The government will soon bring in a policy on electric vehicles. Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari said this at the annual convocation of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers in New Delhi . He also said a Cabinet note on electric vehicles is almost ready that will take care of charging stations. He asked carmakers to carry out research for electric vehicles.
Mr Gadkari said he wants the pace of car sales in the country to slow down as growth in vehicle sales, particularly those running on diesel, is choking roads and causing increased pollution. He said that petrol and diesel vehicles will need to make way for electric powertrains and engines running on other fuel variants such as ethanol and biofuels. He said that the Government is going to take the makers of petrol/diesel engine vehicles to task. The Minister advised the industry to innovate, research and work on new technologies” to find alternative transport solutions.
He asked vehicles manufacturers to bring solutions through diversification of public transport. To cut down on use of cars, especially in smaller towns, the Minister said the government is planning to come out with a platform or an app – on the lines of Uber and Ola – that would facilitate the use of two-wheelers as a taxi.
The Minister said the Government wants the import bill of and pollution to be reduced. He said the industry should dedicate a part of its profits towards research on finding out “cost-effective import substitutes and pollution-free technologies” and methodologies.