Hero electric photon

Priced right at the edge at almost 49,490 (ex-showroom). Hero electric photon is one of the most popular options when it comes to buying an electric scooter in India. The ride has two modes of driving the power and the eco mode. When on power mode the range ride can provide on a full charge is almost 50km whereas on eco mode the company claims a total of 65km of output on a full charge. The scooter can go up to speeds of 45km/hr which is apt for usual neighbourhood errands.

Avon e-bike

With the trust of one of the oldest bicycle manufacturers in India. This bike was introduced in December 2015 and is sure under the category of less than 50k prices at 20k. The bike runs on a non-maintenance battery and can provide the ride a speed as high as 20km/hr. The ride also has a glove compartment at the back and with a headlamp at the head sure isn’t bad to look at when in one of its two colors silver with red or silver with blue.

Hero electric Maxi

Another model from the hero, this particular e ride is available at a much less price when putting to comparison with the photon from hero itself and is priced at 34.5k (ex-showroom). With a 48V battery and with an average charging time between 7-8 hours the batteries are capable of providing a torque of 0.3 bhp. Weighing almost 75kg the ride sure hasn’t much need of disc brakes over the provided front and rear drum brakes. The ride can provide a top speed of 25km/hr and a driving range of 70km on a full charge.

Indus Yo electron

This e scooter from Indus is pretty much a standard e scooter. Priced at almost 36.5k the ride features a battery with a maximum output power of 750 watts. On a full charge, the scooter can cover a distance up to 70km. With halogen lamp, tube tyres and drum brakes the ride is pretty much good for what it costs and can provide top speeds of almost a 25km/hr.

Palatino Spyker

With the ex-showroom price at 38k the scooter packs in itself a 2W electric motor. The motor has an output power of almost 250W and is a BLDC variant of the motor. The ride has a hefty weight of almost a 230kgs and can charge itself in any time between 6-8 hours span. The battery is a 60V 20Ah. With the hefty weight, the ride also has disc brakes to handle when it comes to need. With alloy wheels the tyres are tubeless. On a full charge, the ride can cover distances as long as 60km which will surely drop to a certain level when talking of being in heavy traffic for long whiles which is something common in today’s metropolitan life. With all the power the scooter can go up to speeds of almost 25Km/Hr.

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Six Special Zones

The first zone includes automotive innovation which covers start-ups and electric vehicle technology solution.

The second zone includes Exotica which will display heritage cars and supercars

The third zone, Motorsports, will display rally vehicles.

The fourth zone will feature an Auto Gaming Arena and Future Mobility Experience. The Future Mobility Experience is meant to provide a virtual reality experience to drivers. They will drive connected and autonomous electric vehicles on different terrains to experience the concept.

The fifth zone features application vehicles that will display milk vans, school buses, Army trucks and fire trucks.

The last zone is dedicated to anti-counterfeiting to promote the use of genuine and good quality spare parts.

What are Electric Vehicles?

An electric vehicle coverts fuel to electricity through an electrical generator or is powered through a collective system by electricity from off-vehicle sources or self-contained sources like a battery or solar panel.

Future of EVs in India

This year automakers such as Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra are all looking forward to rolling out electric cars. Recently, Mahindra & Mahindra has committed to invest Rs 600 crore spread across three years to build the broadest range of electric vehicles, extending from the KUV 100 to the TUV 300. The Tivoli Electric will also be the first electric mini-SUV from Mahindra.

On the other hand, Tata Motors, plans on revealing an electric version of Tiago and Tigor along with reviving its Nano too at Auto Expo.

It isn’t just the Indian automakers that are keen on launching electric vehicles, with brands like Hyundai and Nissan, considering the same by 2019. Hyundai plans on introducing two of its electric vehicle brands- Ioniq and Kona in India. Nissan might bring Leaf EV, which was first introduced in 2010, to India at the upcoming event.

India already has i8 from the German luxury carmaker, BMW. Looking at how the market trend for electric vehicles in India is increasing, there are chances of BMW i3 coming to the country. If sources are to be believed, BMW i3 will be ready to be launched in India by mid-2018 after its showcase at Auto Expo.

