Electric vehicles in Maharashtra up 153% in 1 year, more than double in Mumbai – EQ Mag Pro
MUMBAI: It’s time for the electric vehicle boom in Mumbai and Maharashtra. While the state saw a phenomenal 153% increase in new electric vehicle registrations in the first nine months of fiscal year 2021-2022, the city saw a 112% growth during the same period, according to the latest transport statistics.
Compared to the 9,415 electric vehicles registered in 2020-2021, the number of registrations climbed to 23,786 in just nine months from 2021-22 (April 1 to December 27 of this year).
The total number of electric vehicles registered so far in Maharashtra is 57,386 and there are indications that it will cross the lakh mark in a few months, officials said.
The growth of electric vehicles was also 112% in Mumbai, according to statistics. From just 48 new electric vehicles registered in 2017-2018, the number rose to 132 in 2018-2019, 642 in 2019-2020 and 1,442 new registrations in 2020-21. In the nine months 2021-2022, registrations more than doubled to 3,059 new electric cars / electric two-wheelers. The total number of electric vehicles in Mumbai now stands at around 6,000. Registrations were highest in the island city, with Tardeo having registered 1,920 electric cars / scooters so far.
Anand Surve, who recently bought an electric scooter, says it’s convenient to charge the battery. “I take the battery out of the two-wheeler and take it to my second-floor residence in Ghatkopar where I charge it for a few hours late at night. The next day I just put it back on the scooter and it gives me good mileage all day. ” In addition, fuel costs are around one rupee per km, compared to 6 to 8 rupees per km for diesel, sources said.
Among the new registrations were cars and SUVs with a high range of 300 km on a single (full) charge, which was sufficient for intra-city and inter-city travel. More than 100 housing companies in Mumbai now have electronic charging points in the complex, with a preferential rate of 5.50 rupees per unit, which is lower than residential electricity charges.
Akshay Sawant, who owns an electric car, said more government subsidies are needed and the cost of electric cars (and the battery) is going down. “Sales will only increase if the prices of scooters or electric cars are on par with the diesel / gasoline variants,” he suggested.
Transport expert Pranav Naik, “Our government must examine the sustainability of this system by ensuring that electricity generation is largely from sustainable sources and not from coal, gas and thermal energy. as is currently the case. They should also strengthen public transport so that more people travel in shared e-vehicles. ”
Urban transport activist Gaurang Vora praised the growth of electric vehicles, saying there was visibility of electric scooters and electric cars with green license plates on the road. “Environmentally friendly fuel modes are the need of the moment. The government should increasingly facilitate the use of electric vehicles by providing subsidies for their purchase. This will further reduce pollution. ”
A government official said plans are underway for 1,500 new electric vehicle charging stations in the Mumbai area. The government also wants to ensure that 10% of new vehicle registrations by 2025 are electric vehicles, he said … by 2025.
Source: TNN
