CHENNAI: A new report by the State Planning Commission and Guidance Tamil Nadu has stressed the need for strong policy support, failing which the state may not meet the nation’s target to adopt Electric Vehicles (EVs) in over 20% commercial fleets by 2030.
The study, titled Tamil Nadu’s Automotive Future, outlines a roadmap for transforming the state into a hub for clean mobility innovation. It calls for the creation of a high-level Mobility Innovation and Growth Council with representation from government, industry and academia, to coordinate cross-sector efforts.
A proposed ‘Mobility Data Commons’ would pool anonymised data from EVs, charging stations, and logistics platforms to inform real-time policy and urban planning.
Tamil Nadu currently produces the majority of India’s electric two-wheelers and accounts for nearly half of all auto exports. However, EV sales remain modest, accounting for only 6.6% of total vehicle sales as of August 2024.
This lags far behind countries such as China, where EVs make up around 40% of sales, and the US, where penetration has reached 12.5%. To close this gap, the report proposes a six-point strategy starting with a state-backed Mobility Innovation Fund to co-finance research into battery chemistry, hydrogen propulsion, AI-enabled systems, and lightweight materials.
Dedicated research and development clusters in Chennai, Coimbatore, and Hosur, with testing tracks, shared labs, and certification facilities-would help scale innovation. The report says that despite multiple training schemes, there is a persistent shortage of workers trained in modern EV technologies.
A proposed ‘Mobility Skills 2030’ programme would link education and industry through specialised courses, including upskilling for workers shifting from combustion engine servicing to EV maintenance. Higher labour costs and geographic concentration of manufacturing around Chennai pose risks, the report observed.
The roadmap suggests scaling up public charging networks, enabling battery swapping through concessional land allocations, and enforcing EV-ready building codes. For commercial segments, the report calls for adaptive subsidies, fleet electrification guarantees, and incentives for localisation and employment generation.
It urges TN to link EV investments to affordable housing and enterprise support, especially in under served districts and for women entrepreneurs