Karnataka is poised to lead the electric vehicle revolution but requires the intervention of EV stakeholders to create a robust ecosystem for the state to be a leader, said N Venu, Convenor of the Confederation of Indian Industry, Karnataka Power and Infrastructure Panel, and Managing Director and CEO, Hitachi Energy in India and South Asia.
“Electric vehicles are the most promising solution for the transition to sustainable modes of transportation. The exchange of information and best practices across the industry is critical for the success of electric mobility in India,” said Randheer Singh, Director, Electric Mobility and Senior Team Member for Advanced Chemistry Cells Program, NITI Aayog.
Transition and development
During the first half of 2022, 5,996 public charging connectors have been installed in India, representing a 93 per cent increase over 2021. This reflects the potential that the country offers in this sector, Singh said at the third edition of the Electric Vehicle Policy held in Bengaluru.
Although the sector is moving quickly, the pace of transition and development must be sustainable, according to Singh. “Markets cannot be flooded with untested chargers, inferior quality vehicles, and improperly tested battery packs because this has a direct impact not only on market development but also on consumer sentiments,” he added.
N Venu, elaborated on the EV challenges: “Capital expenditure is high in the EV sector. It has been one of the issues that have been glaring at sector enthusiasts, which stakeholders need to work on.”
Public Transport
According to Arjun M Ranga, Chairman, CII Karnataka, director, NR Group, and managing director, Cycle Pure Agarbathi, public transportation is an important sector, and incorporating EVs into their fleet would benefit the sector by creating a stronger ecosystem and enabling further growth.
CII Karnataka had organised the third edition of the Annual Flagship Electric Vehicle Conference “Electric Vehicles: Propellers of Sustainable Mobility for the Future” on Thursday in Bengaluru.