No deadline for 100% electrification of vehicles: Ananth Geete

Ananth G Geete, minister of Heavy Industry and Public Sector Enterprises on Thursday clarified that the ministry has not set a deadline to achieve 100% electrification of vehicles by 2030.

“The talk of 100% electric-mobility by 2030 has created unrest in the Auto industry,” minister said during his inaugural address at the third Catalyst Conference on growth in E-Vehicle industry in Bengaluru. “Auto industry has made a maximum investment by any sector in India. We need to take them along to make any vision successful and there is no need to panic. But we have to keep in mind that electric-mobility is the future and have to work towards that,” he said.

Geete added that no developed country has achieved even 30% electric mobility. “We need not hurry, but we have to work towards achieving maximum electric mobility. At the same time, we do not want to substitute import of crude oil with the import of batteries as today most of the lithium-ion batteries are imported from China. We need to make batteries in India,” he said.

When we announced FAME in April 2015, Geete said, the Auto Industry responded positively and also many new entrepreneurs came into the field to make 2, 3 wheeled e-vehicles and even e-buses are being made by entrepreneurs now. “Electric-mobility has given an opportunity to new entrepreneurs. Bangalore has embraced electric vehicles faster than other cities.," said Geete

The minister added that the consumer should get good quality vehicles at an affordable price and not just cheap vehicles.

Dinesh Tyagi, Director, ICAT said it is the third edition of 'Catalyst conference on the growth of e-mobility' and the first in Bengaluru. “The idea of organizing this conference here is to increase focus on e-vehicles in South India, especially to promote e-rickshaws which are a proven model of sustainable mobility in its most humble form.”