New Delhi, January 10, 2013: Environment-friendly vehicles has received a huge shot in the arm. Yesterday evening, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh unveiled the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 announced in the 2011 Union Budget. The Mission aims to considerably reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels and envisages an expenditure of Rs 22,500 crore to promote eco-friendly electric and hybrid vehicles over the next eight years. The government plans to pump in around Rs 14,000 crore out of this total expense with the balance to be invested by the auto industry in R&D activities. However, the final nod for the money from the government’s side is still awaited from the finance ministry.
The prime minister, while unveiling the Plan, said it will promote a cleaner transportation system in India. “Electric and hybrid vehicles have significantly lower level of emissions, including carbon dioxide emissions, which is one of the major contributors to global warming and to processes of climate change. While promoting private transport through electric vehicles is a positive step, we must give far greater focus to the development of public transport using energy-efficient and alternative-energy technologies,” he said.
India has set a target to produce six to seven million green vehicles by 2020 of which 4-5 million are expected to be two-wheelers. At present, there are only 1,500 electric four-wheelers and about 400,000 electric two-wheelers in the country.
It is estimated that 6-7 million EVs will help save 2.2-2.25 million tonnes of fossil fuel consumption annually, saving crude oil worth an annual Rs 13,000-14,000 crore by 2020.
PIB photographs: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh at the launch of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 in New Delhi. Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Praful Patel and the deputy chairman, Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia along with captains of the auto industry.