French automaker, Renault too is expected to follow the footsteps of Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata by announcing their future EV plans for India at the upcoming Auto Expo with offerings such as the Zoe hatchback EV that generates 90PS of power and 220Nm of torque.

Apart from the known brand of carmakers, there is a Bengaluru based start-up Mean Metal Motors that has been working with the Italy-based company Tazzari, to produce the first ever electric sports car M-Zero. Prototypes of the car would gradually be rolled out in 2018.

This move is backed by the Indian government’s intent to rapidly promote the use of electric vehicles to enhance the energy security of India leading to a cleaner environment. The government plans to shift to EVs by 2030 on a mass scale for both personal and commercial vehicles.

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By charging this bike just once you would be able to travel 65 km.

Hero Leap – Basic facts

Leap is going to be the first ever electric hybrid scooter to be launched by a two-wheeler maker in India, let alone of Hero. This too was shown first as a concept model in the 2012 Auto Expo. It is likely that the bike would be powered by lithium-ion batteries. It would be fitted with an eight kW (kilowatt) electric permanent magnet AC (PMAC) traction motor. It is supposed to have a 124 cc engine as well. The fuel tank of this bike would have a capacity of three liters.

The bike can get a top speed of 100 kmph (kilometers per hour). It is also pretty easy to charge this vehicle. All you need to do is plug it on to a wall outlet.

Mahindra GenZe – What do you need to know?

It is expected that Mahindra GenZe, a collection of e-bikes and electric scooters, would be launched at some time in 2019. GenZe is basically owned by Mahindra & Mahindra but is based out of the United States of America (USA) and deals primarily in electric two-wheelers. The products of GenZe are available only in the markets over there. As such, the organization is yet to specify if its products will be launched in India. It also has not shared any details regarding its products. At present, GenZe is offering 2.0 and 2.0 s e-bikes and electric scooters.

TVS – The Real Deal

TVS is also supposed to launch an electric scooter as such. The company has also confirmed that said vehicle would be launched by March or April in 2018. The electric scooter is supposed to have its own system of battery management. The individual cells are supposed to be procured from international suppliers.

Twenty Two Motors FLOW – The New one

FLOW is being offered by Twenty Two Motors, a newbie that started its operations during 2016. It has recently come up with a prototype of FLOW, the electric scooter is made by itself. It is expected that the finally produced version would be the same as the concept model being shown now. The company has said that the bike would be able to achieve a top speed of 60 kmph and it will travel 80 km upon being charged once. Its ex-showroom price is expected to be in the region of INR 65,000 to 70,000.

The Stylish Honda PCX Electric and PCX Hybrid

These products are being launched by Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI). The PCX scooter, one of its new products, was shown for the first time at the 2014 Auto Expo. It is supposed to be launched in India by 2018. Its ex-showroom price is said to be in the region of INR 85,000. It would be available in the two main versions – PCX Electric and PCX Hybrid. It is already being sold at the international markets. In fact, the scooter was also shown at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show.

The Hot Ather s340

Ather s340 is being marketed by an Indian company based in Bangalore known as Ather Energy. The bike was showcased for the first time at a technology conference that had been held at Bangalore in 2016. This is supposed to be one of the best options in this particular segment and its price will be somewhere between Piaggio Vespa and Honda Activa. It is supposed to derive its power from an electric motor. Lithium-ion batteries are supposed to be used on the bike. They will, however, be imported. Apart from this, you can also choose Piaggio Vespa Electrica.

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Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, while attending the annual conference organized by SIAM or Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers said that the diesel and petrol vehicles must leave the path for vehicles that will run on electricity as well as other substitute fuel variants like biofuel, ethanol, and CNG. He was discussing sustainable development and expansion initiatives for the automobile sector at the convention. He also added that this endeavor was a division of the larger schemes of the government to permit just e-vehicles in the country by 2030.

More on it…

He also stressed that the car industry should begin thinking about innovative ways of creating and distributing vehicles that cause less environmental pollution. He asked the fraternity to research on such techniques that will fuel the creation of technically advanced vehicles that will not cause pollution. He cautioned the industry that if they did not progress towards innovative techniques then they will have to risk being surpassed by expected alterations in the government policy. In addition, he mentioned that this government is also scheduling a platform which will be similar to Uber and Ola for facilitating the use of 2-wheelers as a cab, therefore reducing the count of vehicles on the roads.

