During the COP26 Climate Change Conference held in Glasgow, on 1st November 2021, the Prime Minister announced that India would achieve net-zero emissions by 2070. While some other countries like the USA and China have committed a much earlier date, India’s announcement came as a surprise.
India must shift quickly to electric vehicles to help achieve the net-zero emissions target by the committed deadline. EVs are slowly becoming more visible, with many Indian auto manufacturers launching Electric vehicles in the market.
Conventional fuels based on petrol or diesel cause a lot of pollution to the environment, whereas EVs are a lot cleaner alternative. Besides, they are very efficient and fun to ride., and yet India has not yet witnessed the adoption of EVs on a large scale.
The slow speed of adoption of EVs can be attributed to many factors. To begin with, an EV is significantly costlier than a conventional vehicle that runs on fossil fuels. Since Indian customers are very value-conscious regarding the upfront costs, they find owning an EV expensive. This is despite the fact that the overall cost of maintenance and running an EV reduces significantly over time compared to traditional vehicles.
Secondly, the electric vehicle ecosystem is not fully equipped in India. So, the lack of nationwide charging infrastructure becomes a deterrent for long-distance travellers who are understandably worried about where to charge their EVs once the battery runs out.
However, on the bright side, all the shortcomings of EVs are being addressed by the government. Nationwide infrastructural upgrades are planned so people get more charging stations in the future as they drive their EVs anywhere. The government is also offering various subsidies to both manufacturers and buyers of EVs.
The general mood, especially among the youngsters, in various online social discussion forums, suggests that people are well aware of the role of EVs in environmental sustainability. The purchase cost of EVs is also expected to come down in the future as more and more people opt for EVs. Another fact that can accelerate their adoption is the rising prices of fuel.
If you’re interested in indulging in an in-depth discussion regarding the future of EVs in India, then you can use a good social networking platform to voice your opinion.
For instance, you can network with experts in the EV space and invite them to a RoundTable discussion in the recently launched Khul Ke app that aims to revive the art of conversation and explore its power. An intense debate with experts on the topic of EV can open up new ideas as well.
Every new revolutionary change takes a little time to gain momentum. EVs are no different. However, once they gain momentum, they can change the entire auto industry forever. Not only are they the future of the automobile sector in India and the world over, but they are also one of the few options we have to save the planet.
