Going electric in Indian cities

DW (English)

E-mobility in Indian cities aims to cut high levels of emissions and save people money. Ideas from e-motorbikes to e-taxis coupled with regulations and subsidies are making a difference. But is it enough?

Transcript

00:00 The noise is exhausting.

00:03 More than six million motorbikes and cars push their way through Chennai every day.

00:09 Emission levels are sky high.

00:11 Things need to change, say climate activists.

00:16 Climate change means we have to shift from combustion engines to electric vehicles.

00:22 Climate leaders have promised to gradually reduce fossil fuels and to have a set target

00:30 like 2050 or 2070, by which time their countries will have made a complete switch to sustainable

00:37 energy sources.

00:39 A lot of money has been invested already and change is underway.

00:48 Young people in particular like Rakesh Jubashtin are already making the shift.

00:52 It makes sense economically too.

01:00 Vehicle emissions play a huge role in air pollution and climate change, which is why

01:03 the government is promoting electric vehicles.

01:05 I decided to buy an EV to save money and also so that I could do my bit.

01:10 The switch to e-mobility is also an opportunity for the city's start-ups like Fulfilly.

01:17 Its electric two-wheelers deliver goods from online retailers.

01:21 The company says it's a win-win situation.

01:29 The public will notice several benefits, the low maintenance cost, avoiding rising fuel

01:34 costs and less pollution.

01:38 People can save a lot of money by going electric.

01:40 Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, is known as India's Silicon Valley.

01:45 Despite its high-tech reputation, it has the same levels of noise and air pollution as

01:50 an old industrial city.

01:52 One taxi company has recently converted its entire fleet to electric vehicles.

01:58 Drivers like Prasanna are very impressed.

02:01 Electric vehicles are easy to drive.

02:05 There are no gears or clutch, just a brake and an accelerator.

02:09 So they are much nicer to drive in traffic.

02:12 We head to Tiruvannamalai, the capital of Kerala.

02:16 Here, regional authorities have tried to get a handle on air pollution by toughening emissions

02:21 regulations.

02:24 Updating the diesel engines of their vehicles to fit the new norms would have been very

02:28 expensive for this rickshaw producer.

02:30 So instead, they built a brand new fleet run on electricity.

02:35 Like a policy decision, the government at that time, they took the initiative and supported

02:45 us for doing research and development in this EV.

02:51 And slowly, we transformed from this petrol-driven company to EV company with the support of

02:58 the government.

02:59 Kerala's government grants buyers a subsidy of up to Rs 30,000, around Rs 330 on e-vehicle

03:08 purchases, plus road tax exemption for five years.

03:12 But critics say the take-up is still far too low.

03:21 If we want to mitigate climate change, we have to stop using fossil fuels.

03:29 Scientists and researchers say we have just seven years to reduce emissions by 50%.

03:40 That's not a lot of time.

03:42 We have to double the rate we are currently moving at.

03:46 And that means we must change to EVs.

03:54 Charging infrastructure is still insufficient.

03:57 And of course, the electricity used to charge electric vehicles must come from renewables.

04:02 That's the only way they can be truly sustainable.

04:05 Nonetheless, these initiatives in southern India are making a small but important contribution

04:11 towards a cleaner future.

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