With pressure mounting on countries including India to address climate change by shifting to clean technologies, the significance of electric mobility to counter emissions cannot be ruled out. While the benefits of the said move are substantial, the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) in India has been lethargic at best. In a city such as Bengaluru, with a vehicle population of 80 lakh, the share of EVs is 1%–2%.

Electric mobility has gained momentum worldwide as a sustainable choice in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality. However, the adoption rate of electric vehicles (EVs) is low because of driving range anxiety, high upfront costs, and the lack of public charging infrastructure. A robust public charging infrastructure can reduce range anxiety and increase the EV adoption rate.

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The United Nations High-Level Dialogue on Energy estimates that an annual investment of USD 35 billion will be required to make clean and affordable universal energy access (SDG 7) by 2030 a reality. For this, the financial solvency of utilities is a prerequisite.

The power sector is in the throes of a transition. This change is being driven mainly by renewable energy integration, energy storage technologies to support the renewables, and smart meters. By tracking electricity usage round the clock, smart metering facilitates dynamic pricing (raising or lowering the cost of electricity based on need), helping distribution companies (DISCOMs) cut down on commercial losses.

The Sixth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projects intense heatwaves in India, with longer durations and at an increasing frequency. This doesn’t bode well for the country which has a predominantly tropical climate and cooling is constantly required to maintain comfortable indoor spaces.