Go Electric Vehicles!

Energy problems have besieged the world today and there’s an inherent need to implement sustainable urban development, renewable energy, and energy management practices. Although India has seen wide-scale progress and development, both in terms of infrastructure and overall economic progress, the fact of the matter remains that India lags behind its rivals when it comes to implementation of clean energy measures.

Case in point, our capital, New Delhi holds the unwanted distinction of being the most polluted city in the world.  The scenario in other parts of India makes for grim reading as well – Out of the 35 most polluted cities in the world, an unbelievable 19 fall in India. The main instigator behind this is undoubtedly vehicular traffic, especially in densely-populated urban areas.

So what’s the way around this mess – By making use of sustainable energy rather than relying on greenhouse-gas-emitting solutions such as electric vehicles, cities can significantly cut down on harmful emissions that result in both smog as well as climate change.  These measures, in turn, will go a long way in boosting public health while minimizing ecological damage as well.

Electric Vehicles are the future – no two ways about that. There was a time when electric vehicles were considered too boxy, too slow and unreliable. Moreover, the choices were also pretty limited as far as electric vehicles were concerned with most people having to begrudgingly settle for the Toyota Prius.

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Those times are now a thing of the past and most manufactures ranging from humble offerings from Peugeot Citroen, Toyota, GM, Ford, Nissan, Renault, Volkswagen to the biggies like Volvo, Daimler, BMW, Porsche have all added several electric vehicle models to their product portfolio.

With battery prices getting cheaper along with the advent of longer-range models, and more charging stations, electric vehicle sales are on a rise. Back in the days, people used to shy away from electric vehicles citing the lack of charging stations. But today, there’s been a substantial increase in the number of charging stations at workplaces, apartment complexes, campuses, transit stations and other public gathering places.

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The biggest reason for the public embracing electric vehicles has to be because of the current status of the environment – the world is looking at effective and efficient ways to reduce the carbon footprint and oil dependency that has been the precursor behind the dangerous climate change. Then there’s the economic benefit as well to the overall economy – by making the switch to electric vehicles, India can reduce its dependence on importing oil, which will help the country save a massive $330 billion otherwise spent on purchasing oil.

While in most western countries, the transition to electric vehicles has already gained momentum, India is still lagging behind when it comes to promoting the adoption of electric vehicles amongst the masses. Having said that, thankfully, India is moving in the right direction with regards to sustainable urban development as demonstrated by the rapid spread of solar energy in India.

Further, the Indian government has made a bold statement announcing that they will allow nothing but electric vehicles to be sold from 2030. In this regard, it can seek inspiration from developed markets and take advantage of Indo-German Collaborations for help on the implementation front.