NEW DELHI: State-owned Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) has invited global bids for 10,000 electric sedans that will run up to 150 km on a single charge, for use by government departments, taking a big step to achieve power minister Piyush Goyal’s dream of having only electric cars on Indian streets by 2030.
EESL, which has led government efforts to popularise and dramatically reduce the price of energy-saving LED bulbs, plans to buy e-vehicles in two phases. It plans to acquire 1,000 vehicles in the first phase. The tender includes warranty.
Vital to the success of electric vehicles is adequate charging infrastructure in the area where they operate. EESL has also floated tenders for 3,000 alternating current (AC) charging points and 1,000 direct current (DC) ones.
“We are looking for four-door sedans, which will run 120-150 km on a single charge,” said Saurabh Kumar, the EESL managing director. “The 1,000 vehicles acquired in the first phase will be exclusively for use by government departments in Delhi and the National Capital Region.
Similarly, 400 chargers will be provided in the first phase at different locations in Delhi-NCR. They will be deployed by NTPC and PowerGrid depending on the demand.”
Use of electric cars has been incentivised under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme, which has been in operation since April 2015.
Although electric vehicles, particularly Mahindra & Mahindra’s Reva, have been on sale in India for over two decades, they have never really caught on, mainly due to limited range of such vehicles on a single charge, the absence of sufficient charging points and the time taken for charging. Currently, Mahindra is the only company in the country manufacturing electrically powered sedans. The Mahindra Verito costs Rs 12-13 lakh and the vehicles sought by EESL are likely to be in the same price range.
The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan seeks to have 400,000 electric vehicles on India’s streets by 2020. Several states are also in talks with manufacturers to introduce electric buses for use in public transport. Electric vehicles are a part of the government’s plan to reduce dependence on costly and polluting fossil fuels.
Use of e-vehicles in NCR will also be a big step to reduce environmental pollution because the region’s air quality often deteriorates to alarming levels due to smoke and dust.