Maharashtra at full throttle with EV drive

Therecent conclave in Pune only reaffirms that the State is earnest on its electrification journey and is pulling out all the stops to make this a reality. Amit Vijay M finds out more.

- Amit Vijay M

Maharashtra's Environment Minister, Aaditya Thackeray, believes that there is no reason to get unduly worked up over the recent spate of electric scooter fires.

He told Autocar Professional on the sidelines of the recently held Alternate Fuel Conclave (AFC) in Pune that all electric vehicles in the state compulsorily go through stringent safety checks. These are carried out by responsible bodies such as the ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India).

Thackeray said it was important to look at the larger picture and not allow such incidents to act as a dampener to adoption of EVs. "I am confident that with the latest technology, we can address these concerns. Alternative fuels such as hydrogen and biofuels will help the country save foreign exchange" he added.

According to LocalCircles.com, 21 percent of Indian households are reluctant to buy an EV due to issues relating to safety, performance and infrastructure concerns. Sachin Taparia, CEO, said customers are also confused with so many EV players cropping up in recent times. "The thought that a vehicle can go up in flames is also worrying them," he added.

In this backdrop, the good news is that EV sales in Maharashtra were up 153 percent between April and December 2021 to touch 57,368 units. The state is promoting electric aggressively and has now added to its basket of goodies 50 new charging stations, allocation of parking lots in malls and office complexes for charging, and lower tariffs for night charging .

Maharashtra is pushing for a dual energy tariff structure, with Rs 5.50 per unit chargeable for daytime usage while night tariffs can be lower at Rs 4.50 per unit between 10 pm and 6 am. The charging rates for other states vary from Rs 10-15 per unit.