How does the future look?

The government’s future plan is to release over one million electric 3-wheelers and ten thousand electric city buses on the Indian roads by 2019. In fact, only in the NCR region, almost ten thousand e-cars will be released which is big news. To help this initiative, the EESL or the Energy Efficiency Services Limited will set up around four thousand chargers in only Delhi and NCR region. This will not only enhance the expediency of the residents but also increase the interest of people regarding e-cars. E-vehicle manufacturers will receive incentives like tax breaks to increase manufacturing of e-vehicles. Buses powered by battery will also be released on the road by 2018.

Competitive tendering for electric vehicles similar to the manner in which the LED moment was done in India will be performed by the government. The batteries, and the vehicles, will cost lesser than the ones that will run on petrol or diesel. In 2017, the roads of Nagpur were hit by a fleet of two hundred electric vehicles which include auto, e-rickshaws, taxis and also buses. The multi-modal e-vehicle project in India was launched for the first time at Nagpur Airport Complex. Ola cabs have also set up more than fifty charging points at 4 planned locations all across Nagpur.

A concluding note

Under the plan designed by the National Policy on Biofuels, the administration is anticipated to achieve a staggering target of twenty percent ethanol-petrol blending by the year 2017. Nevertheless, this target could not be achieved because of the scarcity of availability of the ethanol for the transport industry. India is presently producing less than three percent of the ethanol-petrol blend. To fill this gap between demand and supply, the government has planned to begin fifteen industries for producing second generation ethanol. This is a non-polluting energy which is also cost-effective; this is a nice solution for tackling both the problems of increasing bill and rising pollution.

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To give a proper shape to this ultra-ambitious project, attractive incentives have been announced by the government. Our Prime Minister has decided to own 10,000 electric cars through Energy Efficiency Services, an agency run by the state.

How Mahindra and Tata are aiding this Ultra-Ambitious Project?

Mumbai-based ace manufacturers are proving a steep competition to Tata Motors in becoming the leading producers of electric vehicles. Tata Motors owns Jaguar Land Rover and supplies as many as 350 electric automobiles.

The rest should come from Mahindra which takes charge of electric car-making in its able hands.

Earlier in 2010, Tata Motors was considered Global Leaders in electric car-making. But soon, Mahindra and Mahindra too joined the race to kick-start this ultra-ambitious auto project.

The Statistics

Tata Motors bid a huge amount and that is INR 11.2 lakh per car. It is very likely to sell off The Tiger Sedan developed by The European Technical Centre in collaboration with Jaguar Land Rover. In the meantime, Mahindra has geared up and is offering its e2o models and also it’s Verito Hatchback.

If these automobiles deliver, Mahindra and Tata will have even bigger orders to fulfill in the near future. A further supply of 10,000 more electric vehicles is being planned in the second phase of the ultra-ambitious auto project.

The Energy Efficiency Services have recognized both Tata Motors and Mahindra and Mahindra as qualified parties.

They have been allowed ample room to fulfill the orders of their respective models. According to the terms and conditions of their tender, Mahindra and Mahindra bid the lowest price for the second phase lying ahead. Mahindra plans to invest a sum of 4000 crores to gear up with India’s ambitious electric vision. They strive to bring the vehicles within affordable limits.

To sum it up

Both Tata and Mahindra have proven themselves as the forerunners in turning the electric vision into a reality. Electric four-wheelers are a great challenge that the Indian Market has to handle tactfully.

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The world soon is going to move away from the vehicles on the basis of the ICE or Internal Combustion Engine. And electric is the future. With some of the leading vehicle manufacturers leading the way on the things that are possible with the electric vehicles, more and more companies are following the suit.

Now it has been assumed that fully autonomous driving is going to have a large effect on our way of living as the vehicle itself did. Therefore, it is worthy of getting “wow” reactions and it also starts to lay the groundwork for the things that are coming next.

The change is evident

Although there are some challenges, which are restricting the implementation of these electric vehicles, the makers are trying to combat those challenges.

