Every Electric Vehicle Should Run on Renewable Energy: Pralhad Joshi

Minister of New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday called on corporates and fleet operators to adopt renewable energy such as solar power for charging electric vehicles (EVs), pressing its role in reducing oil imports and emissions.

"The vision is simple, every electrical vehicle on India should run on clean energy means. All the charging-recharging should happen by the renewable energy," Joshi said, speaking at the fleet launch of Refex Mobility in Delhi.

“Today, out of India’s total installed power capacity of 495 gigawatt, about 50% or 253 gigawatt comes from renewable energy,” he said.

The union minister further stressed on the use of solar energy to charge EVs. "To truly unlock the promise of electric vehicles and smart energy-efficient transportation, we must ensure they are powered by the Sun," he said.

The minister noted that his ministry is actively working to promote future mobility and is supporting the EV ecosystem through the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA).

"I am happy to tell you that my ministry is doing a lot to promote the future mobility of India. IREDA is the first PSU in the country to recognise and finance the electric vehicle revolution. Through a dedicated scheme, we are empowering the entire EV ecosystem by offering crucial financial assistance up to 80% of the project cost for both EV fleet owners and those setting up the vital charging infrastructure," he said.

Joshi also stressed the government’s parallel push on green hydrogen. “We are also laying the groundwork for the next frontier clean mobility which is green hydrogen. Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission...we are actively pushing the boundaries. We have already awarded five pilot projects in the transport sector to deploy 37 hydrogen-fueled vehicles, supported by nine new hydrogen refueling stations.”