Shared, Connected & Electric Mobility

Action Plans

National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 was launched in 2013 with an aim to achieve 5 to 7 million electric and hybrid vehicles (xEVs) on Indian roads by 2020. In 2015 a scheme for faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric (& Hybrid) Vehicles (FAME), was also launched in 2015 to promote manufacturing of EVs. This scheme will continue till March 31, 2018.

NITI Aayog had organized an intensive consultation with all the stakeholders, including related Ministries on transformative mobility in February 2017. A detailed document was released in May that incorporated the suggested strategy and related agenda for India.

Improving air quality in India’s high pollution cities; bringing EV mobility to India; introducing manufacturing of global size and scale; developing EV component manufacturing infrastructure; leveraging India’s renewable energy mission; making India a centre for EV export and reducing oil import dependence.

We have to consider multiple technology agnostic approach for clean mobility. We do not have to bind ourselves to one technology and there are various other options. The other options to consider are inter-operable and open access infrastructure for charging; various technologies including hydrogen fuel; Plug-in Hybrids (in the short and intermediate term), and other forms of technology whenever they become commercially viable and different revenue models (including opex and capex based models). We consider that there are five key areas for the action, Electric vehicle manufacturing, battery manufacturing, charging infrastructure, EV components and most importantly the unified mobility platform which is very critical. How do we take a lead in these five aspects, how do we scale up and give the size for the companies to have global competitive edge and how do we move forward?

Among the Electric motor manufacturers there is no Indian player. Also among the Lithium ion battery manufacturers also there is no Indian player. Panasonic will increase its production from 10 to 50 gigawatt hours per year. It is about 12 right now and it will go to 50 by 2020. Others like LG Chem and Samsung will also be increasing production.

In India we procure the cells and we package them to make batteries of various sizes. This is the limitation where we need to work on. The forecast is that battery sizes will go down and that is why we will pack in more energy in smaller size of batteries.

When it comes to global EV lithium-ion battery demand worldwide, China has taken the lead and it will be ahead of even the US. India figures somewhere in the rest of the world scenario. Battery pack size is determined based on differentiated size by vehicle segment and weighed by market. volume in each region.

There are different metals needed for battery manufacturing and their share will get depleted. We have to keep in mind, if we have to manufacturer cells then what are the requirements and wherefrom to procure them.

Then there are the charging challenges. India has hardly a few thousand charging points which have come up during the last six months to one year’s time. Otherwise we are nowhere compared to the number of charging stations in various countries who are leading in the electric vehicle manufacturing and it’s use in their country.

Even among the components (battery cells, e battery management systems, battery packs, battery chargers, electric motors, gear box, power distribution) suppliers globally, India has no place. This too is a challenge to the Industry.

The study NITI Aayog did along with the Rocky Mountain Institute reports that by 2020, the price of a private car & EV, will be lower than the ICE vehicle and if you go for sharing then the shared price of an electric mobility vehicle will be much less than the sharing which we do with the traditional buses or the traditional vehicles.

We have to keep in mind that we don’t get into the same position where we were in the early 80’s and in the middle 80’s when the world moved ahead with the research, design and researching production of new vehicles. There is hardly any worthwhile research in designing even with regard to traditional vehicles in this country although we are contributing a lot to towards GDP in terms of the automobile manufacturing. With all the figures still there is available scope to design your own car, a car that is accepted globally for the best technology.