Electric vehicles: UK government steps up collaboration efforts

BENGALURU: The UK government is carrying out a scoping study to identify opportunities for future collaboration with India on Electric Mobility with a strong focus on state/city led initiatives that could accelerate scaling-up of the electric mobility market in India. To explore potential areas of partnership with India on electric mobility, a UK delegation of international experts will engage with stakeholders in Bengaluru, Vijayawada and Chennai from February 25 to March 1.

The State Governments of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have collaborated with the UK Government to organise stakeholder consultation exercises on electric mobility policies, technologies and applications in the three cities involving the UK delegation. The delegates and state government officials are expected to engage on discussions around innovative solutions for charging infrastructure development, grid management, renewable energy integration, grid impact assessment, fleet transition programmes, pilots, vehicle to grid systems and city level planning among other things.

On February 26, the UK delegation attended the CII’s Future Mobility Summit in Bengaluru on Innovative implementation aspects around Electric Vehicles Infrastructure and Ecosystem Creation and on Strategic Transition towards Electric Mobility in cities. Stressing on the importance of UK-India Technology Partnership and the need of a framework for deepening India-UK collaboration on Future Mobility, Dominic McAllister, British Deputy High Commissioner to Karnataka said: “I am delighted to host a delegation of UK experts from across the electric mobility spectrum for the first time in Bengaluru. The government of Karnataka has shown leadership in adopting and shifting to electric vehicles and this is the ideal time for UK experts to explore opportunities and work together for economic development, low carbon transition and shared prosperity.”

India is driving towards a shared, connected and electric mobility system and is exploring innovative ways to increase the share of low carbon vehicles in its transportation fleet. The two countries are already working together on policies, research, technology partnership and knowledge exchange in a wide spectrum of areas related to the development of clean energy. To address air pollution and energy security, progressive Indian states are taking leadership roles towards ushering in a vibrant environment on future mobility.

In2018, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and ‘Transport for London’ signed an MoU that will help to improve the overall public transport system in India, improve passenger services and promote the use of high capacity buses in the country. The MoU will help in strengthening the integrated public transport for all. This will help people from poorer strata of the society to have access to a quality public transport system.