THE GREEN QUESTION

ALL INDICATIONS POINT TOWARDS LARGE-SCALE EV ADOPTION IN THE COUNTRY IN THE NEAR FUTURE. BUT WILL THE CHALLENGES OUTWEIGH OPPORTUNITIES IN THE LONG RUN?

- PRERNA LIDHOO

IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS, petrol prices in the national capital have averaged at around ₹100 per litre. That means for a daily commute to work of around 30 km, on an average a Delhiite has to shell out nearly ₹12,000-14,000 per month. An electric car for the same distance will cost ₹2,900 a month to run. Undoubtedly, electric vehicles (EVs) have a good case purely from the cost of running perspective yet they still make up merely 1.5 per cent of the total automotive sales. Challenges like range anxiety, high battery prices, lack of charging infrastructure, etc., continue to keep first-time EV buyers at bay. Plus, people think EVs are not really all that green since the source of electricity is still mostly fossil fuels. “It’s not correct to think that EVs are not all that clean. You’re replacing the diesel and petrol. Electricity is the new fuel and the grid is getting greener which is a good thing. Yes, for now, it’s not as green,” says Mahua Acharya, Managing Director and CEO, Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL).

Experts say that charging systems are beginning to become cleaner. The industry acknowledges that it’s not 100 per cent clean fuel but people like Acharya are still betting on EV adoption because of one very important reason: health of citizens gets affected by ambient air pollution as they’re breathing 3-4 times more toxic fumes on the city roads due to tailpipe emissions.

THE BIG EV PLAN

WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO ACHIEVE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS

1 The power ministry in its revised ‘Charging Infrastructure for EVs’ guidelines said one charging station will be present in a grid of 3x3 km; one every 25 km on highways; a fast charge one every 100 km