Skip to main content

Future of Electric Vehicles in India: Scopes and Challenges

Future of Electric Vehicles in India: Scopes and Challenges

Future of Electric Vehicles in India: Scopes and Challenges

18 years ago, when I visited the Taj Mahal, Agra, I travelled in battery-operated vehicle shunting between the vehicle parking and Taj Mahal.  The authorities made these arrangements to avoid pollution due to emissions from automobiles in and around the Taj Mahal. Long back, I saw battery-operated buses plying inside the IIT Madras campus. But the numbers were limited during those times, most of them funded by the government. 

Awareness of battery-operated vehicles has picked up the pace for the past five to six years in India. A lot of Indian automakers are involved in developing EVs suitable for our local conditions. New start-ups are coming up into this segment from manufacturing vehicles, charging technologies, motors and control technologies for electric mobility.

In this blog, I write about the future of electric vehicles in India. Also, write about the opportunities and challenges.

OPPORTUNITIES

The automobile world is focusing on EVs because of the following advantages of EVs over IC engine vehicles.

1. Clean

The entire world is moving towards better alternative vehicle technologies to mitigate environmental pollution. Electric vehicles are cleaner compared to conventional IC engine vehicles, which emits more CO2 to the atmosphere. Also, It is noise-free. 

2. Cheap

With a steep increase in the price of petroleum products, the running cost of electric vehicles is cheaper than their counterpart IC engine vehicles. Central and State governments started announcing many subsidies and schemes to encourage people to move towards EVs.

3. Ease of Maintenance 

There are about 2000 moving parts in the IC engine vehicles. In contrast, electric vehicles have about 20 moving parts. The motor, control mechanism and battery are the significant parts of EVs. The maintenance of EVs is easy and comparatively cheaper. 

4. Favourable Government Policies

The central government and the majority of the state governments have announced their EV policies. The subsidies announced both to the manufacturers and buyers will encourage both parties.   Some state governments announced a 100% waiver of  SGST for EV sales to other states.  Even some states announced to waive the vehicle registration fees.  The government committed to establishing charging stations at strategic locations throughout the country. These policies will encourage people to choose EVs over its counterpart soon.

Future of Electric Vehicles in India: Scopes and Challenges


CHALLENGES:

Though there are so many advantages of EVs, there are some challenges manufacturers are facing in India.

1. Mindset 

People are still sceptical about buying electric vehicles. They have hesitations about technologies, distance range per charge, availability of charging stations, availability of service outlets, trained human resources. 

2. Cost of Vehicle

The cost of electric vehicles available in the Indian market is far higher than conventional fuel-operated vehicles. For example, the basic model Tata Nexon EV cost is Rs. 13.99 lakhs compared to Nexon  XV petrol Rs. 8.33 lakhs.  Similarly, the cost of TVS iQube EBike is almost double the cost of TVS Scooty petrol.  The middle-class people who wish to switch over to EV might think twice about the high vehicle costs.

3. Availability of Charging Stations

People still have anxiety about the range of EVs. They worry about reaching the destination with the existing charge of the vehicle, which is not a problem if they have petrol or diesel vehicles. Still, the number of charging stations in India is significantly less compared to the petrol pumps. Also, the mileage capacity per charge of Indian electric vehicles is lesser. Travel over a longer distance is not possible without recharging the EVs in-between. 

4. Battery Replacement Cost

Most of the recent vehicles use very costly lithium batteries. The EV manufacturers give a replacement warranty for five to eight years. Some of them provide a 1lakh miles warranty for batteries.  It costs heavy to replace the batteries of electric vehicles after warranty, which is one of the main concerns for potential buyers. 

5. Choice of Vehicle

There are hundreds of petrol or diesel vehicle options available to choose from in India. Nevertheless, the choices of EVs are meagre. They have to select from minimal options available.  As of now, only 9 electric cars from leading automakers are available on the market. 

6. Maintenance and Trained Workforce

Since it is an emerging technology, people feel there will be a shortage of trained human resources. Also, they feel challenging to locate service stations in remote areas.  Cost and availability of spare also are a concern.

7. Range of Vehicles in India

The range (mileage) of electric vehicles manufactured in India is significantly less than in other developed countries. So vehicles need to be charged in-between during long travel will add to travelling time.  Also, Charging Stations' availability and waiting time for charging is significantly affecting choosing electric vehicles. 

Final Thoughts

I posted a poll question on LinkedIn to understand the mindset of people about what is their next vehicle?

As expected, more people prefered (49%) electric vehicles.  Hybrid vehicles got a  good number of votes (27%).  About 16% plan to go for petrol vehicle and 8% wants to buy diesel vehicles. 

Future of Electric Vehicles in India: Scopes and Challenges

From the comments on the poll, it is found that those who look for power and range wanted to buy diesel or petrol vehicles.  

For better mileage, less pollution, people preferred electric or hybrid vehicles over IC engine vehicles.

About 500 people from various cross-sections participated in this online poll.

Electric Vehicles are the future of the automobile sector. Lots of innovations are happening in manufacturing, improving the performance, battery technology. In future, we will get efficient EVs in India. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

24 Online Job Opportunities for College Students with Little Skills Required

The growth of internet technology created a lot of remote job opportunities in all fields.  You can sit anywhere in the world and work for your clients. I have compiled a list of part-time online job opportunities for college students.  I hope this blog will help to find online job opportunities for college students with few skills required.  If you are interested in part-time jobs, You can choose a suitable option to earn for your daily expenses.  These part-time jobs would build your confidence and also give you good experience in that field. Affiliate Marketing Recommending a product or service through social media or blog is called affiliate marketing. Almost all big businesses have an affiliate program to promote their products and services. You can register with them and get a referral link and post it with your recommendations on your social media page, YouTube channel or blog. You will be paid a commission if anybody buys a product or service by clicking your referral link. Thi

Dropshipping: A Beginner's Guide to Successful Dropshipping

Dropshipping: A Beginner's Guide to Successful Dropshipping Dropshipping has become one of the popular ways to start an online business without inventory or high upfront investment. It is a business model where you sell products online without holding any physical stock. Instead, when a customer orders, you purchase the product from a  supplier who ships it directly to the customer. You don't have to worry about inventory, shipping, or handling returns, making dropshipping an ideal option for anyone looking to start an online business.  This post will discuss dropshipping, its advantages and disadvantages, and how to succeed at it. 1. How Dropshipping Works Dropshipping is a simple business model that works in three steps: Step 1: Choose a product to sell: You can sell any product you want. However, it's essential to choose a product that has a high demand and low competition. Research your target audience and look for products that solve their problems. Step 2: List the pr

Internet of Behaviour (IoB), the Extension of Internet of Things (IoT)

Internet of Behaviour (IoB), the Extension of Internet of Things (IoT) Internet of things is an emerging technology, started influencing the day to day lives of all, and it will definitely be the technology of this decade.  Internet of Behaviour (IoB) is the extension of IoT , which uses the data collected through sensors and devices to analyse human psychology. It combines technology, data analysis, and human behaviour, which is required for a modern-day business, from marketing, sales, manufacturing and e-commerce.  In this blog, I compiled the concepts, examples and job opportunities for IoT and IoB. Internet of Things (IoT) IoT is the network of physical things embedded with sensors and software to connect and exchange data with devices and systems over the internet. These devices range from ordinary household objects to sophisticated industrial tools.  The ' thing ' in the internet of things might be a person with a sensor implanted to monitor the glucose level or an air-c