In the last few years, the race to make EVs as affordable as ICE cars has been going on in many parts of the globe
Union Minister of Road, Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has made a bold claim that EVs will cost as much as petrol and diesel cars in the next 4-6 months. I have reported about many ambitious projections from Nitin Gadkari in the past. However, I must admit that he has delivered on most fronts, at least to some extent. He is generally extremely ambitious with his vision, but also keeps in mind the real-world challenges. Therefore, his aim to make EVs as affordable as petrol and diesel cars could be plausible. Needless to mention, there will be obstacles to reach that goal so quickly.
Nitin Gadkari Says EVs Will Cost As Much As ICE Cars
The Indian automobile industry experts and news reporters have been evaluating Nitin Gadkari’s latest goal regarding the EV prices. Now, if EVs become price-competitive with ICE cars, the biggest barrier for many prospective buyers (the price tag) gets neutralized. After achieving economies of scale, the massive volumes will lower the component costs too. I must also mention that as the number of EVs rises in the country, the dependence on fossil fuel imports for petrol and diesel will go down significantly. This is also aided by the E20 fuel becoming the standard. Since the government is backing this initiative, more funding can be expected in this sector.
I have always voiced my concerns regarding the lack of infrastructure to support electric mobility in our country. If the EV sales surge rapidly in the coming months, I am not sure if the charging infrastructure is there to complement it. Also, the maintenance of the existing EV charging stations has emerged as a point of contention in the last couple of years. Furthermore, to implement such an arduous measure within such a short span of 4-6 months looks a bit too ambitious for my liking. The challenges associated with mass EV adoption are not so easy to resolve. Finally, the customer behaviour is still something that will take a lot of time. Hence, it’s not like if the EV prices drop suddenly, everyone will rush to add an electric car to their garage.
My View
While I truly appreciate the optimism and drive of our MoRTH Minister to make EVs a reality as soon as possible, I believe the 4-6 months time frame might just be too steep to accomplish. In all honesty, there are just too many moving variables, some of which are not entirely in the hands of the government, like the customer preferences and awareness around EVs. Hence, the EV prices and the costs of associated components might continue to fall, but a wide-scale adoption still looks a bit far to me at the moment. Having said that, the EV sales are rising rapidly. We shall wait and see how this trend evolves in the coming months and years.
Editor’s Note
Yatharth Chauhan, Managing Editor
Over the years, I’ve seen many bold claims in the EV space, especially from policymakers. While Nitin Gadkari’s latest statement on EVs matching ICE prices within 4-6 months sounds ambitious, his track record gives some reason for optimism. Still, price parity is just one piece of the puzzle- infrastructure, consumer mindset, and real-world feasibility remain crucial challenges we can’t ignore.
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