EVs get policy push, hybrids lose

Deepens auto industry split; Tata Motors, M&M gain edge

- NITIN KUMAR

THE LONG-RUNNING dispute within the auto industry over electric vehicles versus hybrids has now spilled into the policy advisory space, with a parliamentary committee recommending that government incentives and subsidies be restricted to zero-emission vehicles and not extended to hybrids.

If accepted, the recommendation would reinforce the position of EV-focused players such as Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra, while dealing a setback to hybrid-heavy portfolios of Maruti Suzuki and Toyota Kirloskar Motor.