India, being a fast growing automobile market in the world, is an apt platform for electric cars. Be it emission levels, pollution problems or rising fuel prices, all these situations that the country faces today could be solved to a great extent if electric cars are introduced. However, the scenario does not seem to be very favorable. This is because India has proved to be a very weak market for electric cars. Several reasons can be cited for this.
Firstly, most of the Indians are known to buy things which are available at the cheapest price. Mahindra e20, an electric car which has been already introduced in the country has seen very less takers as the cost plays a major factor here. Priced at INR 5 lac with nothing – to-boast - about looks, the car has not attracted many buyers. Also, when companies like Maruti Suzuki and Tata Motors are offering cars within the price range of INR 2lac – 4lac, why would anyone invest in a lesser known not-so-good-looking model?
Another reason that can be cited for this low pliability of electric cars on the Indian roads is the lack of charging stations. Mahindra e20 gives a range of 120km and needs 5 hours of charging. Though the range and charging time is fair in daily city commute but we haven't got much charging points as our current infrastructure is very weak. So people would obviously step back before buying such vehicle. Besides this, the government failing to provide any kind of rational subsidies is further adding up to its sad status.
While Nissan alliance has sold around 200,000 units of its electric vehicles in just four years, Mahindra has just managed to sell 1000 units of e20 in the last 15 months. Being a sole electric vehicle seller in the Indian market, the company has seen further dipping of the sales because of lack of good after sales service setup for this vehicle. The absence of any major dealership has also affected the sales of the car.
Other reasons include the safety issues related to these cars and also their weird design, which has led to avoidance of electric vehicles by the people. Today good looking car is also a vital selling point. The EVs should be at par with other best sellers in the country in terms of their designs, weight, space and performance. As Indian consumers are always concerned about all these things before they open their wallets.
With full support from their respective governments in terms of investments and subsidies, countries like Japan, China and USA have come a long way in the use of electric vehicles. Though there was announcement of National Electric Mobility Mission Plan in India back in 2013, it is still in cold storage and companies are waiting for the approval. Once the plan comes into action, the promised subsidies would hopefully bring fresh change in the electric vehicle scenario of the country. This would mean that the prices of the electric vehicles would come down, thus dealing with the first hindrance in their sales.
The government needs to play a much active role in rejuvenating the market of electric vehicles. With easy flowing investments and better infrastructure support, the country can see a rise in the sales of these vehicles. Along with these, the requirement of more charging points is another pressing issue the companies along with the government need to see. When these issues are taken care of, India can surely witness stylish and much less expensive electric vehicles which in turn reduce fuel consumption and eventually provide a much greener environment.