India's road transport sector is a significant contributor to both fossil-fuel consumption and air pollution. As India strives for energy independence and aims to achieve net-zero emissions, it becomes crucial for the country to transition towards clean vehicle technologies powered by renewable energy sources. To support this transition effectively, a range of technologies, strategies, and policies are necessary. CSTEP, through its rigorous technical and policy research, develops evidence-based strategies to enable India's green energy transition.
A Dialogue on Advancing Electric Vehicle Adoption in India's Road Freight Sector
The Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) organised a closed-door discussion on advancing the adoption of electric vehicles in India's road freight sector on 16 June 2023 at the CSTEP office in Bengaluru.
Eminent panellists discussed key technology challenges in the electrification of freight vehicles and how technology enablers can deploy electric trucks in India in the near future.
PRESS RELEASE - Bengaluru 2030: Impact of EVs on Vehicular Emissions
The on-road vehicle stock in Bengaluru is expected to grow by 1.5 times, with the total vehicular population projected to increase from 5.7M to 8.9M by 2030. Of note, the city’s electric vehicle (EV) fleet is projected to grow from 75,000 to 2.3M, with the most significant increase in the number of two wheelers, followed by three and four wheelers.
Bengaluru 2030: Impact of EVs on Vehicular Emissions
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are a direct cause of human-induced climate change. India accounted for 2.9 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2019. The transportation sector accounts for roughly 10% or 290 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. Road transport, mainly comprising heavy vehicles (buses and trucks) and to some extent personal vehicles (two wheelers [2Ws] and four wheelers [4Ws]), is the leading contributor to these emissions.
FAME Subsidy Withheld: Impact on the Indian EV Sector
In 2019, the Government of India launched the second phase of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles (FAME II) scheme to bring electric vehicles (EVs) at par with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in terms of affordability. This was primarily aimed at helping India achieve its climate commitments and EV30@30 goals.
Can electric vehicles drive climate change action in India?
Recent studies show that 67% of public transport commuters in India shifted to private vehicle ownership after the initial Covid-19 crisis (during 2021-22). Around 96% of these new vehicles were internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) and will be in use for at least a decade, creating around 18.8 MtCO2 emissions annually.
Our analysis infers that if all of the newly added vehicles in India (during 2021-22) were electric vehicles (EVs), around 9.5 MtCO2 of emissions could have been avoided annually.
Data that can drive Bengaluru out of traffic
Traffic and transportation surveys are essential to gain a clearer perspective on issues such as gridlock at major junctions and lower-than-forecasted metro ridership. In fact, these surveys are important to identify the root causes and develop traffic mitigation measures.