In the first world countries, the energy department along with other agencies is trying to develop the recharging and battery technology.

The USA government is even offering financial support to the leading vehicle manufacturers to manufacture or develop commercial electric vehicles. It is thought that this type of investment will spur the economies of scale while reducing the cost of units and also by making the new technologies viable.

Benefits that the electric vehicles will offer:

Electronic vehicles actually come with a range of benefits, which might not be obvious immediately. Let’s have a look at those:

1. Driving these vehicles is insanely fun as these can produce the highest torque at zero RPMs. This means that these vehicles can snap to life just at the touch of the accelerator.
2. Electric vehicles come with the direct driving feature and therefore there is no requirement of complex gearbox or transmission. Here power is used quietly and smoothly and the acceleration also feels completely effortless.
3. Operating the electric cars is really simple. Besides, there is nothing to crack, rust, break or blow out. Apart from that, there is no filter, no oil to change, no fluids, no clutch and no crazy mechanical systems.
4. Apart from being an important mode of transportation, the electric vehicles also work as the energy sources, which can directly be plugged into the grid. This will help to address the challenge of “demand response”.

A concluding note

Apart from the benefits mentioned above, the electronic vehicles will also have a dramatic impact on different areas of our life like the vehicle industry in general, the climate conditions in different cities and in the distribution of energy across the globe.

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As things stand now, the sale of these vehicles is negligible because of the batteries that are really expensive to say the very least. The high cost of the batteries has made the cars costly themselves. As such, these cars remain out of the reach of most buyers out there.

No timeline

Bhargava has himself said that the company knows it will make EVs but it will not be able to provide a timeline as such regarding the completion of the same.

Does it have the technology?

One of the biggest questions that need to be asked at this time is whether Maruti is equipped technologically to build these vehicles.

Bhargava has pointed out that Maruti’s partnership with Suzuki will come in handy in this regard. This is why when the company plans to move ahead with the work it will get the technology from its Japanese partner. In fact, it has always been rather clear about this particular modus operandi.

Battery joint venture (JV)

It was during September 2017 that Suzuki announced it will start a JV with Denso and Toshiba to make lithium-ion batteries. It is supposed to invest INR 1151 crore and will set up production units all around the country. The batteries that are developed through this partnership will then be used in EVs made by Maruti Suzuki.

Optimism

Bhargava, however, remains positive about the government’s plan to go completely electric in the next 10 years or so. It is also hopeful that it will be able to dominate the market for EVs just as it has done with the one for other vehicles. He has, in fact, proclaimed emphatically that as and when Maruti goes ahead with a plan it intends to be the market leader in that particular segment. This, in turn, bodes well for the people in India as they will look for several options as and when they choose to go electric.

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Tesla, perhaps the biggest name in the domain of electric vehicles around the world, is betting big on the market for such vehicles in India. There are several reasons as to why it is so. First of all, it is compelled to do so because of the competition that it is facing. James Dyson, who has invented a bag-less vacuum cleaner, has proclaimed that his company would build an Electric Car that is supposed to be introduced in 2020. NorthVolt AB, whose founder worked at Tesla at one point in time, is in the process of building a lithium-ion battery.

This battery would bring down the cost of storing power by as much as 50 percent. Upon building them NorthVolt would supply these to all companies with the exception of Tesla.

The scale of this market in India

It is expected that by 2020 the market for automobiles in India would be the third biggest in the world. This is evident from the estimates done by Ernst & Young, and JD Power. It is expected that by that year India would account for 8 percent of the entire passenger vehicle market of the world as opposed to 4 percent in 2010-11.

It is expected that by that year the demand for passenger vehicles around the world would be in the region of 108 million units. Half of this demand is expected to emanate from Asia, Africa, and Pacific region. It is also expected that by 2020 there would be 10 million units in the passenger vehicle market of India. The government of India is also looking to sell only electric vehicles from 2030 onwards and as such it could play into the hands of companies such as Tesla. This is because such push would allow it to have access to a huge market.

The government has already started to take concrete steps in this regard and is also letting one and all know that it is doing so. In fact, this is also one reason why Tesla is venturing into the Chinese market. If it gets the necessary permission from the national government over there it would be able to put millions of such cars on the road since it would basically work without any opposition. In fact, the way Nitin Gadkari has issued a stern warning in this regard also bodes well for the company.

