Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari stated that the cost of electric vehicles (EV) in India will be reduced to the level of gasoline vehicles in the next two years. “Within two years, the cost of electric vehicles will drop to a level comparable to gasoline models. The consumption tax on electric vehicles is already only 5%, and the cost of lithium-ion batteries is also falling.

In addition, the government has formulated a policy to allow gas stations Set up charging stations for electric vehicles. Two years from now, there will be many charging points all over India,” Gadkari told a webinar on accelerating the phase-out of coal and shifting to electric vehicles, organized by the Danish Capital Foundation for Sustainable Development on Sunday night. Say. . “Electric vehicles have gained a good momentum of development in the country. There is no need for manual propulsion.

The cost per kilometer for gasoline vehicles is 10 rupees, diesel is 7 rupees per kilometer, and the cost per kilometer for electric vehicles is 1 rupees,” he said. This is important because by 2030, India has set a target penetration rate of 30% for private cars, 70% for commercial vehicles, 40% for buses, and 80% for two-wheeled and three-wheeled vehicles. Currently, there are only about 2-3 electric vehicles in the country that cost less than Rs 1.5 million.

Taking into account the subsidy factor, the cost of two-wheelers and three-wheelers has almost equal to existing gasoline. Gadkari further stated that it is planning a potential pilot project to install an electric highway system on the Delhi-Mumbai highway that can use the abundant solar energy in the area for electrification. In addition, the government also plans to set up charging points at gas stations. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has developed a plan to install at least 700 charging stations for electric vehicles on the country’s main roads by 2023. These charging stations will be distributed within a range of 40-60 kilometers. The minister of the coalition stated that the central government is also committed to ensuring that the electricity for electric vehicle charging stations comes from renewable energy sources.

The minister added that the government will soon launch the country’s all-electric tractors. A few months ago, Gadkari launched the country’s first tractor using compressed natural gas in February this year. “There is no benefit to producing coal-based electricity. We are now focusing on renewable energy sources such as solar, tidal, wind and biomass energy. Domestic electric vehicle charging can be achieved through rooftop solar systems.

The national average retail electricity bill is as high as 7-8 Kilowatt-hour, diesel generator set backup power is up to 20 rupees/kwh. At the same time, today’s solar power generation is less than ₹2/kwh. Therefore, rooftop solar systems can solve the dual problems of high power costs and grid reliability. “He said. Currently, India’s installed renewable energy capacity is 145 GW, ranking fourth in the world. Gadkari said that charging domestic electric vehicles through solar photovoltaic cells, homes, shopping malls, parking lots and office panel systems will make electric vehicles more affordable and adaptable.

News Source : Hindustan Times