Context
The quick adoption of clean mobility is shown by the fact that India had 56.75 lakh electric vehicles on its roads as of February 2025.
Key Highlights
- The sales of electric two-wheelers (e-2W) increased by 21% from 9.48 lakh the year before to 11.49 lakh units.
- In accordance with the worldwide EV30@30 project, the Indian government has established a goal to achieve 30% EV penetration by 2030.
- India has set its sights on a bold green future, to reduce anticipated carbon emissions by one billion tons by 2030.
- India also wants to become a net-zero country by 2070, to reduce the carbon intensity of its economy to 45% by 2030.
Issues with Adoption
- Significant Initial Cost: In India, the upfront cost of buying an electric vehicle is quite expensive when compared to conventional vehicles that run on internal combustion engines.
- Restricted Charging Infrastructure: India’s EV adoption is still hampered by the availability of charging infrastructure.
- The biggest concern for Indian customers thinking about EVs is range anxiety, which is the fear of having their battery run out before they get to a charging station.
- India is very dependent on imported lithium-ion batteries, which raises expenses and exposes EVs to supply chain issues.
- Consumer Awareness and Education: A lot of Indian consumers are unaware of electric vehicles, their advantages, their technology, and the various models that are offered.
Government Programs
- The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (2020) and FAME-I: NEMMP were implemented to hasten the acceptance and manufacture of electric vehicles (EVs).
- The FAME India Scheme (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles), which ran from 2015 to 2019, was a component of this objective.
- Phase II of FAME II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles which was introduced in 2019, aims to accelerate the adoption of EVs and grow the e-bus fleet, network, and bolster the charging infrastructure.
- The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for the Automobile and Auto Component Industry in India (PLI-Auto), which was introduced in 2021, seeks to encourage indigenous manufacturing of Advanced Automotive Technologies (AAT).
- PM E-Drive: The program is being carried out between 2024 and 2028 after its debut in 2024.
- The Indian Scheme for the Promotion of Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Vehicles 2024 (SPMEPCI) offers approved applicants a way to attract investment from international automakers.
- India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI): In 2025, NITI Aayog introduced the India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI). Its goal is to monitor, analyze, and compare the progress of various States and Union Territories toward their electric mobility objectives.
NITI Aayog Recommendations
- Shifting from Incentives to Mandates: Clearly announce a policy for Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) adoption, including target dates.
- Saturation instead of a thin distribution: Create and launch a saturation initiative to benefit five cities over five years.
- Establish a pooled fund funded by multilateral organizations and the general public budget to facilitate the financing of e-Buses and e-Trucks.
- Increase research on novel battery technologies by establishing a collaboration between academia, business, and government to expedite research on new battery chemistries.
Source: The PIB
Mains PYQ
Q. “Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy is the sine qua non to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.Comment on the progress made in India in this regard. (2018)
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