To finish it up

If the government is willing to cooperate then it could mean policies that work in its favor. This means that even in case Tesla was to face a serious threat in the United States of India (USA) it would have access to the markets in India and China that would together be bigger than the USA market. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that by 2030 the need for a global stock for such vehicles would increase by around eight times. By then India would be compelled to sell at least 10 million such cars. In 2015 there were around 1.3 million such cars on the road.

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A vehicle is a big investment and this is something, which will be there for many years. But the main problem here is the precious oil under the feet is going to dry up soon. This may not happen for many years but there is no requirement to expedite this method by persisting to power all the automobiles with gasoline. Besides, when this happens, the final thing you might want is the vehicle, which runs on some other thing, which is extremely scarce. Vehicle manufacturers know this thing and regulation can also be a huge motivator.

The present scenario

Due to a number of reasons both diesel and petrol vehicles are on the way out. Like other countries, India is also zipping ahead on the path to embrace the electric vehicles as automakers and the government is also preparing itself to bring electric mobility to this country on a fast note. As the technology has made some great advancement, therefore the costs have diminished and the state and central policies are there to help the purchase of vehicles. So, to meet the greenhouse emission goals of our world, it is necessary to electrify the mode of transportation as early as possible.

The advent of electric vehicles

With the advancement of battery and solar technologies, there are numerous chances to power the major source of transport for quite less than what one is paying at present. This is the reason why, within 2018, several models of electric cars would hit the road and there will be more charging stations. Therefore, purchasing a hybrid or electric vehicle from the majority of the leading automakers is as a viable option from 2018. But these electric vehicles are still a small part of the complete vehicle world. At the auto show in Germany, most of the vehicle manufacturers either reiterated or pledged their earlier promises to enhance the numbers of electric vehicles to the lineups by the year 2030.

The majority of the leading auto manufacturers like Volvo, BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen and Jaguar Land Rover have announced already that they will go electric. And for the customers, the good thing is that they will have more choices while it comes to vehicles. But with so many models of electric vehicles being rolled out at a time, it is actually going to be tough for the consumers to learn about the vehicles that are actually worth the hype.

Wrapping up

So, the rise of electronic vehicles will mostly start by the year 2020. After this time, the electronic cars will become a conventional mode of transport while saving the owners a good amount. Besides, the electric cars are also really fun to drive, it is silent and there is also no chance of harming the environment through carbon emission.

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The Actual Recommendation

A 90-page blueprint hinted that the government plans to open a battery plant towards the beginning of 2019 using tax revenues from the sales of diesel and petrol vehicles. Using this revenue, charging stations is to be set up for an electric vehicle.

Amitabh Kant, the CEO of the NITI Ayog, headed by our Prime Minister has aimed at electrification of all the vehicles of our nation by the end of 2032. This is likely to shape an innovative mobility policy as reported by the government officials. The draft of the report solely focuses on electric vehicle marking a dramatic shift from current policies which provide incentives toward hybrid vehicles.

Hybrid vehicles combine electric power and fossil fuels. But our policy think-tank intends to grant fiscal incentives solely toward electrified vehicles.

What’s India’s Potential?

India is believed to be quite potent in creating an innovative mobility paradigm as planned by the policymakers. The electric vehicle will not only impact the domestic auto industry but will pave our path as global leaders. This was the draft version of NITI Ayog’s report. It has been titled Transformative Mobility Solutions for India. This would definitely curtail India’s oil import expenditures by 2032 and reduce harmful emissions as committed to the Paris Climate-Treaty.

India’s toughest competitors, China has announced aggressive policy measures to push the sales of electrified vehicles. Incentives include subsidies, huge capital funding intended to discourage the sales of fossil-fuel cars running in big cities.

Challenges Lying Ahead

Officials have acknowledged that the blueprint is bound to face challenges. Huge battery costs could push up automobile prices. Setting up charging stations is also not an easy task. Infrastructural bottlenecks will add to the pressure. This proposal needs right direction and huge capital investment ahead of its publication. Investment in technology is the key to its success.

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