The aim was 15-16 million e-vehicles by 2020; As of May 2019, country had only 0.28 million
India was one of the first countries to pledge to phase out non-electric vehicles, but its scheme to promote sale of e-vehicles is yet to pick up.
The country has about 0.28 million e-vehicles, as of May 2019, way below a target of 15-16 million (by 2020). With just a year to go, India has met less than 2 per cent of its e-vehicle target, revealed the State of India’s Environment in Figures 2019 released on World Environment Day.
The scheme was expected to decrease 2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by 2020. But, in this aspect too, the country has achieved less than 6 per cent of the target so far as only 0.11 million tonnes of CO2 emissions have been reduced.
Similarly, while the plan is to save 9,500 million litres of fuel, the country has just managed to save 45.9 million litres.
The Union Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises launched National Electric Mobility Mission 2020 (NEMM) in January 2013 to promote hybrid and electric mobility. To achieve its targets, the Centre rolled out Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India or FAME-India incentive scheme in 2015.
It was aimed at promoting electric mobility by enhancing e-vehicle production and creating infrastructure for the vehicles. The first phase of the scheme started in 2015 and completed on March 31, 2019.
But after failing to meet the FAME-I target, which had a budget overlay of Rs 895 crore, the Centre, in March 2019, rolled out FAME-II with an overall outlay of Rs 10,000 crore to be spent by 2021-22. The second edition of the scheme is meant to focus on electrification of public transport.
The scheme offers the highest subsidy to e-buses. It has Rs 61 lakh of subsidy to encourage adoption of e-buses. It also offers subsidies to 26 models of four-wheelers, 18 models of three-wheelers and 86 models of two-wheelers.
In 2016, bad air killed at least 60,000 children before they turned five. A major cause of polluted air is the high number of motor vehicles run on diesel or petrol, which emit carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and particulate matter. Electric vehicles do not emit air pollutants, are economical and help reduce fuel consumption.
While fast tracking the mission is important for the country to achieve 30 per cent e-mobility by 2030, it will also help generate 10 million jobs. The draft of the strategy is ready and the standards are expected to be formalised by June-end.
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