The high density of vehicles in Kerala and a positive investor ecosystem could make the State conducive for growth in the e-mobility sector, according to K. Elangovan, Principal Secretary, Industries. Transporting cargo through inland waterways and coastal shipping could be a major shift towards eco-friendly transport.
He was speaking on the concluding day of Evolve, a two-day e-mobility conference and expo in the city. The conference considered aspects of funding for e-mobility, standardisation of electric vehicle charging systems and the need to develop safe indigenous technology.
Mr. Elangovan said that the greening of the freight sector should happen in phases. “Goods consumed in Kerala are mostly coming from other States which causes congestion on the national highways,” he said. “Now the government is increasingly thinking of shifting bulk cargo from road to inland waterways. Once waterways like the one from Kollam to Kasaragod come through, the cost of cargo transport will fall.”
He also stressed the significance of coastal shipping. “The government has now opened up the development of smaller ports. There are more than 32 small ports out of which 18 are significantly bigger. These ports will undergo major transformation and development.”
The sale of electric vehicles for the current financial year is estimated at 7,59,600 vehicles, according to Dr Praveen Kumar, Senior Manager, World Resources Institute. This includes electric cars, two-wheelers and three-wheelers. According to Vikram Gulati, country head and vice president, Toyota Kirloskar, making electric vehicles in the country and developing cheaper and more powerful charging systems could ensure faster growth of the industry.
