As a solution to man’s biggest problem related to atmospheric pollution due to fossil fuels and fuel crisis, the whole world was looking for an alternative solution and as a result ,it end up with the concept of electric vehicles and here comes the
era of electric vehicles.
All those prominent Indian automobile manufacturers like Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra have begun producing EVs, and several international companies like Mercedes Benz ,Volvo ,BMW have also entered the automobile market with their green variants. EV market sector is now in a phase where the cost of vehicles is moderate that even middle class people can manage to own an electric variant.
Economic Survey of 2023, predicts that India’s domestic electric vehicle market will see a 49 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2022 and 2030, with 10 million annual sales by 2030.
Electric vehicles with its zero emission is now becoming trending and most of the vehicle manufacturers have now already introduced their electric models. The provision of charging these vehicles even at home makes it more attractive.. Also charging stations are being introduced to most of the major petrol/Diesel pumps which gains confidence among its users to rely on these electric vehicles just like the petrol variant even for a long drive. Majority of the electric four wheelers are now supporting a range of 200-300 kms upon a full charge. Also with the “fast charging” option provided by the charging stations these vehicles can be charged to full with in a short time span of say less than 30 minutes which unravels the doubt of common people that if these vehicles are reliable for a long journey. Electric vehicles had a market share of 6.3 percent in 2023, a considerable increase after the pre pandemic times.
Now we could see a significant number of vehicles in streets even in Kerala have turned electric and as these figures increases there should be significant reduction in the amount of atmospheric pollution by these electric or plug in hybrid electric vehicles thus creating a more efficient and less polluting automobile industry.
From Reva, the first electric car In India in 2001 to the new generation electric cars, the major change lies in efficiency of batteries being used in these cars.. The current technology uses Lithium-Ion battery which said to be having durability and long life. Though the companies are claiming it to be having more than 10 year battery life, certain factors like heat, cold, or swift charging times can negatively affect this and may reduce the battery life.. Now after a decade,one of the problem arising will be how these battery wastes should be disposed of as it will be causing pollution to the environment.. Now the solution is in two ways as the experts says.. One is with the invention of more durable, sustainable and ethical energy storage like sodium batteries . Second with the introduction of hydrogen cars which emits zero greenhouse gases. Minister of Road Transport and Highways recently introduced “Toyota Mirai”EV that runs on electricity made from hydrogen. Experiments and researches are continuing in different directions in search of more advanced technology.
The Indian government has set a target to achieve 30 percent electrification of the country’s vehicle fleet by 2030, and has introduced several incentives and policies to support the growth of the EV industry. The industry was given a major boost in the FY24 Union Budget for the production of electric vehicles, adoption of hydrogen fuel, and embracing changing technologies. With supportive government policies, increasing consumer awareness towards handling EVs, and advancements in technology, the country is well positioned to transition towards a more sustainable and eco-friendly mode of transportation. As the demand for EVs increases, it presents a tremendous opportunity for both local and international companies to invest in and contribute to the growth of India’s EV ecosystem.
This makes it difficult to predict whether the next generation of more powerful electric cars will rule the street or will the roads be opened to Hydrogen powered cars or any other hybrid technology or even vehicles fueled with any other eco friendly fuels is going to rule the roads.. Lets see how the world goes…