India’s EV transition needs target-driven interventions

How performance and cost benchmarks can drive mass adoption

EVs are widely promoted as a key driver of decarbonisation and cleaner cities. Yet, current adoption rates fall short of what is needed to meet net-zero goals, as highlighted in a recent report by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). If EVs remain expensive or inconvenient, a forced adoption could disrupt lives and deter national goals.

Despite a decade of incentives, there is still a lack of urgency to accelerate EV adoption and address key barriers. To ease the transition, policy must align with industry to unlock  faster, cheaper, and longer-range EVs. Achieving this will require clear and forward-looking supply-side interventions, including ambitious but achievable targets for cost and performance

Price, real-world range, and charging time are three such targets among many that could guide the ecosystem towards meaningful innovation. Future supply-side incentives (or regulations) could be structured to meet these benchmarks, rewarding products that deliver ease of use at scale. This will accelerate EV adoption and support India in achieving its environmental and energy independence goals amid the global expansion of the automotive sector.

Read the full article here