India: Electric vehicles to replace petrol fleet

The ‘going-green’ concept is yet to strike a chord with the automobile industry. Although it is this sector which contributes 60% of the pollution which chokes the urban populace, the Indian automobile industry hasn’t shifted its gear into the green mode. Substituting petro-diesel vehicles with eco-friendly variants can never be easy.

Government support has been minimal. Infact, electric vehicles were offered a subsidy of Rs 1.05 lakh in 1997 which was abruptly stopped in a year. After several efforts by manufacturers of electric vehicles (EVs), central subsidy was reintroduced in 2002-03, reducing the amount to 33% and making it applicable only to institutions such as government departments, public sector undertakings, educational institutions, hospitals, tourism and archeological sites. High fuel costs and congested city roads have only added to the pollution menace.
In such a scenario, electric vehicles will serve as an alternative to conventional vehicles. Speaking on the advantages of electric vehicles, Girish M Rakhe, president (India operations) of Reva electric car company, said, “Electric vehicles use 50% of the energy and cause zero pollution.

With technology changing rapidly, the operating costs of the electric vehicles are lower. New batteries today allow you to drive for over 400 km and the vehicle can be charged in an hour,” he said.

Economic Times