GIVE US GREEN PUBLIC VEHICLES, NOT TESLA

NEW DELHI: Tesla just opened it’s office in India. Based on reading what I could find, it seems Tesla will sell it’s famously expensive electric vehicles here. Was I the only one disappointed that the most high-profile electrical vehicle entry into India was about private cars? India needs to reduce private vehicles on its roads to fight air pollution and climate change. We need to create a thriving competition for electric buses that are efficient, affordable and upgradable, at least in some aspects, such as more efficient batteries.

Tesla isn’t giving us this. Nor is it creating jobs, because nothing is manufactured here. I hope Tesla will be responsible for the batteries of the cars it sells. I see a silver lining though : Tesla’s entry has underscored that India too, is a market, however nascent, for EVS. If things go right, this symbolism, coupled with good policy, will precipitate competition and draw manufacturers of EV buses and trucks.

But what shall we do with our EV infrastructure? We need charging stations-a spot where a vehicle spends much more time than it might filling petrol. This means we will need more stations per thousand cars, more evenly distributed. We’ll need repair mechanics and spare parts-currently a challenge. To fight climate change and air pollution, we need to reduce private, increase public transportation, making it EV. These are the successes we want in the headlines, although a rich man selling overpriced electric cars to a few is also an important insight.