EVs in India, a long way to go

From the last two years, all the auto expo shows across globe have been encouraging the use of green vehicles. The aim of the automobile sector is to concentrate on the cleaner fuel and green cars. The 35th Bologna Motor Show which took place in Fiere was also based on the theme “Electric Mobility”.

IDC Energy conducted a study which says that the 540,000 plug-ins electric cars will be rolling out worldwide by 2012. As per the stats, there will be as many as 2.7 million electric cars on the roads worldwide in the coming five years. However, how many of such green vehicles will see the light in India remains a question unanswered.

Mario Vona, the head of sales & marketing, FZSONICK, Italy's biggest battery manufacturers for the hybrid and electric said that, the governments worldwide has to take major steps to encourage the use of green automobiles in their countries. In France, the electric vehicles are being used by the postal department.

In the global economic crisis time, government around Europe and United States has come up with Scrappage scheme. In this scheme, a buyer can replace its old car in exchange of a new electric car.

Vona also puts across a point which says that the government needs to make the re-charge pumps with better infrastructure so that it will encourage the use of the electric car.

In India, the government will invest Rs 95 crore for the introduction of the plug ins. As per the 11th Five year plan, the incentive will be available for battery operated cars which will be sold in the Indian auto market.

On the low speed electric two-wheeler incentive of Rs 4,000 and the high speed electric two wheeler will get a lavage of Rs 5,000.

Sohinder Gill, director of Society of manufacturers of Electric Vehicles, said that, the sale of two wheelers especially, will have a major impact and monthly sales will be scaling high. This will encourage the electric automobile makers to further invest in the new generation of vehicles.

In India various measures have to be taken for promoting the electric cars, for instance electric power cuts which is the biggest disadvantage.

The Indian buyers are also very stringent about value for money and also look for roomy vehicles that are almost maintenance free and have excellent fuel efficiency. The electric car is an expensive affair, almost double the regular fuel efficient car. And the price of the batteries of these cars cost one third of the car. Toyota Motors and Honda introduced EVs in India but because of the bulky price tag, the electric vehicles could not become popular. REVA vehicles' cost varies at different states which discourages the buyers from purchasing the car. This is a high potential market and government needs to subsidized it to encourage the use of Evs.

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