While electric vehicles seem to be the obvious answer to many of the world’s issues faced by the automobile industry currently, India is yet to catch up when it comes to embracing the EV revolution. Electric vehicle news in India suggests that while there is no dearth of the policies and incentives offered by the government in terms of EV use, the use of EVs in India raises more questions than it answers.
To understand the barriers to the EV industry flourishing in India, we’ve identified problems for electric vehicular adoption faced by the Indian market.
Inadequate charging infrastructure
Since EVs depend heavily on electricity, the biggest concern of potential customers is the availability of charging points both in cities and highways. Since most charging happens overnight at homes, there still is the question of people who live in apartments or gated communities who have little or no access to reserved parking facilities, inaccessible electric meters, and electric charging ports.
Lack of service and repair options
With a need for more information related to service costs and more service centers that cater to EVs, customers are deterred from buying electrical vehicles with a worry that maintenance will be a hassle. Though EVs require lesser overall and part maintenance than petrol or diesel vehicles, the inaccessibility of parts on time adds to the frustration of owners.
Range anxiety
Probably the highest concern of all, few electric vehicles in the market can match the range of petrol or diesel vehicles. While most EVs offer sufficient range to cover daily commutes, customers tend to view it in comparison to other options in the market.
High prices
Owning an EV is more expensive than owning a fuel-powered vehicle. Since initial prices are considered more than the cost of owning, a lot of customers are unwilling to invest in EVs. Having said that, electricity being cheaper than petrol or diesel, an EV pays for itself over time. EVs are also low maintenance considering they have lesser moving parts and virtually no fluids to change, making their motor perform well for a longer period without any routine upkeep.
Batteries wearing out
Though all-electric models haven’t been around long enough to work around the relatively low mileage issue (when compared to petrol or diesel engines), there are a great many concerns about the battery wearing out over time. In EVs, the battery begins to degrade after a point; this doesn’t go well with customers looking for a “durable” vehicle. There have been efforts to make batteries that last longer, and best practices that solve the issue of battery degradation.
Not suited for the Indian family
Electric vehicles are a great option in a multi-car household. When it comes to single-car households, it falls short in seating and cargo capacity (in cars) for larger groups of people. One of the main reasons for limited cargo space in an electric vehicle is the placement of a battery pack. Today, however, most manufacturers are trying to address this problem by designing the “skateboard” batteries that fit beneath the car’s floor, freeing up capacity.
Despite its challenges, there is a section of the population that is looking at what EVs do for us and our environment. The area of focus is to widen this section by innovative ways of promoting the inclusion of EVs both on an individual and national level.
