Sales of electric vehicles in India at inflection point, feels Mahindra’s MD

Dr. Pawan Goenka, Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra feels that in the case of adoption of electric vehicles, India is at the inflection point. In an interview with The Sunday Express, Dr Goenka stated that the take-off should be soon.

Speaking on the automobile industry’s trends in the coming years, Dr Goenka feels that mobility, electric, clean, safety and shared are the adjectives that will define the industry. The technology behind these terms is more advanced and has been talked about only in the last few years as it involves more electrical and electronic items rather than mechanical. One example of a vehicle with these attributes from the company is the Mahindra Atom which launches around the festive season with the view to redefine last-mile connectivity with its small footprint, electric powertrain and app-based booking and payment option.

For the kind of effort the government is putting into electric vehicles, I think the results have not been proportionate to that effort. I think we are at the inflection point. And the take-off should happen. However, we need to be clear on which is the area of focus and put all our resources on that area of focus.

Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra

When it comes to adoption of electric vehicles in India, the charging network is the biggest barrier apart from the range. Dr Goenka opines that while the power supply is not a problem in India the real barrier is getting the power to the vehicles. He feels the government has done enough to take the EVs to the public, it is now the private sector’s duty to come forward to set up the charging infrastructure.

And to that end, several start-ups are stepping up the game. Recently, FAE Bikes, a Bengaluru based EV start-up, launched a low-cost, smart EV charging station Kirana Charzer. The zero-maintenance charging station will be the country’s cheapest one with a cost of just Rs 10,000 and is compatible with all 2-wheeler, 3-wheeler and 4-wheeler electric vehicles.

 [Source: IndianExpress.com]