Chennai: The number of electric vehicles in Tamil Nadu has more than doubled in the past eight months.
Repeated climbing in the price of gasoline and lack of public transportation during locking pushes a lot to choose e-bikes, say transportation experts.
Official data shows that there are 14,366 electric vehicles (EVs) used in TN, 95% of them two-wheeled vehicles.
There were around 6,300 EV at the beginning of the year.
The state and central government also offers tax exemptions and allowances for EV purchases, which reduce the price of e-vehicles, experts said.
Tamil Nadu in November 2020 canceled the road tax for EVS during registration.
The center earlier this year the revised guide for fame (adoption and manufacturing of hybrid and electricity vehicles in India), increases subsidies from 15% -25% to 40%.
Subsidies for two-wheeled vehicles are mainly made higher, reducing purchasing prices of e-bikes throughout the country, said Abhinav Soman, Associate Programs on the Board for Energy, Environment and Water (CEE), a policy research institute.
Apart from the efforts of the government, investors remain hesitant to offer loans for EV because their limited battery life and uncertainty over the resale value, said S Rajvel, Chair of the State of the Federation of the Automobile Dealer Association (Fada).
Battery accounts and motorbikes for 70% of e-vehicle costs.
The manufacturer offers a pro-average warranty for a maximum of five years, said S Rajvel.
“If the battery dies in the first year of purchase, it is replaced.
In the following years, 25% to 75% of the battery costs are discussed.
So, people are too afraid that they might have to spend more in the end and prefer to spend ₹ 100 A day on gasoline.
Many are unable to spend ₹ 15,000 or more in one GO for batteries, “Rajvel explained.
The e-bike battery lasts 50,000 km and does not need to be replaced for seven years, said Ravneet S Phonela, Chief Business Officer of Ather Energy Pvt Ltd, which expanded operations to Madurai and Salem.
Now sell e-bikes in Chennai, Coimbatore and Trichy.
Even with the cost of replacing batteries that are taken into account, said Soman, EVS is a better bid than conventional vehicles.
“EV battery, once they reach the end of life (eol) in terms of mobility, can be used for purposes such as supporting lattices.
Then minerals and metals can be restored from those who present opportunities for the urban mining industry in India.” J Sivasubramaniam from the Policy Institute Transportation and Development (ITDP) said the EV market in the state was set for further booming with the largest Indian EV factory appeared in Hosur.
The state government has its own EV policy and TN guidance interested in promoting e-transport mode.