The need to switch to sustainable forms of energy for fuel is now more than ever. Today we see many faces of environment degradation which is partly attributable to the long-term use of fossil fuels. The world has been seeing a steady rise in efficient steps taken by innovators and engineers to construct environment-friendly machines for a better sustainable future and to achieve zero carbon emission.
One such creation has been the electric cars which helps to take off a lot of pressure from the excessive use of petrol and diesel which result in high carbon emission. Although this innovation is getting popularity globally, when considering India, there has been a mixed response.
Various concerns about adapting to a future with electric cars were expressed by the citizens of the country using social media platforms like Facebook.
One user wrote about the lack of availability of charging points across the country. This has been an area of concern for the government while trying to bring in the concept of e-mobility. There are nearly 1000 charging stations for electric vehicles in India, where the population of vehicles on the road is sky-rocketing. With this number increasing by the day, the apprehensions in the minds of the users are justifiable. Nobody wants to be in a situation where they are trapped in the middle of the road while waiting for a charging station to be installed.
Users also expressed that charging can take up to one hour maximum. One user wrote, “who wants to wait in a power station for such a long time?” Another Facebook user commented that ‘Mahindra cars take up to three and a half hours to get fully charged.’ Cost, speed and inconvenience caused for long travels have also been a governing factor for the uneasiness towards fully adapting to this innovation.
One user pointed out the non-availability of charging portals in village area. He wrote, “I am interested to purchase but if I relocate to my farm house how will I charge the vehicle? In my village government provides 6hrs of 3 phase power and in summer it becomes worse.”
There has been quite a lot of positive response too regarding this. Some record their experience with their first electric car Mahindra E20 to be absolutely fantastic. Stating that the service charges are almost close to nothing, a user said that it is easy to use.
A common cause of worry is the unrealistically high price which the customers have to pay to get hold of such vehicles. “Showroom GST is too high at 18 per cent whereas Distributor/Dealer charges 5 per cent GST,” a user said. Since there is less competition in the industry for electric vehicles, the prices are quite high and most of the people commented that they are awaiting better models with less prices and better efficiency.
India has a lot to gain from the widespread adoption of e-mobility. Under the Make In India programme, the manufacturing of e-vehicles and their associated components is expected to increase the share of manufacturing in India’s GDP to 25 per cent by 2022. Although this is the case, the market is currently still adapting to sustainable demand and hence it is impossible to determine when India will completely switch to electric cars. The country has transitioned quite well to electric scooters but it seems to be taking a lot more time to adjust to the idea of electric cars since there are a lot more loopholes to be filled.
Image Source IANS
