Kerala has hopped onto the electric vehicle (EV) bandwagon to embrace environment-friendly electric mobility and achieve the goal to fully electrify all classes of motor vehicles by 2030.
A State known for its environmental sensitiveness, the green mobility and transition to EV in line with its development ethos is another step forward to address mobility issues and check vehicle population and mounting road accidents .
Though electric vehicles cannot go farther on a single charge, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are getting cheaper in the country and have started making their presence on the State roads.
Secretary to CM
M. Sivasankar, Secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has been using an BEV as an official car for the past six months. The noiseless ‘pearlescent white’ Tigor EV with a green registration number plate stands out in a fleet of official sedans used by the Chief Minister, Ministers, and officials.
Mr. Sivasankar, a 1995 batch IAS officer and IT Secretary who was using a Toyota Innova as the official car, switched over to the BEV when Kerala State IT Infrastructure Ltd (KSIIL) chaired by him purchased the vehicle with a view to ushering in e-mobility.
“The ride is smooth and it is a noiseless car. With an eight-hour charging, it will run 120 km. Only 12 units of electricity is needed for charging and it costs ₹60. The per km cost of the BEV that ferries me daily from my home at Poojappura to the Secretariat and for other official work is only 50 paise,” he says.
The teething problems faced by the charging station on the Secretariat premises have resulted in the charging of the BEV at night. After the officer is dropped back home, the BEV is taken to the KSIIL office premises in Statue for charging.
Green vehicle
Mr. Sivasankar says the environmental-friendly BEV is ideal and cost effective for local and hyper local trips. “I am yet to purchase a personal car. My preference will be a BEV although only 80% of the travel needs can be met by it,” he adds.
“Many IAS officials who travelled with me in the last six months are amused at the BEV and are ready to switch over,” Mr. Sivasankar says.
He says issues related to charging have to addressed before BEVs are taken for long road trips.
