Bumpy road for electric car revolution

PARITOSH Mitra, who drives a motorized rickshaw in Delhi, knows what he wants next and has saved 100,000 rupees (US$1,390) to get it: an electric rickshaw. But he won’t buy one until it comes with all the basic features that he needs as a commercial driver.

“There are the e-rickshaws plying the streets now but they are battery operated and have very little speed, so it is of no use to us,” Mitra said. “Also, they need six hours to charge the battery at home and with that they can only move about 50 kilometers, whereas we need to move up to 150km per day.

“We need charging points where machines can be charged in 15 minutes.”

He’s persuaded electric vehicles will cost less to run than diesel or compressed natural gas as fuel — but he’s not making the switch just yet.

India’s government is pushing hard for a conversion to electric vehicles, to combat worsening pollution in cities and meet its climate-changing emissions.

The nation’s transport minister in 2017 called for a full switch to electric vehicles by 2030 — something auto manufacturers believe is too difficult.

Last month, in the face of a backlash by Indian automotive giants, a government think tank indicated the electric vehicle switch may focus first on two-wheeled vehicles and motorized rickshaws, with a potential deadline as early as 2023.

The country’s transport minister also suggested India may consider creating new highways reserved only for electric vehicles.

Still, for now, the road to a rapid switch to electric vehicles remains a bumpy one. Among those most interested in new electric vehicles are drivers of Delhi’s ubiquitous motorized rickshaws, who hope the new vehicles could help them avoid rising fuel prices.

Families worried about air pollution — India has 15 of the most polluted cities in the world — also are looking for alternatives. But some of India’s own auto manufacturing giants are worried about the switch. In July, India’s government announced a tax revamp that would cut the cost of electric vehicles between 5 percent and 12 percent, and offer tax incentives for companies that install charging stations.

Some of the country’s auto industry leaders led a delegation to the finance ministry to ask that all vehicles be given the same break.

But the government said it had no plans to reduce taxes for traditional vehicles, fearing other big Indian industries could then ask for similar breaks.

(Reuters)