Hot wheels for green drive

There's been a noticeable surge in the registration of electric vehicles in the city in the recent past, and, it is believed that with more awareness and targeted sensitisation campaigns, the figure could grow still more. Experts and environment activists concur that electric vehicles not only have the potential to ring in a revolutionary change to how the city commutes, but also put a leash on the runaway pollution levels. According to figures released by Delhi's transport department, the total number of private electric vehicles registered in the national capital was at a paltry 77 in 2015. However, it has since grown to 711 till August 8, this year. Though the trend suggests a rise in the number of private electric vehicles registered, the number still falls far short of the desired extent. In 2016, the number of registered private vehicles rose to 90 and continued its upward climb, touching 133 in 2017 and 486 in 2018.The electric vehicles currently plying or available for sale come in a range of variants - invalid carriage, motorcycle, scooters, moped, car and motorised cycle. A senior transport department official, who asked not to be named, said a majority of people in the city are still not sold to the idea of opting for or, with reference to car owners, switching to electric vehicles. Most are still apprehensive on whether these vehicles will prove to be a viable and sustainable commuting option. "The capital cost is on the higher side. Whenever a car rolls out of the assembly line of an automobile maker, people tend to weigh the pros and cons and are initially apprehensive on whether to book one. Those in the middle-income bracket can scarcely afford to buy more than two cars in their lifetime and tend to put a lot of thought before investing their money in them," the official told this correspondent. GST boost At the 36th GST Council meeting in the last week of July, a significant decision was taken towards encouraging more people to opt for these green vehicles. The Council recommended a reduction of GST (Goods and Services Tax) on the purchase of e- vehicles from 12 per cent to 5 per cent. The Council also slashed the GST on electric vehicle chargers and charging stations from 18 per cent to 5 per cent. The automobile industry, which had been awaiting a decision to this effect, welcomed it. The tax reduction, it was felt, would encourage start-ups in the mobility space to come out with new-age products to suit the changing commuting trend in the country and be more competitive in the automobile market. Speaking to this correspondent, a transport official, who is also an expert on e-vehicles, said the GST waiver is likely to have a positive impact on the purchase of private electric vehicles. "It's a lot like when CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) vehicles were introduced. In time, more and more people will realise the potential of e-vehicles and it will translate into more sales," he said. Sensing the palpable need in the country to switch to green vehicles, Hyundai, a South Korean auto major, rolled out its first electric SUV - Kona. Pankaj Singh Rautela, a sales executive at Koncept Hyundai, Green Park, said the road price of the newly-launched vehicle has been pegged at `2,75,700. . Tata and Mahindra, two redoubtable giants in the auto space, have also rolled out low-end private electric vehicles. However, since launch, Hyundai's Kona has only found favour with legislators and top bureaucrats. E-Buses Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal recently made known his government's commitment to roll out 4,000 more buses in the national capital. As many as 1,000 of these would be e-buses, the CM said. The tendering process for the first phase of procuring these buses started on August 9. "A total of 385 buses, in two batches, would be rolled out in the first phase. These buses are equipped to run smoothly without any hassle. Parent depots and host depots would be set up for charging these vehicles. While some of these buses would come with a mileage of 250km, others would be able to cover 120 km on a single charge. While buses with lesser mileage can charge at host depots, those in the higher variant can charge at the parent depot once a day," a senior transport department official said. E-rickshaws Suraj Kumar, an e-rickshaw driver in the busy Central Market of south Delhi, said, "These vehicles are easy to drive and also make for a non-polluting commuting option in a city." Many rickshaw pullers in the city are switching to battery-operated, motorized rickshaws, on rent. Bholu Prasad, a motorized cycle rickshaw driver, said, "Every unit of charge costs me `8. Around eight units are enough to help me ply the city's streets for 8 to 9 hours straight." Ravinder Sharma, who deals in e-rickshaws, said the majority of the three-wheeler variant is unregistered. The registered ones number around 65,000. The e-rickshaws are priced at `1,50,000. "The purchasing amount includes the RTO fee as well. However, the government doesn't provide enough subsidies or incentives for e-rickshaw drivers," Sharma said. DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The New Indian Expresshttp://www.subzerotyler.com/UserProfile/tabid/61/ctl/Profile/userId/138633/pageno/3/Default.aspx