Centre plans electric cars on easy terms

Hyderabad: Apart from pollution issue keeping in view of expensive fossil fuels central government is working a scheme to provide electronic cars on zero down payments to people across the country. The Central government has constituted cabinet sub-committee with Roads & Transport minister Nitin Gadkari, Petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Environment minister Prakash Javadekar to work out the scheme. Speaking on this issue Union Energy Minister Piyush Goyal said recently, “We don’t need one rupee support from the government, we don’t need one rupee investment from the people" He said people can pay out of their savings on fossil fuels.

At present many states have surplus power and some states are closing down the power plants. In the next two to three years India will become surplus power country. Due to increase power generation the cost of power has comedown drastically. With the adoption of solar rooftops dependency on state government own power utilities is falling. The officials said that the central government proposed scheme of electronic cars will help in utilizing the surplus power in the country. Central government aimed to become 100 per cent electronic vehicles in the county by 2030. Fuel demand in India is increasing by every year. In 2016 India’s fuel demand grew at its highest pace in at least 16 years. According to Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) that the consumption of fuels a proxy for oil demand, surged 10.7 per cent to 196.48 million tonnes in 2016. Petrol demand rose 12.2 per cent in 2016 on top of strong growth in 2015, with diesel demand rising 5.6 per cent it’s fastest in four years.

Compared to fuel-based vehicles, electronic vehicles are not only easier and cheaper, they are also more efficient. Their maintenance also is cheap. The officials said based on electronic vehicle efficiency of 3 miles per unit and the cost of electricity is at Rs 5 per unit the electronic vehicle will travel about 42 km for Rs 70, but the petrol based vehicle will travel maximum 16 km with the same expenditure.  Union Energy Minister Piyush Goyal said, “We are trying to see if we can monetize the savings then people will have use cheaper electricity for charging of electronic cars”. Telangana government is planning to set up electric recharge stations in the state. Telangana transport department has decided to purchase 5 electronic busses to run between Hyderabad to Vijayawada, Warangal and Nizamabad. Energy department plans to set up electronic recharge stations in these routs.  Officials said electronic vehicles will not produce pollution, however they may produce heat. They said electronic vehicles are cheaper for fuel consumption than conventional vehicles.