SIAM sees mass-scale electric mobility in India by 2047

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) believes it will take another 30 years for India to achieve full electric mobility.

This is the crux of the apex industry body’s white paper on electric vehicles (EVs), which it has submitted to the government. The recommendations are in line with the government’s vision of going full electric for public mobility, 40 percent electric for personal mobility by 2030 and a complete shift to electric vehicles by 2047, the 100^th year of India’s independence.  

SIAM says it aims to achieve new vehicle sales as 100 percent electrified vehicles (battery electric and fuel cell vehicles) by 2047, with the following roadmap:

- All new vehicle sales for intra-city public transport fleets to be electric vehicles by 2030;
- Forty percent of all new vehicle sales in the country to be electric vehicles by 2030;
- Sixty percent of all new vehicle sales in the country to employ greener technologies like hybrids and other alternate fuels by 2030;
- To ensure smooth phasing in of pure EVs and to sustain the transition to cleaner fossil fuel vehicles, the IC engine upgradation must continue over the next decade or so. Progressively, cleaner fossil fuel vehicles would be an essential stepping stone in this journey towards hundred percent electric vehicle regime;
- Finally, all new vehicle sales to be electric vehicle by 2047.

In the process, the Indian automobile industry also aims to become a leading global hub for design, manufacture and export of electric vehicles supporting the government’s flagship ‘Make in India’ initiative.

SIAM president seeks total commitment from industry stakeholders
Dr Abhay Firodia, president, SIAM, in a statement said that to ensure this vision is realised, the industry, government and various stakeholders will need to collaborate and invest with 100 percent commitment.

He emphasised that the proposed policy measures in the white paper would be needed for creating a robust market and manufacturing eco-system for EVs in the country and such a policy must be sustained over time to remain stable to enable industry commit to investments with full confidence.

The policy should be necessarily adaptive in view of the nature of the technology which is fast evolving while at the same time must not bring sudden changes so as to allow outcomes in a planned manner and to ensure that the necessary transformation takes place with the minimum of disruption which may have socio-economic impact in terms of industrial growth, employment and livelihood of people in the auto industry.
Image courtesy Nissan