Better Set Of Wheels

Electric Vehicles Will Soon Be the Norm. But It Will Be Some Years Before India Can Catch Up

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WHEN THE 2019 BUDGET WAS ANNOUNCED in February, while the automotive industry was not mention directly, Finance minister Piyush Goyal reaffirmed the government's commitment towards electric vehicles and their mission for 30% electric mobility by 2030. For long, there has been a stress that India should embrace electric mobility to overcome reliance on imported fossil fuels and gas, and greatly boost sustainable energy in India.

But much needs to be done before the country can adopt EVs. At the back-end, much work remains to be done be it in components or rules. Standing up for the automotive component makers, the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) said that the government should adopt a pragmatic approach to create a stable and long-term road map for a smooth transition to electric mobility. There have been reports that the government was considering a proposal to ban sale of internal combustion engine (ICE) for three-wheelers by 2023 and less than 150cc two-wheelers by 2025.

Prashanth Doreswamy, market head, Continental India, says, “The move towards EVs has been in the works for a while now, and OEMs and other manufacturers have been preparing for this move. It would definitely help to have a clearer road map for the industry to avoid frequent disruptions. For a greener tomorrow, we need a mix of drive technologies - EVs, cleaner gasoline engine, carbon-neutral synthetic fuels and fuel cells. The transition from internal combustion engines to EVs as proposed by GOI will follow a linear trajectory, with a surge only expected in the 2025-2030 timeframe.”