The EV Ecosystem: Can India Achieve Net Zero Goal In 2023?

Tushar Choudhary Jan 23, 2023

The Panchamrit or five pillars to achieve Net Zero by 2070, as announced by the Prime Minister, include EVs as one of the core solutions to the challenge. The Indian automotive sector is not only focusing on this, but also continuously enhancing the efforts to innovate and bring in a diversified range of solutions for the masses. There are significant investments being made in the Indian electric mobility sector, and all stakeholders including OEMs, authorities, and the general public are keen to support the ecosystem.

EVs are already dominating public discourse due to their emission-free operations. They also offer several other benefits which can help propel India towards greater sustainability and economic growth. One of the biggest considerations for any vehicle owner is the operating cost, and that’s where EVs prove to be far more economical than the petrol, diesel or gas fuelled mobility solutions. Thus, they are not only going to make commute more affordable for the general public, but also profitable for logistics companies, transport service providers, and shared mobility platforms. EVs can also significantly reduce noise pollution as they are nearly silent compared to a conventional fossil fuel vehicle. Another major benefit that EVs are going to offer India in the long run is the decrease in the need for fossil fuels. India imports most of its oil needs, and if this import is eliminated from the equation, this alone can add tens of billions of dollars in annual fuel bill savings.

When we look at the EV ecosystem’s growth and the potential value addition it is going to make towards net zero goals in 2023, there is a need to consider ways in which it is transforming mobility.

A major advantage of EVs in India is that they are being strategically developed in a diversified manner to address the unique mobility needs of the masses. Instead of approaching the transition from a singularly electric cars-oriented model, Indian EV manufacturers have brought about a diversified range of vehicles. The aim is to first focus on resolving the challenge of last-mile personal mobility, as that is the reason why millions of people in urban areas rely upon cars, motorcycles, and 2-wheelers to commute in areas where buses and metro trains don’t reach. Popularly termed as last-mile connectivity, there are two key dimensions to this need, and both can be efficiently transformed by EVs. Let’s take a look at these two.

Shared Mobility: Shared mobility is the most common form of ‘last mile connectivity’ especially for the urban populations. Moving from one place to another within a radius of less than 5-10 km makes people rely on private cars, taxis, autorickshaws, and two-wheelers. Whether these vehicles are powered by diesel/petrol or CNG, they all cause congestion, noise and harmful emissions. However, EV options such as e-autos, e-rickshaws, and electric 2-wheelers, are now rapidly entering the scene, and providing a low-noise, economical and emission free alternative to the public. In 2023, we are set to see a lot of these vehicles especially e-rickshaws and e-autos enter the public transportation systems across Indian cities. Even the ecommerce platforms are integrating electric two-wheelers into their fleets for these last mile deliveries, and we would see growth in that segment as well.

Personal Mobility: Personal mobility is the term used for a single person’s commute. Typically, motorcycles, and private cars are used for the short-distance commute in the urban areas, and the rural/non metro audience relies on shared autos etc for this need. However, some innovative EV startups in India have now introduced impactful and efficient as well as affordable options such as electric bicycle to address this issue. E-bikes & E-cycles, as they are popularly called, are significantly more affordable than even the electric two-wheelers, and offer good operational range, low cost of mobility as well as convenience of ownership. Users don’t need to get these e-bikes registered with the authorities, and there is no need for a driving license either. They operate at speeds of no more than 25kmph which makes them safe and ideal for local commute, and the best thing is that these personal mobility solutions are highly tech-driven. They support options for manual pedal mobility as well as automatic electric ride modes and offer various features to make cycling more comfortable and enjoyable than any other mobility option for the solo riders.

Conclusion

Electrification of last-mile connectivity is the need of the hour, and the strategic first step towards achieving the goal of zero emission transportation in India. With affordable and comfortable options such as e-rickshaws, e-autos and even more so with e-bikes, we can manage to take millions of fossil fuel vehicles off our roads each year. There is no doubt that this electrifying transition will start in 2023!