Indian Government To Set Up Task Force To Drive EV Adoption

In its bid to further boost the sales of electric vehicles and develop its subsequent ecosystem in the country, the Government of India is setting up a task force that will create the roadmap for how to go about it.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has already sent a letter to different agencies to start the process according to reports. The task force will be finalised in collaboration with the Federation of India Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and other agencies. 

The letter seeks input on 11 topics that will help form the action plan for EV adoption in the country. The respective agencies have already started to approach Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to lay the cornerstone of the automotive vision plan as part of the Viksit Bharat 2047. 

(Also Read: Hyundai India To Start Production Of Its First Electric SUV This Year)

The Task Force

Various agencies, both national and international, have been hired as part of the task force. Starting with GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft fur International Zusammenarbeit), a German government and European Union agency, along with the FICCI will be looking after the EV charging infrastructure. The Indian Battery Swapping Association (IBSA) will spearhead initiatives on battery swapping technology and its infrastructure.

The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) will focus on introducing electric trucks, while the Retail Motor Industry Organisation will concentrate on two-wheelers and three-wheelers. The World Bank will oversee the introduction of electric buses. Electric four-wheelers will be looked after by the World Resource Institute (WRI), and the US Agency of International Development (USAID) will focus on power electronics, devices, and motors. 

(Also Read: Electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class Makes Global Debut)

The development of advanced chemistry cells will be looked after by the Indian Energy Storage Alliance. And lastly, The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) will work on upskilling workers. When it comes to electric two-wheelers Indian brands have done a great job as we have one of the most advanced electric scooters at very competitive pricing. Even the adoption of electric three-wheelers and rickshaws has been positive. However electric car sales in comparison have been weak and one of the major reasons for this is range anxiety as charging infra is very low at the moment. Additionally, prices of electric cars are pretty high compared to their ICE siblings.