India has been quite successful in its attempt to implement Electric vehicles (EVs), we are not quite there yet. India’s focus on next-gen mobility has taken on legs under the current government, but the ‘National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020’ was unveiled in 2013 under the previous Congress-led government. That puts into perspective the concerted efforts across the aisle for green mobility and electric cars. Since then the country has been willing to adopt a 360-degree approach to turn into an EV nation.
In December 2019, in the Climate Risk Index 2020 released by the environment think tank, German watch, India’s rank has worsened from the 14th to 5th in the global vulnerability ladder. This makes it all the more reason for India to make electric cars and vehicles a priority in the fight against the reliance on fossil fuels.
While the initial push was seen towards making two-wheeler and three-wheeler electric, the bigger need is for electric public transportation and cars. Despite the existing challenges and ambiguity inherent in the sector, major auto manufacturers are now looking at this widely untapped sector with hope.
At a fundamental level, electric cars offer a dramatically lower operating cost compared to conventional internal combustion engines. On average, electric vehicles are 75-80% cheaper from a fuel and maintenance perspective, which is an important consideration for many consumers who have high usage. This reality holds across form factors because it’s materially cheaper to charge a battery compared to refuelling a conventional liquid fuel tank.
Moreover, EVs have 75-80% fewer moving components and this ultimately translates to a much lower maintenance bill. Over and above the robust operating cost angle, EVs also possess an inherent advantage when it comes to performance and drive ability.
There is a complete absence of primary battery cell manufacturing in India which poses the risk of increasing our trade deficit. At the moment, most manufacturers rely on batteries imported from Japan, China, Korea, and Europe. Hence, the Indian market needs encouragement for indigenous technologies that are suited for India from both strategic and economic standpoint, such as aluminium fuel cells.
Another major challenge preventing larger-scale adoption of EVs today is the fact that the range is quite limited, thereby constraining the use-cases for electric vehicles. Again, this is largely solved through scale since it becomes a game of more supply than accommodates for larger, more cost-effective batteries that provide a better overall range. Once this performance reality sets in, there will be no turning back from electric vehicles.
The Indian consumer is on par with global consumers in terms of quality expectations and no longer accepts substandard products. With the premium segment having access to both local and global electric car manufacturers, local manufacturers are required to build high-quality electric car models at par with global incumbents.
The government needs to introduce incentives separately for consumers to ease the purchase and increase awareness about existing tax benefits and easy financing options. Further, with lithium-ion batteries accounting for up to ~45% of EVs and a large portion of grid-connected solar installations, companies need to assess and reduce the total cost of ownership by finding smarter methods of extending battery life.
–Article by Allwin D’Souza, 3rd year Electrical and Electronics Engineering