In clean energy era, electric cars will be key

One of the less talked about parts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s successful visit to Silicon Valley is his meeting with maverick entrepreneur Elon Musk of Tesla Motors. The South Africa-born Musk has made electric vehicles acceptable and changed the image of electric vehicles being pondering golf-carts. His Tesla Model S has won over critics and buyers in the United States, and in 2014, was the second-best selling luxury sedan in the American automobile market, still the largest in the world. The Tesla Model X, which would have been launched by the time you read this, has the potential to shake up the sports utility segment in the US market as well. It is not as if Mr Musk was the first to manufacture electric cars — indeed, the Reva electric car, which was developed by Mr Chetan Maini in Bangalore, has existed for over a decade. And while the Reva’s poor sales have been blamed on a lack of subsidies and Government support, the main reason that Mr Musk has been successful with Tesla Motors is because he has made electric vehicles sexy and desirable. And while this success has not translated across all geographies, it has forced other manufacturers, including, ironically the Volkswagen Group, to develop electric vehicles. The Porsche Mission-Em  that was showcased at the Frankfurt Auto Show has the performance of a supercar and incredible range. Mr Musk is building a massive ‘superfactory’ in the US southwestern desert to manufacture lithium batteries in bulk, thus dramatically reducing costs. And his company, named after visionary Serbian innovator and inventor of the alternating current, Nikola Tesla, is also making dramatic improvements to energy storage systems. Thanks to Tesla Motors, the concept of the electric vehicle will gain ground, especially now that the concept of clean and efficient diesel has been well and truly busted, in the aftermath of the Volkswagen emissions scam.

The move towards electric has been slow but relentless, and in a country like India — where several cities suffer from debilitating air pollution — electric vehicles offer a solution for a cleaner and more efficient form of transport. In Delhi, for example, the emergence of e-rickshaws have indeed made last-mile transport ‘cleaner’. However, due to a lack of regulation and official apathy, these vehicles are a safety hazard because of their non-compliance with even basic road safety rules such as using headlights at night. But with the correct regulations and safety normss in place, e-rickshaws will be a great solution for last-mile connectivity across India. At the same time, developments in battery technology, thanks to visionaries like Mr Musk and others, will ensure that electric vehicles performance improves. India has prior knowledge in this sector and is well positioned to take advantage of electric vehicles. Here’s hoping for some concrete results from the meeting between Messrs Modi and Musk.