Indian Army eyes electric rides for its peace stations. Details here

The Indian Army is all set to equip some of its peace stations with electric vehicles, including light passenger vehicles, electric motorcycles and e-buses as well, reports ANI. This comes at a moment when the Indian government is promoting electric mobility in all forms across different sectors. Interestingly, US Army is also exploring the potential of using electric vehicles for both combat and non-combat purposes.

As the Indian Army has stated, around 25 per cent of light passenger vehicles, 38 per cent of buses, and 48 per cent of motorcycles of select units will be changed to electric vehicles with adequate charging infrastructure. The army has said that keeping in view the necessity and employability of electric vehicles over various terrains, the army will equip a few units in peace stations with EVs sequentially. With the Indian Army having a large vehicle fleet and its aim to deploy electric vehicles, it can be a major boost for the Indian EV sector, which has witnessed a rise in demand over the past few years.

Meanwhile, electric vehicle sales, especially SUV sales, have shot up to an all-time high in India, backed by the new product launches. The gradual shift of internal combustion engine-powered vehicle buyers to electric cars comes at a time when petrol and diesel prices are at sky-high levels, and CNG price too is soaring.

The electric vehicle industry in India is led by the two-wheeler segment. With 277,910 units of electric two-wheelers sold in the April-September period of 2022, the segment has witnessed a massive 404 per cent surge in sales over the 55,147 units sold in the same period last year. Electric car sales too are not far behind. Cumulative retail sales of electric cars in the first six months of the current financial year were 18,142 units, up 268 per cent from 4,932 units sold in the same period of FY22.