The future is electric for Indian automotive industry. Here's why?

Carmakers producing vehicles that run on traditional fuel, take note - Union minister Nitin Gadkari has a clear message: Go for alternative fuel, else he will not mind "bulldozing" them in his bid to check pollution
and imports.

According to the road transport and highways minister, a Cabinet note on electric vehicles is ready that will take care of charging stations.

"We should move towards alternative fuel... I am going to do this, whether you like it or not. And I am not going to ask you. I will bulldoze it. For pollution, for imports, my ideas are crystal clear... The government has a crystal-clear policy to reduce imports and curb pollution," Gadkari said at SIAM's the annual convention.

"Already, we are in the process of a Cabinet note where we are going to plan to charge stations... It is in the last stage and will be done as early as possible," he disclosed, adding that the government will soon bring in a policy on
electric vehicles.

[caption id="attachment_23232" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Credits: India Environment Portal[/caption]

Cautioning against any dilly-dallying tactics, he said," the future is not of petrol and diesel, but of alternative fuel."

"I urge you (carmakers) politely to do research. First, when I urged you for electric vehicles, you said the battery is costly. I coaxed you to start at least. Now, the batteries cost 40 per cent less. And if you start now, the cost will be reduced further on mass production. Teething trouble is everywhere," he explained.

The minister is clear that electric cars, buses, taxis, and bikes are the future and India should move forward in this direction. He sought to put the entire issue in perspective, saying imports and pollution are the twin problems as India's import bill stood at a huge Rs 7 lakh crore per annum, a big drag on the economy.

Source: Financial Express