Amid a raging debate on the government’s resolve to ensure that only electric vehicles are sold in the country from 2030, a key official of Toyota’s joint venture has pitched for a technology-agnostic approach giving options for consumers and leeway to auto producers.
Shekar Viswanathan, vice-chairman and wholetime director at Toyota Kirloksar Motor, said consumers should be given freedom to make a logical choice, and manufacturers enough leeway so that they can produce what the consumer wants.
He said the government’s ambitious target of all-electric fleet from 2030 is “not practical, and it’s not the way forward“.He also argued that EVs alone are not the best answer to curb vehicular pollution.
“In time to come, others may choose hydrogen because there is zero pollution in hydrogen vehicles. So, I think the government has to recognise this, be technology-agnostic, and encourage all techologies and fix the tax rates accordingly,” he said in an interview to PTI .
Technologies which generate more pollution have to be discouraged through suitable fiscal dis-incentives.
Asked if India should avoid rushing into an era of EVs, he said, “If that’s what the consumer wants, the rush will happen on commercial terms but if you (Government) mandate that I will give huge tax incentive for electric but I will penalise hybrid which is very friendly in terms of pollution levels, then it’s not a level playing field.”
So, the Government needs to recalibrate the tax on hybrids, particularly on strong hybrids which function like electric vehicles, he suggested.
“Important point is not whether we will be driving hydrogen vehicles, or continue with internal combustion engine or move to pure electric or hybrid. The point is, are you giving enough freedom for consumers to make a logical choice, and therefore, are you giving the producers of such vehicles enough leeway so that they can produce what the consumer wants.”
Major car players in the world have all the technologies, electric, hybrid, internal combustion engine, that too BS-VI and they will progress towards BS-VII giving very clean fuel, he said.
“But to commercialise and make it a practical proposition for the consumer, we have to stitch it by market-to-market,” he added.
In some parts of India, EVs may well succeed because of enough charging infrastructure, adequate power, and a grid that is able to withstand surges in power drawing, among others.
Because in certain pockets of India you don’t have power, let alone quality power. I think it’s better to take a cautious, practical approach than making grand statements that we will be 100 per cent electric (from 2030),” Viswanathan said.
“You can’t say EVs are not polluting at all if you are going to generate power from coal-fired power stations. There will be pollution then. he said.
Published - December 28, 2017 05:21 pm IST
