Electric Vehicles: Future of Automobiles

India is making exemplary strides in upholding its pledge for harnessing renewable energy for deterring the pernicious effects of GHG emissions.

From making solar parks and solar PV plants to rolling out hybrid vehicles, from setting up biogas plants to mini hydropower plants in Arunachal Pradesh to augment electricity, the future of renewable energy in India appears promising.

The FAME scheme was rolled out in 2015 to incentivize the production of hybrid and electric 2-wheelers, 3-wheelers, and cars.

The subsidy was provided for electric car manufacturers and also for cars fitted with modern technology like lithium-ion batteries. Older diesel cars are now mandatorily obligated to produce NOC certificates failing which they will be scrapped. Now this will give impetus for the buyers to purchase new cars thereby revitalizing the automobile industry.

Needless to say that BS-6 vehicular emission norms and electric and hybrid cars together will reduce at least 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. Hence a holistic effort is undertaken to translate that vision to fruition.

Very recently Delhi government has contemplated bringing the car aggregators and car service providers under the garb of sustainable environment-friendly car usage. Deadline has been provided to make 5% of all the new 4wheelers and 10% of all the 2 wheelers electric during the next 3 months which will culminate in 25% of all 4 wheelers and 50% of all 2 wheelers of the National Capital Region becoming electric by 2023.

Other states may also put such ambitious deadlines to make our transport environment friendly and jumpstart the FAME drive. But one formidable roadblock remains. That is the charging infrastructure which is both space-consuming and capital intensive. But the government has allowed individuals as well as companies to charge using their previous infrastructure at domestic tariff.

Private companies or public agencies can set up Public charging stations without obtaining a license. These liberalized norms will facilitate the formation of startups and augment employment. In the next 3 years, the government is contemplating setting up PCS every 25 km in connecting highways. Moreover, Govt is also providing land to private and public agencies to set up PCS on a revenue-sharing basis. All these when working in an integrated manner will revolutionize the automobile sector and will usher in a new era of renewable energy.

By Gajera International School, Utran

8866700062