Future of Transportation - Electric Vehicles

Introduction

The increasing level of air pollution in Indian cities has been a cause of concern for policymakers. More than 25 Indian cities are within the 100 most polluted cities in the World. The cause of growing air pollution in cities is related to a variety of sources however transport sector makes a significant contribution. It is important the emissions from the transport sector are minimized. Electric vehicles have been seen as a promising technology option and several national governments have successfully implemented policies to promote the technology. Indian government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi is keen to promote electric vehicles as green mobility options and is also considering it as a viable solution to reduce air pollution in cities. The many States have actively announced policies incentivizing and facilitating the use and manufacturing of Electric Vehicles.

The government has announced an outlay of ₹10,000 crores for Phase 2 of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles, or FAME 2 scheme, to boost electric mobility and increase the number of electric vehicles in commercial fleets. The government, in a recent move, has approved green license plates for electric vehicles in order to encourage people to use them. The purpose behind is their easy identification for proposed benefits such as concessional toll, preferential treatment for parking, and free entry in congested zones.