manufacturer of the world’s best-selling plug-in EVs. Tutu Dhawan, a Delhi-based auto expert and founder of Heritage Motoring Club of India, says the biggest challenge for India’s ‘e vision 2030’ would be developing infrastructure. “We need plenty of charging stations across the country, that too efficient systems. Only when you have them ready, can you win the confidence of consumers as well as the manufacturers,” he said.According to Grand Thornton CII report, India lags in the availability of infrastructure with only 353 charging stations spread across the country and concentrated mostly in Bengaluru, New Delhi, Nagpur and Mumbai. “While the availability of chargers and related standards can still be addressed, the land acquisition and last mile power infrastructure is the major hurdle,” said a Tata Motors spokesperson. (The spokesperson doesn’t want to be identified as the company’s government tender result is awaited) In countries where EVs have already made a penetration, manufacturers have made huge investments in developing wireless charging systems. Sweden, which has also set 2030 as deadline to eliminate internal combustion engines, recently made a big breakthrough by opening the world’s first public road that charges EVs on the go. In India, another key factor is the cost of EVs which are higher as compared to conventional engine primarily due to the higher battery cost. “To compensate this, government incentives are key to drive EV adoption in the country.
The countries that have successfully achieved significant EV penetration (such as Norway and China) have provided sizeable and tangible incentives to the end customers as well as their respective OEMs over a considerable period. Such benefits are even more relevant for a country like ours as the Indian customers are extremely cost conscious and look for higher returns in every investment they make,” the Tata spokesperson added. Andhra Pradesh is first state to set a target of 10 lakh electric vehicles on roads by 2023. A scheme announced by the state will thus reimburse road and registration tax for EVs for next five years.Renault TrezorIt goes from 0 to 100 km in less than four seconds! The two-seater electric car with autonomous capabilities remains one of the highly-anticipated products from the French manufacturers stable. It has a clamshell-style roof which opens up like a single canopy, hinging forward, is a spectacle.
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