Affordable e-mobility for everybody?
The world's second-largest country by population is increasingly investing in electric mobility and showing how it can also work "on a budget". Indian electric vehicles are easy on the wallet of many customers as well as on the environment.
With a growing population, which currently stands at around 1.41 billion, the mobility needs of citizens are increasing - and with them the corresponding demand for affordable vehicles. However, Indians often cannot afford cars from the big manufacturers in Europe or the USA. Especially in the field of electromobility, where brands like Tesla are refused import due to too high demands, the country needs its own solution. A model for the masses that meets market demands while remaining affordable for households.
So far, India's plan seems to be succeeding. For the market for cheaper electric vehicles is growing steadily in the emerging country and proves that e-mobility can also work with a lower budget. However, it often takes different forms than in the western industrialised countries. Particularly in local transport, for example, electrically powered rickshaws play a greater role than other transport alternatives.
Here, it is often not powerful lithium-ion batteries that are used, but cheaper lead-acid batteries. Although these take longer to charge, only last about half a year and only allow low speeds on the roads, they found their market in e-tricycles. However, in order to make high-power batteries popular in India despite rising prices, some companies have set up a subscription system. For a relatively small monthly fee, customers can exchange empty batteries for full ones at selected stations.
The result is an electromobility boom that could lead the country to the top of the world market despite infrastructure or resource problems. In the last fiscal year alone, for example, 430,000 electric vehicles were sold in India. Only a fraction of these, however, consist of passenger cars; the vast majority of electric motors are still in use as three- and two-wheelers. A new registration rate that many manufacturers predict is set to rise - partly because competitive prices are set to get even lower with the planned start of local battery production.
This will not only please the wallets of citizens, but also the environment. The environmental impact of transport electrification can be huge in India. After all, 13 of the 20 cities with the worst air pollution are in India. India's economic potential in the international market for electric vehicles is also huge. To accelerate the switch to alternative fuels in India as well, it might be time to introduce environmental zones. Will India soon overtake countries like China not only in terms of population, but also in terms of e-mobility?