Govt will push EV adoption but will not stop registration of ICEs: Nitin Gadkari
India is focusing on electrification and the government is encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles and usage of alternative fuels like ethanol, bio-LNG, green hydrogen, however, the country will not stop registration of vehicles with internal combustion engines, union minister Nitin Gadkari said.
While addressing a virtual event that was organised by the industry body Indian Chamber of Commerce(ICC), Gadkari also shared that the sales of electric vehicles are increasing as people are giving a positive response, though he added that nothing related to ICE vehicles should be made mandatory. Gadkari informed that around 250 startups are working on EVs and hence this will bring down the cost of EVs.
In the past, he had mentioned that in the next two years, the cost of electric vehicles will be at par with ICE vehicles as the government is providing production linked incentives (PLI) as well as will install EV charging points across fuel stations and major highways.
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The road transport and highways minister also stated that he is putting efforts to encourage the usage of ethanol in aviation fuel as well. “We are encouraging (adoption of) electric vehicles (EVs), and (use) of alternative fuels like ethanol, bio-LNG, green hydrogen...(But) we are not going to stop anything (ICE vehicles)," he was quoted saying as in a PTI report.
Also bullish on green hydrogen as a significant fuel for the future, the minister shared that he is going to buy a car that will run on hydrogen next month.
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Earlier, the union transport minister had stressed on the substitution of conventional fuels with ethanol as it is a more cost-effective and pollution-free motor fuel. He had also stated that flex-fuel engines will be made mandatory in the coming days. Gadkari added that following this move all petrol pumps can be replaced with ethanol pumps. Flex-fuel or flexible fuel is an alternative fuel made with combination gasoline, methanol or ethanol and a higher blend of ethanol in petrol.
(with inputs from PTI)
