“Three ingredients of a luxury lifestyle design are time ,income and mobility” - Tim Ferris.

Mobility is an industry which has seen a lot of breakthrough interventions since the day wheels were invented. Electric vehicles are one such disruptive discovery in the mobility industry. Global electric vehicle sales are accelerating in a tremendous phase in recent years . Advancements in battery technologies , implementation of charging stations in public places , initiative by the government and multinational companies play a vital role in the growth of electric vehicle adoption.

Although there are certain myths regarding electric vehicles pertaining in our country which hinder people from making a choice. Let us clear out some of the most common myths prevailing in the upcoming paragraphs.

1. Electric vehicles are meant only for short trips:

People consider electric vehicles as a short commute option and are confused whether it can fulfil their daily commute needs. Range anxiety is one of the predominant hindrances in the selection of electric vehicles over conventional vehicles. According to a recent study the average commute distance of an Indian is around 15-20 kms one way . Electric two wheeler brands in India offer an average range of around 60-70 kms on a single charge. Electric four wheelers on the other hand have a range of around 200 kms on a single charge. This clearly shows that electric vehicles can be more than that of a short commute option. They are evolving as a best fit solution for inter city and inter state commute.

2. Limited charging options:

People tend to have a mindset that once they leave their home with their electric vehicles they are left with limited options to charge them. The practical scenarios state a different story. There are thousands of public charging stations , fleets widespread around the country. Parking lots of shopping malls, workspaces , and restaurants have charging stations.

The Government of India is partnering with various private companies , emerging startups to improve the charging infrastructure. The Ministry of power has prepared guidelines according to which there will be at least one charging station for every 25 km in highways. The Ministry of Heavy Industries along with the Ministry of Petroleum and power aims to install 22,000 charging stations in petrol pumps in various parts of the country. This clearly proves that the hurdles in charging electric vehicles will diminish down the lane.

3. Need for frequent replacement of batteries:

Many people believe that if they buy an electric vehicle they have to spend a hefty sum on replacing the batteries frequently. Battery manufacturers have been doing a lot of research on improving the life of batteries and have consistently improved in the same. Most of the prominent electric vehicle manufacturers provide an average warranty of about 4-5 years for their batteries and it is a fact the mentioned range extends when the vehicle is used better.

Moreover certain manufacturers like Ather provide a buy back guarantee for their batteries wherein you could get an assured buy back for the used batteries. Apart from this there are battery recycling firms who can provide you a fair deal for your used batteries.

4. Hard to use and maintain:

As people have been using IC engine vehicles over the years , they have a belief that it is difficult to use and maintain electric vehicles. On the contrary, features and the performance of electric vehicles gives a next level user experience. Current electric vehicles are built with exceptional features which attributes to the overall user experience. Users are allowed to understand their ride patterns and what could be done to increase the drivetrain efficiency. Manufacturers also get to have a better understanding of driving patterns and design the future versions accordingly.

5. Finite choices:

People believe that there are only quite a few choices of electric vehicles to choose from. Right from early age startups to multinational companies have been working in the electric vehicle ecosystem for a while and have provided us with plenty of options to choose from. The user can choose his electric vehicle according to speed , acceleration , range , price , aesthetics etc. Owning an electric superbike will turn into reality in the upcoming years. Urban cities like Bengaluru have an option wherein people are allowed to use electric vehicles on a rental or subscription basis so that they can get comfortable with it.

“Progress is impossible without change”

Every sector is subjected to change at regular intervals, and certain myths act as hurdles in the path of change. But by referring to the electric vehicle sales in India over the past few years we can clearly see that the industry has progressed significantly and will continue to thrive in the upcoming years.