On electric vehicles, India must learn from China
Beijing has made it a priority to create favourable conditions for stakeholders
United Nations Environment Programme chief Erik Solheim on Tuesday said India must move fast to tackle air pollution and to do so, the country must focus on its transport, renewables and agriculture sectors. But how exactly will that happen? Take, for example, the case of electric vehicles (EVs). With the kind of pollution levels we have, the State should do its best to push for EVs. But our progress has been uneven. The hopes for cleaner air were raised when last year the transport minister asked the automobile industry to shift to EVs. He warned the vehicle manufacturers: “I will bulldoze. Petrol, diesel banaane walon kaa band-baajaa bajaanaa hai [We will take the makers of petrol/diesel engine vehicles to task]”. A month later, the minister promised an EV policy so that India can achieve full electric mobility before 2030. But on February 15, the Centre did a volte face when it provided a breather to carmakers that are unprepared for a shift to the clean-fuel technology. The transport minister announced that the country does not need a dedicated EV policy; instead it may come out with an action plan.
While India is debating between a policy and an action plan, China, where air pollution is also a huge problem, is trying to become the “Detroit of electric vehicles”. A 2017 McKinsey&Company report talks about how and why China has emerged as a leader in both the supply of — and demand for — EVs. On the supply side, China has made it a priority to create favourable conditions for EV stakeholders, including investors.
If the government wants the automobile industry to bring about change in their products and attract investments for greener ones, then it needs to come up with a policy. Knee-jerk interventions and sudden change of plans will affect citizens. EVs are one of the pillars of the plan to combat pollution. Not encouraging them to thrive will deal us a significant blow in the battle to improve the air we breathe.