Electric Vehicle Expo 2017: Going Electric Still a Distant Dream

India wants to go fully electric vehicle by 2030, but this expo was a reality check.

The Indian government claims that by 2030, it can transform the country into a wholly electric vehicle dependent market. Industry experts have lauded the ambitious plan, while advising caution and practical decision making, considering the lack of a nurturing climate for such technology to bloom and flourish.

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has proposed to put 40 percent electric vehicles on the road by 2030, with an eye on going fully electric by 2047.

At the Electric Vehicle Expo 2017 in the National Capital, most manufacturers opined that a gradual roll-out of these vehicles – including two-wheelers, three-wheelers and even public buses – seems to be the way to go.

The Quint spoke to several expo attendees, who expressed curiosity about the technical dynamics of owning or running an electric vehicle (EV).

The three-wheelers, targeted at replacing existing cycle-rickshaws and auto-rickshaws, run on the lead acid battery. While its low cost is a major advantage, buyers end up with shorter battery life cycles, longer charging durations and slower running speed, which is far from ideal.

But with prices of lithium-ion battery technology falling, lead acid batteries could become a thing of past – a trend that could in turn speed up the adoption of EVs across the country.

In addition to a horde of three-wheelers, we also spotted some electric bikes.

The government is working on formulating broad guidelines to support the electric ecosystem, and most of these brands are waiting to see what’s in store for their businesses. 

But then again, there are no subsidy benefits for brands like Lohia and ETOT to drum up the demand for these vehicles just yet.

A few attendees said that the two-wheelers on display lacked originality, with similar capabilities and low on the design factor.

Unfortunately, no big names were present at the expo. We didn’t come across many four-wheeler prototypes, or buses. This clearly is a space that cannot take off without some immediate attention from the government.