Karnataka extends Further Support to E-mobility
Karnataka’s Minister for Heavy and Medium Industries KJ George said that the Karnataka Government has always given Electric Vehicles special and concerted attention and is are willing to walk that extra mile to support e-mobility further. He was speaking at the Future Mobility Show 2019 organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
“E-mobility is already shaping and will continue to shape the automotive industry in India and around the world. By 2030, electrification could lead to electric vehicles holding a substantial share (up to 50 percent of new vehicle sales in a breakthrough scenario) of the global automobile sector,” said Minister KJ George. “Now here there is greater potential to accelerate the energy transition and Electric Vehicles in India, home to a growing, urbanising population of half a billion with buying potential and the steady economic growth. According to the minister, Karnataka has realised the relevance of Electric Mobility and has emerged as a frontrunner, determined to play a vital role in driving EV penetration.”
“Karnataka’s policy framework for electric and sustainable mobility in the field of electric vehicles, charging infrastructure and battery technology would be a game changer in the Industry and will be a model for other States,” he said.
He said that Karnataka’s phased EV manufacturing strategy would aim at strengthening the local manufacturing supply base and developing the local EV supply chain with emphasis on electric drive technologies. Also, he said, Karnataka is the first state to announce subsidy on electric vehicles for the sector to bloom under a comprehensive and well-designed Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage Policy 2017.
He outlined the key initiatives for driving E-Mobility in the State:
- India’s first-ever Electric Technology Manufacturing Hub in Bengaluru by Mahindra Electric Mobility. India’s first Public Electric Vehicle Charging Station set up by BESCOM at Bengaluru
- First of its kind in India, 108 locations (Govt. locations) spread across Bengaluru have been identified for establishing EV charging stations for which bids will be floated by BESCOM
- Aim to replace 50 per cent of the petrol and diesel vehicles used by the state government staffers in Bengaluru to eco-friendly electric vehicles (EV) by 2019
- Issuance of operational guidelines for EV policy for effective implementation of the policy
- Urban Development department would be amending the building bye laws to mandate between 10–20% of the parking space reserved for EV charging
- Development of an app for EV owners to locate and find slots available in the EV charging infrastructure
- Firming up an action plan to popularise EV and EV charging locations by devising an attractive logo, preferential parking for EVs and attractive and legible signage’s across the city
“As a responsible auto manufacturer, we believe that we have a bigger role to play in the nation by addressing the problems of safety, energy security and emissions. We are happy to support the Future Mobility Show 2019 organised by CII which will prove to be a great knowledge sharing platform in the presence of important stakeholders from the industry. Toyota globally believes in creating a smart mobility driven society with integrated approach connecting People, Vehicles and the Society. Our focus is to create an ever-better society making mobility more enjoyable, safe, energy efficient and congestion free. Over the years, Toyota has been engineering varied technologies world-wide by adopting more scientific and systematic approach to achieve ZERO carbon emissions,” said Vikram Kirloskar, Vice Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor.
“In Toyota’s vision of future mobility, all electrified vehicle technologies will remain relevant where small-size EVs would cover short distance commute, while HEVs/PHVs includes passenger cars [mid-size vehicles covering medium range] and FCVs would be for buses/trucks [long-distance range]. Different categories of mobility zones will emerge with suitable application of energy [such as electricity, gasoline, diesel, biofuel, CNG, synthetic fuels, hydrogen, etc] for varied powertrains. Thus, we believe that technology agnostic approach will effectively support smooth mobility technology shift,” he added.
“In line with Toyota’s Environment Challenge 2050, we globally believe that the electrification of vehicles is required to reduce CO2 emissions for a cleaner and greener planet. Toyota has been a pioneer in the electrified vehicle space with the Prius which is the first mass produced electrified car 20 years ago. Considering the pressing issues of fuel emission, high oil import dependency, energy security, we see alternate powertrains such as HV, PHEV, etc as the ideal solutions for Indian scenario. Globally, Toyota celebrates 12 million self-charging electric vehicles on road saving 92 million tonnes of CO2 and 35 billion litres of fuel. We hope that Government will continue to extend the needed support to promote Hybrids (self charging electric vehicle) in the country, which Toyota believes have a future in the technology agnostic world,” said Shekar Viswanathan, Vice Chairman & Whole-time Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor.
