India's Transportation Sector Will Be Driven by Electric Vehicles

More than 25 Indian cities are within the 100 most polluted cities in the World. The cause of growing air pollution in cities is related to a variety of sources, however the transport sector makes a significant contribution. Many States have announced policies incentivizing and facilitating the use and manufacturing of Electric Vehicles.

The government has announced an outlay of 10,000 Rs crores for Phase 2 of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles, FAME 2 scheme, to boost electric mobility.There are several tax benefits, including a 5% GST rate, almost eight times less than any traditional vehicle.

India’s support for EV adoption

India is one of few countries which supports the global EV30@30 campaign.The primary objective of this campaign is to have 30% of all new cars sold in the country be electric by 2030.

The EV30@30 Campaign aims to take advantage of these opportunities supporting the market for electric 2- and 3- wheelers, electric passenger cars, light commercial vans, buses, and trucks (including battery-electric, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles), in accordance with each country’s respective priorities and programs.

"Panchamrit," India's five-part plan to fight climate change, was a big topic at the COP26 in Glasgow.India promotes use of renewable energy to meet half of India's energy requirements, a cut in carbon emissions of one billion tonnes by the year 2030, and an aim to achieve net-zero emissions by the year 2070.

Indian government policies and initiatives for electric vehicles

The Government of India is continuously showing its support to develop India as a global leader in the EV sector.

The government of India has launched so far – FAME-II, PLI SCHEME, and Battery Swapping Policy, Special Electric Mobility Zone, Tax Reduction on EVs,phase manufacturing programme etc.

Government has also launched an e-amri portal to know more about electric vehicles.e-AMRIT is a portal for creating awareness about electric mobility in India. The portal aims to serve as a “one-stop site” for providing all the information related to electric vehicles. The portal aims at providing you with the access to information such as policies/incentives, charging station, business requirements, etc. so that you find the transition from petrol and diesel run vehicles to electric vehicles easier.

Image below shows Timeline for various initiatives taken by policymakers and regulators

Image credit - niti aayog

Future is electric

The reason why India's Transportation Sector Will Be Driven by Electric Vehicles

Environment friendly

Electric vehicles give zero tailpipe emission.Driving an electric vehicle can help you reduce your carbon footprint because there will be zero tailpipe emissions. You can reduce the environmental impact of charging your vehicle further by choosing renewable energy options for home electricity.

Electric vehicles have the silent functioning capability .No engine means no noise pollution.Electric vehicles are so silent that manufacturers have to add false sounds in order to make them safe for pedestrians.

Low running and maintenance cost

Electric vehicles use electricity to charge their batteries instead of using fossil fuels like petrol or diesel. The electricity cost can be reduced further if charging is done with the help of renewable energy sources installed at home, such as solar panels.Electric vehicles have very low maintenance costs because they don’t have as many moving parts as an internal combustion vehicle. Therefore, the yearly cost of running an electric vehicle is significantly low.

Financial benefits

Registration fees and road tax on purchasing electric vehicles are lesser than petrol or diesel vehicles. There are multiple policies and incentives offered by the government depending on which state you are in. To know more about policies and incentives visit electric vehicle incentives

Ease of charging at home

Waiting in line at the fuel station is so exhausting.These problems can easily be overcome with an electric vehicle. Simply plug your vehicle in at your home charger for 4-5 hours before you plan to go.