Electric vehicles are in short supply

MG’s Gaurav Gupta emphasized the growth in the electric vehicle sector, “Despite the pandemic, the (electric) passenger vehicle (PV) segment doubled in 2020. This year, it will also more than double. So (this year) ) We will have approximately 10,000-15,000 passenger electric vehicles on the road.” However, this is still a small part of the entire photovoltaic industry, with annual sales of approximately 3 million vehicles.

One of the main problems currently preventing buyers from choosing electric vehicles is the limited choice.Compared with hundreds of internal combustion engine (ICE) models, customers only need to have MG ZS electric car, Tata Nexon EV with Hyundai Kona Electric Currently, when it comes to green vehicles, there are options. Gupta mentioned, “If we get more choices of vehicles and models from more players, then electric cars can really become popular.”

Ravneet Phokela of Ather expressed a similar view on behalf of the two-wheeler industry.He said: “I would stretch my neck and say that the demand far exceeds What the sales figures showTo be honest, our big problem today is not demand, but supply, but only (lack of) reliable (EV) options. What should people buy, even if they want to buy? What options do they have? “

FADA (Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations) Vinkesh Gulati pointed out that with the hype surrounding electric vehicles, it is not customer awareness that hinders dealers from increasing sales of electric vehicles, but the limited range of electric vehicles. “If you really want to make electric cars mainstream, then as a dealer, you need to give us something. It’s like we (dealers) are sent into war, we have no ammunition to fight. Therefore, the company needs to improve (EV ) Produce and provide us with more models.”

Ather’s business director elaborated on the untapped demand potential and supply mismatch in the market. He said: “If you suddenly have 20 car options, 20 scooters and 10 bicycle options, then even today, you We will also see a sharp rise in sales of electric vehicles.”

Gupta added that regulatory support is also important for promoting electric vehicle sales. “A lot of progress has been made in the policy framework. But if there is a better impetus, it will be very helpful, so that all countries can move in a unified direction.” “An important question is why some states cannot Promote electric vehicles-only 13 states provide certain benefits, such as registration fees for electric vehicles.”

MG senior management said that although he does not advocate government subsidies, some of the general benefits of electric vehicles, such as a nationwide road tax exemption, will help. He mentioned that motivating early adopters is crucial because they will bring confidence to the next batch of electric car buyers.

Road rescue (RSA) services need to be developed to support electric vehicle owners

Raman Arora, Chief Operating Officer of Reliance General Insurance, has filled another important challenge in achieving a greener future. He mentioned that the roadside assistance (RSA) services provided by insurance companies are also part of the infrastructure that needs to be established to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles.

He continued: “When it comes to electric vehicles, although the scope of the problems encountered by stranded customers remains the same, the current approach will be different.” Arora said that RSA providers will need to introduce new capabilities. “We need to upgrade the knowledge of RSA, and people need to be trained in electrical work in order to provide services for electric vehicles.”

In addition, since the public charging infrastructure is quite limited, mileage anxiety is a major problem. Leaders in the insurance industry believe that RSA services can also help alleviate this problem. “What is needed is that RSA can take a portable charger to the place where the customer is staying to charge the car. Therefore, it is necessary to build a mobile (charging) truck.”

He added: “As an insurance company, we are in touch with RSA to upgrade to these services and create infrastructure so that anyone with an electric car can seamlessly use the entire ecosystem.”

In addition, insurance premiums are another factor that can make electric vehicles more attractive. Although the self-damage (OD) costs of ICE and EV are similar, Arora mentioned that “for the third-party insurance designated by IRDAI, the premium of EV is 10-15% lower than that of ordinary ICE cars.”

Need to strengthen the charging network so that electric vehicles are no longer confined to cities

The lack of charging points is often cited as one of the main reasons for worrying about electric vehicles. However, Sandeep Bangia, head of Tata Power’s electric vehicle charging ecosystem, home automation and ESCO business, pointed out that it is more than just what you see.

He mentioned that charging at home or at work accounts for more than 70% of the charging needs of electric vehicle owners. “So the public charging infrastructure should be seen as backup or insurance. You don’t need it every day, but it’s good to know that it’s there, just in case.”

He added: “However, the surprising thing is that the housing association, RWA and DISCOM (distribution companies) have raised too many questions when installing chargers.”

In addition, for those who cannot use reserved parking spaces, it may not be feasible to obtain a home charger. Gaurav Gupta of MG proposed a solution for these owners. “We can put 6-7 chargers together (in the housing association) instead of equipping each customer with a separate charger, thus creating a’green’ parking lot. Consumers can reserve their location and provide them Charge your car.”

He further stated, “Because home charging meets most of the needs of customers, only when you look at inter-city travel, the public charging problem will appear.” Even the most practical electric car currently sold in India is actually The driving range is also about 300 kilometers, coupled with the public charging network that is still in its infancy, which means that electric vehicles are usually driven within the city limits.

“When you travel outside the city, or forget to charge at home, you need to have a charger not far from where you are going. People like us have done a lot of work in this direction. We are in 100 There are about 500 (public) chargers in each city,” said Bangia of Tata Power. “We plan to expand to approximately 3,000 chargers in the current fiscal year.”

He added that the company is building charging facilities along important highways. “We have already identified hubs or city pairs, such as Mumbai-Ahmedabad, Delhi-Chandigarh, etc. We are cooperating with OEMs such as MG, Jaguar with Tata Motors Looking at the heat map of where people travel, we will narrow the charging location accordingly. “More such concerted efforts are needed to ensure that electric vehicles are not limited to urban areas, which should help increase people’s confidence in this technology.

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