The shift towards electric vehicles should be channelled through introduction of electric buses, taxis and two-wheelers, according to The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

“TERI’s analysis suggests that the first step should be to shift buses, taxis, and two-wheelers to EVs, as well as short motorised trips to non-motorised transport. This is towards an overall aim to encourage use of public transport and reduce uptake of motorised private vehicles,” said Shri Prakash, fellow at TERI.

TERI said that a stakeholder consultation and participation process needs to be immediately initiated that takes into account the views of all those concerned. These include users, manufacturers, electricity and oil marketing companies.

The second step should be to introduce public electric charging infrastructure, as well as a marketing infrastructure to provide an alternate business model for providing batteries, are essential for acceptance of a shift to EVs.

“Analysis indicates that for many categories of EVs the cost of an EV version (without batteries) is less than that of ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) version, and the lifetime cost of batteries and recharging is less than the lifetime cost of petrol or diesel. This suggests the need for a new business model decoupling the EV cost and the battery cost, as well as of pubic charging facilities to allay range anxiety amongst users,” TERI said.

It has also suggested having city-specific mobility plans and accelerated development of battery technology to boost the footprint of electric vehicles in the country.

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