Carbon emissions have been identified the world over as the leading cause of climate change. Unfortunately, a large chunk of these effluents is released by the transportation sector, all owing to its copious consumption of fossil fuels. Apart from the pollution that the combustion of these fuels produces, their import is a big drain on the exchequer.
Decarbonisation is key to arresting climate change, and most certainly holds good with the choice of fuels that power all forms of transport today. The substitution of fossil fuels is the proverbial silver bullet by virtue of its reduced carbon emissions
The electric passenger car market is growing at a rapid year on year rate of 90%. This is bolstered by rising fossil fuels costs, increased awareness of climate change, practical driving range enabled through the improved efficiency of the electric powertrains, and higher energy density of their batteries. Diving deeper into what is propelling adoption of EVs, one comes across multiple proof points, which once explored unlocks the potential to understand the accessibility the electric mobility ecosystem brings with it.
Zero is the new hero
Electric cars are the only viable form of powered mobility available today that boasts of zero tail pipe emissions. In fact, the carbon footprint further decreases if the electricity that they run on is generated from renewable sources like wind, solar and hydro.
To boost efficiency, EV designers go beyond the norm and look at non-conventional materials to ensure weight reduction and sustainability through either biodegradable raw materials or ones that are easy to recycle. Bioplastics and polymers are finding increasing roles to play in the construction of modern EVs, especially for their interiors.
Green is fun
A common misconception surrounding EVs is their performance and drivability. However, electric motors are renowned for their immense torque that is made available right from the get-go, as opposed to their internal combustion engine (ICE) powered peers which face a slight delay in achieving that torque. This means EVs are easier to drive in bumper-to-bumper city traffic, while being completely at home on the highway or carving corners in the hills with a sense of confidence.
Today, the lithium-ion battery – and derivatives of its chemistry – is the mainstay choice of the EV industry because of its high energy density. This factor, coupled with robust yet light weight construction and high efficiency motors lends EVs a real-world range in excess of 300 km on a single charge, thus endowing them with the practicality and usability of a conventional ICE vehicle for intra and inter-city drives. Whether it is for the commute to work or a quick dash down the highway over the weekend, EVs today will not disappoint even the most ardent motor head.
The ecosystem is growing
The charging ecosystem for EVs has come a long way from where it was a decade ago. Today, India has more than 10,000 public chargers and 4,000 community chargers located across the country and this number is growing with every passing year. In urban areas, most EV owners will have a charging station located within a radius of about 3 km from their location, while 65% of India’s national highways boast of a fast charger within a 100 km radius, ensuring convenient charging options for EV owners on long journeys, which makes owning an electric car a practical and viable proposition.
Many existing and upcoming residential and commercial complexes are collaborating with charge point operators to set up dedicated charging points for EVs which has endowed on the owners of these cars the convenience of recharging their vehicles at home overnight or at office during the day. All these facets have been instrumental in making range anxiety a concept that is relegated to the history books.
Easier on the wallet
Unfortunately, a misnomer about EVs being significantly more expensive than their ICE peers continues to exist in the minds of some consumers. Although this may be true in some miniscule measure when it comes to the upfront cost to purchase an EV, the economies of scale are steadily driving down the disparity in these prices even after the government’s subsidies and incentives have been rolled back.
When it comes to the actual running costs themselves, there are significant savings to be accrued with an EV over a comparable ICE vehicle. Research and benchmarking studies at Tata.ev have shown significant savings on running an EV compared to a similarly comparable ICE vehicle over a five-year period and over thousands of kilometres. This is possible due to the sharp difference in fuel prices compared to electricity and the maintenance cost of an EV powertrain against an ICE engine.
With the inflection point of EVs close, we are currently at the precipice of a turning point in India’s e-mobility revolution. What started off as a journey of hesitation and myths is now a full-fledged industry in a short span of time. Whichever way you look at it, personal mobility in the city for grocery runs, or long distance highway runs to attend to various emergencies, electric vehicles are increasingly the way to go. As these technologies evolve and mature, word of their abilities and prowess in addition to the experience they offer will spread further.
(Disclaimer: Vivek Srivatsa is Chief Commercial Officer, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd. Views are personal.)
