STATUS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN INDIA

The automobile industry has shifted to electrically driven vehicles as a result of the harm that gasoline engines do to the environment and to humans. This document discusses explains how an electric car operates and contrasts it with hybrid vehicles and internal combustion engines. The document outlines a few of the benefits and drawbacks of the electric car. A brief look into the technology's future is also provided The electric vehicles market in India appears to be going traction. Companies have not only started to manufacture electric scooters and bikes in states like Uttar Pardesh, but have also begun to research for alternatives to lithium-ion batteries, which are mostly imported from China. Recently, EV major Tesla has announced that they are going to start its India operation soon. Vehicle ownership is increasing rapidly in our country. In 2001, 57 people out of 1000 were a car owner and today this number has reached 197 and mostly there were fossil-fuel vehicles. India is the 5th largest manufacturer of cars in the world. So, we can see that a lot of potentials is present here if fossil fuel vehicles are to be replaced. And the Indian government has also set a goal for the year 2030 to replace 80% of two and three-wheelers, 40% of buses, and 30 to 70% of cars in India, says the NITI Aayog. As the nation gears towards its ‘Zero-emission' 2070 dream, funds and focus are directed towards electric mobility. And this aim has a very big monetary value. By 2030, more than 100 million people would buy an EV having a monetary value of more than 200 billion USD. India annually imports around Rs.8 lakh crore worth of crude oil. This is expected to double in the next 4-5years. Fossil fuels are a non-renewable energy source and are getting depleted at a high rate. While at it, they are also depleting the environment. From choking air quality to extreme weather conditions, we have been bearing the brunt of our extensive dependency on fossil fuel. To battle climate change, India too has been focusing on alternative and efficient energy sources, like its global counterparts. In March 2022, Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari mentioned in the Parliament that between 2019-20 and 2020-21, the two-wheeler EVs rose by 422%, three-wheelers by 75% and four- wheelers up by 230%. The number of electric buses also increased by over 1200%.