Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Govt of India, stated that in order to lower pollution levels in the country, the Government is planning for an INR 2 lakh crore ethanol economy from its current size of INR 20,000 crore as the formation of an extensive ethanol industry for biomass and agriculture sector. Flex-fuel vehicles, according to the government, will play a critical role in decarbonizing the transportation sector by making it more sustainable in terms of the environment, the economy, and the environment’s ecology. Read more about the penetration of EV sales.
“We are going to make it compulsory for all vehicle manufacturers to make flex-fuel engines that can run on more than one fuel to reduce pollution,” said Mr. Gadkari. The Minister also quoted instances from Brazil, Canada, and the US where most car manufactures produce flex-fuel engines. By using the agricultural sector’s enormous potential for energy and power generation, we can help the environment at the same time. Air pollution threat can be resolved by the manufacturing of Bio-CNG from agricultural waste. “We also want to promote the use of green hydrogen, which can help us accomplish the zero-carbon emission mission,” he said.
EV sales penetration
The Minister also added that by 2030 the government is planning to have 30% penetration of electric vehicle sales in private automobiles, 70% in commercial vehicles, 40% in the buses, and 80% by two and three-wheelers. He indicated the reaction of electric vehicles such as electric rickshaws, cars, scooters, and electric bicycles is considerable in the domestic market.
He also emphasized the importance of researching and producing high-efficiency batteries and EV components. “To encourage electric vehicle, battery-operated vehicles have been exempted from payment of fees for issue of renewal of registration and new registration mark” he added.
Mr. Gadkari, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, stated that the Ministry’s goal is to construct effective and inexpensive public transportation systems, such as metro rail, rapid rail transit, intercity bus services, and monorail.