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(Pi-Bureau)
In its latest study, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has claimed the central FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicle) programme to promote electro-mobility in India had only ended up hard-selling mostly mild diesel hybrid cars.
CSE executive director (research and advocacy) Anumita Roychowdhury said the mild hybrids were only a marginal improvement over conventional diesel models and were much cheaper than electric vehicles. “The main purpose of scaling up strong hybrid and electric vehicles for the big transition towards clean and zero emissions has not taken off.”
Besides, the programme had not worked for public transport and no incentives were given to either electric buses or three-wheelers.
The analysis claimed the outcome contradicted the policy vision of union power minister Piyush Goyal to achieve 100 percent electric vehicle sales by 2030 or the target set by the National Electric Mobility Mission to have 6-7 million electric vehicles by 2020.
Although this segment of electric and hybrid vehicles is still a low volume one with only 1.3 percent market penetration, it is an important step needed in the longer run to clean up the air, reduce climate impacts and secure energy.
Globally, even though penetration is still about 3 per cent, strategies are being defined for much quicker transition.
“This demands immediate course correction as tax payers’ money used for incentives for electric mobility is only bringing mild hybrids that are only 7-15 percent more fuel-efficient than conventional diesel models. This forgoes the benefits of improving fuel efficiency that can be as high as 32 percent in case of plug-in-hybrid cars and 68 percent for fully electric models,” said Roychowdhury.
As much as 60 percent of incentives have gone to support minimal improvements, pointed out CSE researchers.
Instead of tying this up as incentive to promote mild diesel hybrids, the same amount could have been spent on infrastructure for electric vehicles and strong hybrids to improve the effectiveness of the overall programme.
The skew in sales of mild diesel hybrids is more pronounced in Delhi where Supreme Court directives to first ban and then impose 1 percent pollution cess on big diesel cars has slumped the sales of conventional diesel vehicles.
It may be noted that the notification from the union ministry of heavy industry defined mild hybrids as ‘those that have minimal application of electric energy and use regenerative braking power only to assist the motor to start from the stationary position’. These vehicles cannot run on electric power. A strong hybrid vehicle has a provision for off-vehicle
Key findings/suggestions of CSE study
FAME promoted mild diesel hybrid cars instead of strong hybrids, electric vehicles
Stop diverting incentives to ineffective solutions
Public transport ignored
India needs a win-win strategy of linking electro-mobility with public transport
Target polluting vehicle segments like 2-wheelers
Create dedicated fund based on polluter-pays principle
Design incentives carefully to avoid unintended consequences
Need reliable and longer term incentives
Link electro-mobility with ‘pedestrianisation’ of city and public transport access
Plan and implement charging network
Provide non-fiscal incentives
Ensure safe recycling of batteries
