Straight Drive

Bhushan Mhapralkar

The next FAME policy could be announced this month, and in the runup to the national elections. In a scenario where the trade war between China and US continues to rage, and fuel prices in the international markets show signs of rising further, a debate on whether alternate fuels in the form of CNG, LNG, LPG and bio-fuels could help rather than the time consuming task of setting up electric vehicle infrastructure and manufacturing electric vehicles. Battery costs is another variable that needs to be taken into account. Electric vehicles are not exactly affordable. With the majority of research papers at the FISITA Automotive World Congress, held for the first time in India, said to be about IC engines is indicative of IC engines not going out of use anytime soon. The move to BSVI will turn vehicles, CVs especially, much ‘cleaner’. They could be cleaner than electric vehicles that are supported by electricity possibly sourced from lignite burning power plants. To seek zero emission tailpipes in urban areas could work in the short term. In the long term, it would be necessary to seek new ways of cutting down on emissions. The good part is the CV industry is leading is this direction as far as automobiles are concerned.

“Electric vehicles are not exactly affordable”.