Environment: World Resources Institute India (WRI India) has launched three reports tracking the evolution of the electric vehicle (EV) sector in India. The reports study policy-level interventions, private sector strategies, and public transport adoption plans. They analyse the evolution of the EV sector in India and identify pathways for a smooth transition to EVs in the next decade.
The first report tracks the progress made by 12 states to increase the adoption of EVs and encourage private investments in their respective regions. The states reviewed include Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. It assesses mechanisms such as subsidies and tax exemptions through the lenses of consumers, charging infrastructure, and industry incentives. It recommends how states could frame clearer targets and objectives, link with policy incentives, and allocate fiscal resources.
The second report analyses 31 steps that private players have taken to increase their share of the EV market between 2017 and 2020. These ranged from efforts by the automotive sector to adopt EV technologies, to non-auto firms developing manufacturing and supporting infrastructure, and legacy firms partnering with start-ups and global players to gain market share.
The third report is about the procurement of electric buses. It highlights that electric buses, despite their higher upfront costs, can be financially viable in the long term. It suggests that states should look at the life cycle of a bus in its entirety, not just in initial investments, because electric buses are cheaper to maintain in the long run as compared to diesel versions.
India has been on track to meet its commitments made at the Paris Agreement in 2015, having achieved a reduction of 21 percent in emission intensity between 2005 and 2014. However, its transition to EVs has progressed very slowly. As a signatory to the Electric Vehicle Initiative, it will have to hasten the pace if it is to meet its goal to deliver 30@30—ensuring that EVs comprise 30 percent of vehicle sales by 2030.
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