World EV Day set for electrifying debut in India
The pandemic has not dampened the spirits of industrial players across the electric vehicle (EV) eco-system.
Not that the virus-induced lockdown has not hit the industry. But this segment of the mobility business is electrifying itself again with the first World EV Day being celebrated on Wednesday.
Instituted by Green TV and ABB, the Swiss power technology and product major, and partnered by a host of automobile makers across the globe, the World EV Day will bring the focus back on how important EVS are from the pollution angle and whether issues like affordability and range have been addressed, especially in a country like India.
C P Vyas, president, electrification business, ABB India, told Business Standard there was greater awareness about the environment, which means “we have to take responsibility for our actions on climate change and global emissions”.
The company’s electrification business division offers Ev-charging solutions. Vyas cited the Global Project 2020 to say there could be a 5 per cent, or 2.5 billion tonne, fall in global carbon emission.
“Some experts believe we could witness the largest short-term decrease in emission caused by human activity in this century. It is important as an industry that we maintain that trend for the long term. Electric vehicle is a key way to achieve that …”
Jeetender Sharma, founder and managing director, electric scooter company Okinawa, sees a significant change in the mindset of the people, who are becoming more environment-friendly. “In the longer run EVS are more economically viable than conventional-fuel vehicles. This has struck the right chord.”
E-scooters, along with public transport, nevertheless, were the first to electrify. EV offers in India, however, have touched the high end of Hyundai’s Kona, Tata’s Nexon, and MG Motor’s ZS.
The Tata Nexon, in fact, is the highest selling four-wheeler EV in the industry, helping Tata Motors rack up a market share of 62 per cent in EVS in April-june 2020.
Sharma said the pandemic had been difficult for the industry but the need to have private vehicles was being felt more now.
Though manufacturers like Okinawa say they have reached the pre-pandemic level of sales, EV aggregation and cab service providers, which are bulk buyers of these vehicles, are of the view that the business is still inching back to normal levels. Lithium Urban Technologies, for instance, is about 50 per cent back to pre-covid 19 levels and expects the remaining to recover by January next year. Ashwin Mahesh, co-founder and chief executive officer, Lithium Urban Technologies, said: “About 20 per cent of the fleet is now being run for new clients that we signed up during the shutdown. That's a really good sign of the demand.”
The company has about 1,150 cars in various cities but has plans to expand, though with the pandemic, it is waiting for newer clients to reopen their businesses.
Battery, vehicle and charging technology are being targeted to make vehicles lighter and cost-effective. Besides, as Vyas pointed out, the government’s efforts to reduce air pollution and improve liveability through the smart cities model warrant a unique and indigenous approach to decarbonise the transportation sector.