By Varun Goenka
June 15, 2022 Source: The Times of India
Photo / Image Source: Unsplash, Waldemar Brandt
Until a couple of decades ago, climate change was treated as a possibility. However, today, it is a harsh reality and an existential threat faced by our planet. Globally, key areas that contribute to environmental pollution such as vehicular emissions have come under the scanner. Clean mobility technology companies are relentlessly pursuing the goal of ‘reversing climate change and improving living conditions’ through EVs.
As one of the most populated countries in the world, India has humongous mobility needs. Rising economic resurgence is estimated to lead to nearly 40 crore Indians seeking mobility solutions by 2030. The country is now strategically gearing up to address this demand in a sustainable manner courtesy of EV technology.
The Government of India aims to convert at least 30% of new vehicle sales into that of EVs by 2030. By achieving this goal, we can cut down billion tonnes of carbon emissions. This will be a key milestone towards the overall goal of net-zero by 2070.
Adoption of electric mobility not only augurs well for the environment, but is also going to be instrumental in the overall socio-economic development of communities. Enhancing the quality of life for the masses is essential for holistic sustainability. With fuel prices reaching new and unprecedented highs, conventional ICE engines vehicles are becoming increasingly costly to operate. Hence, EVs can also be a great alternative as an affordable public transport system that is also safe for the climate.
While the benefits of EVs are not lost upon anyone, the challenge faced by us today is to build the ecosystem required for their mass adoption. Currently, despite the environmental gains that can be achieved through EVs, there are challenges such as lack of access, affordability and efficiency. These three factors are critical to the success of EVs in India, and that’s where a concerted effort by all stakeholders is required.
Compared to fossil fuel vehicles, EVs are costlier to own. This higher cost, coupled with lower operational range due to charging challenges can be detrimental to the public adoption of these vehicles. To leverage the optimum environmental benefits of electric mobility, EV ecosystem stakeholders are now using cutting-edge technologies and innovation to resolve the teething challenges.
The upfront cost of EVs can be brought down by eliminating the compulsion of buying batteries while purchasing new vehicles. The Government of India has already allowed it in some categories, and this can reduce the upfront cost of a vehicle by 30% to 40%. Instead of purchasing the battery, vehicle buyers can take up a swapping subscription where the battery is purchased, monitored and maintained by a swapping service provider. The vehicle owners only pay per use and avail easy swapping support on the go, throughout the network of battery swapping stations.
This arrangement also augurs well for the efficiency and range of the vehicles. There is no need to worry about charging as whenever the battery is about to run out, the integrated Battery Management Software would guide the driver to the nearest station and within minutes the vehicle can be back on the road with fully charged battery pack. Leading Indian battery swapping providers are using cutting-edge AI, analytics and IoT-based solutions to monitor the performance of the batteries on the go. There is also constant improvement in cell technology and battery makers are dedicatedly working on improving cell design and chemistry.
As of now, access to battery swapping and charging stations is the other major concern which makes people hesitate in adopting EVs. The common perception is that while there are charging and battery swapping stations being built within major cities, no such facilities exist in Tier 3 and 4 cities and towns. However, with the current momentum and coming together of the central and state governments as well as private operators, there is a rapid build-up of charging facilities and battery swapping stations. The government is also going to implement the National Battery Swapping Policy. Once the framework for interoperability as well as development of battery swapping networks is readied, we will see a massive surge in infrastructure.
With greater support, and elimination of cost/range worries, it will be easier for the tens of millions of Indians, and businesses that operate last-mile transportation fleets, to switch to electric. Eventually, we will be able to slow-down emissions, address the environmental damage in the long run alongside improving lives on the way to net-zero!
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