World EV Day: Industry pitches for sustainable ecosystem

Strengthening local supply chains is important to create a sustainable electric vehicle ecosystem in the country, the Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV) said on Friday (September 9).

Marking World EV Day, the SMEV urged people to advocate the cause of green mobility among their family and friends to become a part of the revolution.

“The overwhelming response from the citizens has outpaced the supply side of OEMs. As we move forward with the aim of making India an EV hub, it is imperative that all stakeholders are in harmony so a solid logistical foundation can be built for the industry,” SMEV Director General Sohinder Gill said in a statement.

Hence, on the occasion of World EV Day, SMEV invites all the industry players to come together and work towards strengthening the local supply chain market so that a sustainable EV ecosystem can be created in the country, he added.

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The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and International Council for Clean Transportation (ICCT), in a statement, lauded the Delhi government’s action plan to install 18,000 new charging stations by 2024, noting that similar strategies can be replicated in other states for supporting widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

Tata Power Head of Business Development (EV) Virendra Goyal noted that the development of easy, accessible charging infrastructure is absolutely essential for the large-scale adoption of EVs in the country.

Elaborating further, Mahindra & Mahindra Executive Director (Auto and Farm sectors) Rajesh Jejurikar said the company remains very optimistic about the expansion of electric mobility in the country.

Bullish on green mobility, the auto major on Thursday unveiled its first electric SUV model, XUV400, which it plans to launch in January next year. “We are also very realistic which is why we said that five years from now, we expect about 20-30 per cent of our SUVs to be electric,” he noted.

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Mahesh Babu, CEO of Switch India and COO of Switch Mobility, said that in order to meet India’s global commitment to become Net-Zero by 2070, it is important to prioritise not just public transport but public transport with zero tailpipe emissions.

“Electric buses are clearly the best and obvious solution to accelerate decarbonisation with increasing mass mobility,” he added. The company is the electric vehicle division of Hinduja Group flagship Ashok Leyland.

Luxury car maker Audi India Head Balbir Singh Dhillon said the company has a clear road map towards sustainable mobility and is committed to developing an EV ecosystem.

“We have successfully installed over 100 chargers across India and we will continue to increase this in the days, months and years forward to ensure ease of ownership for Audi e-tron and other EV owners. The future is electric and Audi India is ready for it,” he stated.

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The company currently sells five electric cars in India, Audi e-tron 50, Audi e-tron 55, Audi e-tron Sportback 55, Audi e-tron GT and Audi RS e-tron GT.

Electric ride-hailing service BluSmart said EVs can play a major role in reviving the economy of India and making Delhi pollution-free.

“Our focus is to solve the pollution challenges of mega cities like Delhi-NCR and improve the quality of life of people living in such mega cities,” BluSmart CEO  Anmol Singh Jaggi noted.

Electric two-wheeler maker Tork Motors Founder Kapil Shelke said  a robust network of electric vehicle charging infrastructure is the need of the hour.

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“Companies should come together and create a durable charging infrastructure for the users. It is an essential pre-requisite for progression and future penetration of electric two and three-wheelers,” he added.

Electric commercial vehicle maker Euler Motors founder and CEO Saurav Kumar said the right commercial vehicle policy push with expansion of charging infrastructure, financing ecosystem and battery standardisation will help the EV market to grow.

World EV Day is observed on September 9 every year to educate people about the need for electric vehicles.

(With inputs from agencies)