Anand Mahindra invites Elon Musk to join India’s ambitious all electric by 2030 target
The government has announced its new plans concerning air pollution. As ambitious as it may sound, the government has said that India will only have electric cars run its roads by 2030. The objective is to rid the country of alarming levels of air pollution causing about 1.2 million deaths each year. Someone from across the globe particularly has high interest in electric cars. Tesla CEO Elon Musk was quick to respond to the Indian government’s all electric plan, saying: “India commits to sell only electric cars by 2030. It is already the largest market for solar power.”
The one brand in the India that has been making efforts in channelising the concept of electric cars in the country is Mahindra & Mahindra. Executive chairman of the group Anand Mahindra replied to Musk’s tweet, inviting him to join in on meeting the target India has promised itself.
The government announcement comes as a delight to environmentalists, however who stands to lose the most in this is the oil industry. India is the world’s third largest oil importer, spending a about $150 billion on the resource every year. A move to all electric would squeeze the demand for oil. However, on the bright side, the nation could save $60 billion in energy costs if the 2030 target is met. It would also reduce running costs for million in India.
Energy Minister Piyush Goyal has asserted that the government will support this initiative in the initial years, post which production of electric cars would depend on demand and not subsidies. Air pollution has lately become a problem as big as population in India. Over a million people die in the country due to toxins in the air. According to a WHO report, out of the 20 cities suffering from toxic air pollution in the world, 13 are in India.
Automotive giants like Mahindra or if Tesla does eventually arrive in India could handle the production of electric cars, however without government support the plan will always sound far fetched, as the idea will only be feasible in a city if the infrastructure supports the electric car. While the government can back building of charging stations, the auto brands are working on developing electric powertrains that go on for longer.
Source:FE
