Tamil Nadu: Electric vehicle sales up, lack of govt support spoils the ride
CHENNAI : In Tamil Nadu, sales of conventional diesel/petrol vehicles dropped by 24% in 2020 over the previous year, but sales of electric vehicles recorded an uptrend, particularly in Chennai.
In 2020, Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) across TN registered 5,696 electric vehicles (EVs), almost 90% of them two-wheelers that too scooters, against 3,400 in 2019, but misconceptions and lack of government will to promote them have meant the growth remains below par.
While conventional car batteries come with a five-year warranty, there is no more than a two-year warranty for EVs after which owners have to spend again spend on batteries (up to 60% of its cost), he added.
Charging time has reduced and travel range (three hours charge for 120 km travel approximately for bikes) is up, but people fear batteries may drain en route. Even if public charging points come up, few would be willing to queue up to recharge them, said a transport department official.
EV makers say swappable battery technology is available, but not many prefer fitting one or two-year-old batteries in new vehicles. The high cost, says Chennai-based EV maker Mansoor Ali Khan, is because it take, on an average, ₹1,10,000 to manufacture a battery for e-auto and equal amount to import power trains. “So we can’t sell a vehicle for less than ₹3 lakh. Availing government subsidies is also still difficult,” said Khan.
Had a request by the Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles to the state to include EVs in Amma two-wheeler scheme been accepted, scooter sale would have increased, but the proposal remains with the TN Women Development Corporation.
Reluctance of financiers to offer loans for EVs is another problem. Enquiries with local showrooms suggest not many are ready to offer even 40% of the on-road price for EVs, while 90% of the price is offered for petrol and diesel cars. This is because financiers are still not sure about the resale value in case an EV is seized for non-payment of loan interests.
Source : timesofindia
