The new Government must focus on developing the next generation of eco-friendly vehicles which run on clean fuels such as E85, a mix of ethanol and petrol, or be powered by electricity
Since taking charge a week ago, the new Government has lined up a series of initiatives that promise to deliver on the expectations of people who have given the regime a landslide mandate. The effort of the new administration, instead of being typecast, is more responsive to the current problems that plague the nation.
After a decade of lethargy, the brisk pace of governance is all set to tackle challenging problems. For instance, the plight of sugarcane farmers is a well known issue and the Government, on priority basis, is looking to alleviate their condition, besides reviving the sugar industry. These developments, besides being progressive and result-oriented, are also environmentally-friendly.
Mr Nitin Gadkari-led Road Transport and Highways Ministry is all set to kickstart infrastructure growth by activating 50 stalled road projects and turning the Ganga river into a waterway. In addition, the new Minister has also sought to address environmental concerns by exploring the possibilities of promoting ethanol-friendly cars. As a part of this initiative, the Transport MinisTry will study if the five big auto companies — Volkswagen, Ford, Toyota, Honda and Fiat — can import E85 engines to India, like they do in Brazil and Canada. E85 engines consume the fuel that is a mix of 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol.
This is a robust step in the direction of eco-sensitivity as ethanol can lower the cost to the consumer, reduce consumption of oil, and lessen the environmental impact of transportation. Currently India spends six lakh crore rupees on importing petrol, diesel and gas, which add to the greenhouse gas emissions burden, besides causing rupee depreciation. This can be addressed with the increased usage of ethanol. Also known as flex fuel, ethanol is widely used in countries such as the United States and Brazil who support ethanol initiatives with enormous Government subsidies.
Western countries are examples of effective use of ethanol, but India needs to evolve its own success story. Though ethanol blended fuels do not affect performance of the vehicle in terms of torque or horsepower but it is estimated that ethanol blended fuels lower mileage of the vehicle by 25 per cent. Therefore, a fuel that is cheaper per litre but costlier per kilometre can prove to be a non-starter for a country where mileage is crucial to every consumer.
To facilitate a smooth introduction of the fuel into India, the Ministry should commission a study to identify and source compliant technology that can overcome this drawback. In addition, it should also work on developing strong ethanol supply infrastructure by reviving sick sugar industries.
In addition to ethanol fuels, the Transport Ministry can also take fresh initiatives and provide impetus to electric vehicles. Electric vehicles are being taken seriously in many countries as a viable alternative to petrol or diesel cars. In 2013, Estonia became the first country to have nation-wide network of electric vehicle charging stations. Australia, France, Germany and Switzerland are also increasing electric vehicles on their roads.
It is estimated that even at the highest electricity price bracket, electric vehicles can prove to be cheaper than petrol or diesel in India. In fact, the introduction of eco-friendly electric rickshaws in Delhi has been a runaway success with commuters preferring them for smoother and quieter ride and the operators being satisfied with the efficient mileage and low maintenance.
There is, however, a pressing need to address two hurdles facing evolution of electric vehicles on Indian roads. First, the range that an electric vehicle can travel on a single charge; and, second, the paucity of charging stations. The Ministry must focus on research that identifies the next generation of batteries that charge faster and cover more distance.
In addition, a good network of charging stations is needed, possibly developed on private-public-partnership model wherein an electric vehicle user can deposit his discharged battery and pick up a charged one. This will help in quicker turnaround time and improve the user experience. The electric vehicle charging station operator should be sensitised for safe disposal of damaged batteries as well.
To further accelerate the electric vehicle initiative, the Government can provide tax incentives to those opting for such vehicles over a regular vehicle for the first few years. In addition, short-term incentives can also be provided to charging station owners to encourage faster development of a network. The Government can also incentivise the auto manufacturers to undertake research and development on commercial electric vehicles so that emissions from the commercial vehicle sector are also considerably brought down.
Ecologically-friendly fuels need to be an integral part of the new Government’s initiatives in order to ensure a greener tomorrow.