THE ROAD AHEAD...
THE WEEK India|January 22, 2023
…is full of electric vehicles, if you go by the latest edition of Auto Expo; but there may be surprises in store
K. SUNIL THOMAS
THE ROAD AHEAD...

Deepak Pandit, an academic at BML Munjal University in Gurugram, is a bit confused. He is looking for a new car, and despite being an expert on the matter, he is not sure whether to go for an electric vehicle (EV) or a tried-and-tested internal combustion engine (ICE) car.

“The future is bright for EVs, but there are fundamental issues—there aren’t enough charging stations. And once everybody starts charging vehicles, do we produce that much electricity?” asked Pandit, who is the chair professor at the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the university. “Infra for charging is not there beyond urban areas, and how do you even claim the subsidies? Regulatory and scrapping [of used batteries] issues still remain. I am [still] debating.”

It is a debate almost all Indians go through. India’s auto industry hopes the Auto Expo 2023, from January 13 to 18, will help put these doubts and debates to rest.

But will it? Or is there more than meets the eye?

Maruti Suzuki, the nay-sayer among the electric crowd, kicked off its Auto Expo outing by unveiling its first electric SUV. The concept car is not immediately for sale, though. Maruti launched two ICE models as well, for the actual market.

Others, too, have jumped on the bandwagon, in tune with the Expo’s themes of sustainability and connectivity. While Hyundai launched its much anticipated IONIQ 5 EV, Tata Motors, which has an early-mover advantage in India’s nascent EV car segment, launched EV versions of Harrier and Sierra.

Esta historia es de la edición January 22, 2023 de THE WEEK India.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición January 22, 2023 de THE WEEK India.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE THE WEEK INDIAVer todo
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
THE WEEK India

What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?

IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.

time-read
5 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
THE WEEK India

Trump and the crisis of liberalism

Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Men eye the woman's purse
THE WEEK India

Men eye the woman's purse

A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
When trees hold hands
THE WEEK India

When trees hold hands

A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Ms Gee & Gen Z
THE WEEK India

Ms Gee & Gen Z

The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing

time-read
5 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
THE WEEK India

Vikram Seth-a suitable man

Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Superman bites the dust
THE WEEK India

Superman bites the dust

When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
THE WEEK India

OLD MAN AND THE SEA

Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port

time-read
4 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE WEEK India

Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets

THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 08, 2024
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
THE WEEK India

Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay

AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 08, 2024