Will 15-year-old electric vehicles be removed from road like petrol, diesel vehicles? What measures does government plan to promote EVs?
EV 15 Year Rule: The Government of India is going to take a big step to promote electric vehicles (EVs). Now 15-year-old electric vehicles such as cars, buses and trucks will not need to be removed from the road. This means that EV vehicles will now be able to run legally even after 15 years. This will not only increase the life of EVs, but the interest of buyers will also rise rapidly.
Currently, the rule for the removal of 15-year-old vehicles applies to petrol and diesel vehicles. However, EVs are likely to be exempt from this regulation, which could enhance their sustainability in the future.
Pace of adoption of EVs is very slow
In a meeting chaired by NITI Aayog member Rajiv Gauba, concern was expressed that the pace of adoption of electric vehicles is still very slow. Currently, the market share of electric vehicles in the country is only 7.6%, while the government aims to increase it to 30% by 2030.
In this direction, there is now a plan to implement CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency) standards on buses, trucks and commercial vehicles, although electric vehicles will be given some relief in this.
New impetus to the sale of EVs
Road Transport Secretary V. Umashankar told in the meeting that most of the buses older than 15 years are with private owners. Keeping this experience in mind, NITI Aayog suggested that the End of Life (EoL) rule on electric vehicles should be removed. This will give new impetus to the sale of electric vehicles.
EVs could be made mandatory
The government no longer wants to be limited to just giving incentives, but is working on a policy to make electric vehicles mandatory. In areas where the infrastructure for electric vehicles is ready, they will be made mandatory. Along with this, a disincentive policy can also be brought for those who do not adopt electric vehicles.
Fully EV based transport system in 5 cities
The government has selected five cities where only fully electric buses, autos and cargo vehicles will be run. This will be a solid start towards electric mobility.
How EVs will be successful
Four things are considered most important to make EVs successful:
Availability of charging stations
Fast charging facility
Better battery technology
Easy finance options
Banks are still reluctant to give loans for EVs
However, banks are still reluctant to give loans for EVs, due to the high cost and limited life (6–7 years) of batteries. Since batteries account for 40–50% of the total cost of an EV, it is important to make it cheaper. The government has been urged to set clear standards for batteries and provide subsidies or financial assistance.
Prakash Kumar Pandey