India Is Not Ready For Electric Vehicles: Volkswagen India Chief

Yes, Managing Director of Volkswagen India, Andreas Lauermann has stated that India is "not really" prepared for electric cars. But he welcomed government's move to shift to electric vehicles and said that it is a good step.

As compared to the petrol and diesel vehicles, the electric cars need to be regularly charged as the driving range is limited. And India lacks the charging infrastructure and finding a quick charger is a challenge.

The electric car owners in India are facing the same problem and even finding a normal three-phase charger is also a tough task.

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Lauermann said, "I believe it was a good step from the government to put it (EVs) on the agenda. It is absolutely necessary for India. But we all know that India is a not really prepared for such a step at the moment."

He added, "Also in terms of technology, India should be clear what kind of technology it wants."

Speaking about Volkswagen electric cars for India, he said that with the current technology, the Volkswagen electric cars would be a little too early for India. Currently, the Government of India is sourcing electric cars which will be used by its departments and public sector industries.

The government's electric vehicle sourcing arm called EESL has already commenced sourcing electric cars from Tata Motors and Mahindra. Government departments will use the Tata Tigor EV and the Mahindra eVerito.

EESL plans to procure around 20,000 electric cars in the next two years. The government is also working on improving the charging infrastructure in the country. More and more charging stations with quick charging capability will be installed in India.

DriveSpark's Thoughts On The Electric Vehicles In India

The Government of India has been stressing the use of EVs in the country to reduce the carbon emissions and also minimise the oil imports. But without proper charging infrastructure, it is not that easy.

Several automakers are working on EVs for India. Currently, Tata Motors and Mahindra are leading the cause, and soon Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai will also join the bandwagon.