Electric cars in India: Here’s what needs to change to make it a reality
Electric cars will remain a distant dream in India unless some basic measures are implemented pretty soon.
With the Minister of Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy stating that India eyes to have an all-electric fleet of cars by 2030, the plans for electrifying the personal mobility surely look grand right now. But to substantiate all these talks the Government needs to build the required infrastructure from the ground up quickly. To realize these dreams, India will have to accommodate nearly 10 million electric vehicles on the roads by 2030.
Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk too has already stated the lack of an ecosystem for electric vehicles in India, and we will have to wait for some more time before we get to see Teslas doing rounds of our roads. So here are some ground level changes that need to be made for achieving this ambitious plan of making electric vehicles a reality in India. RELATED: Anand Mahindra ‘invites’ Tesla’s Elon Musk to make electric cars in India
Spreading Electricity
Before we get down to driving battery powered vehicles, electricity needs to reach every corner of the country. People will consider moving to electric powered vehicles only when their basic energy needs have been taken care of. Power cuts need to be low, because electricity shortage at a crucial moment could make or break buyers’ sentiments towards the battery powered car.
Charging Stations
When electricity has reached all the corners, it will be possible to set up charging stations. This will reduce range anxiety, which is a common phenomenon among electric car users in India, and most of those who even own one limit their usage only to the city commutes. Also, the major reason for Tesla’s success in the US is the availability of superchargers which allow owners to take even 400 to 500km interstate journeys without a problem.
Sustainable energy resources
India is majorly dependent on fossil fuels for power generation, and if it continues this way, then moving to electric vehicles will not mean a thing. In accordance to the Paris Climate treaty, India is going to reduce its oil import by 50 percent, and has increased its solar power target to 250,000 MW. Although solely depending upon solar power won’t be a very nice idea, and being a tropical country, we can utilize hydropower and wind power. RELATED: ISRO tests eco-friendly technology to move closer to India’s all-electric car vision by 2030
Change of perception
Electric vehicles in India are associated with ugly looks, mediocre performance, and limited range, which hurts their sales big time. Only ones with deep pockets, and other gasoline options in their garages choose to go for the electric cars in India. Tesla changed all that in the US with sleek looking cars, which deliver mind-boggling straight line performance. So instead of shoving another decision down the throats of the car owners, an image change will work wonders for the electric vehicle ecosystem in the country.
Source: bgr.in
