http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/cubic-capacity-pulls-plug-on-electric-cars-in-bengal/articleshow/58571704.cms
[Fiction can't beat truth. The trick to successful fiction is it needs
to be believable. Oddly enough, I had the same problem years ago with
my first electric motorcycle in Ontario. Correct answer for the
computer system: number of cylinders: 0, engine displacement (cubic
inches at that time): 0. Of course, some bright bulb may have put in
error-checking logic to disallow those values in the new computer system.]
'Cubic capacity' pulls plug on electric cars in Bengal
Subhro Niyogi | TNN | May 8, 2017, 11.55 AM IST
KOLKATA: Even as the world embraces electric cars, the state transport
authority is going out of its way to discourage citizens from buying the
environment-friendly modes of personal transport. For the past five
months, attempts to register electric cars at the Public Vehicles
Department in Kolkata have been foiled by absurd arguments from
transport officials that exemplify red tape in bureaucracy and
government.Over a dozen electric cars purchased by customers, including
five by Kolkata Police, are awaiting registration since January. Several
customers are even paying EMI without being able to use the car they
have bought.
That is because the Public Vehicles Department is insisting the company
declare the cubic capacity of the car's engine despite Mahindra Electric
officials trying to reason that it cannot do so because its cars don't
have engines and run on batteries. Though there is a central subsidy of
around Rs 1.24 lakh on electric cars, they still cost nearly twice a
petrol or diesel car, and hence, the EMI is that much more.
"The RTO of West Bengal has raised a unique technical requirement for
registration of electric vehicles.This needs to be worked between the
central government and certifying authorities. We are working on all
fronts, including with the West Bengal RTO team, to clarify the specific
and unique requirement. We hope to close this issue in the near future
so that our customers can outsmart pollution," said Mahesh Babu, chief
executive of Mahindra Elec tric that manufactures the five-door E2O Plus.
Nirmalya Roy Chowdhury, who lived in Seattle, US, decided to buy an
electric car despite the premium because he didn't want to burden the
city's already toxic air quality. "Hybrid and electric cars are gaining
popularity in the US and rest of the world. So when I had to buy a car,
I decided on electric as it is the future. But the mindset of people
responsible for registering the cars is still trapped in the past," said
Roy Chowdhury . Electric cars, like the two-door Reva and Mahindra's E2O
have been sold and registered in Kolkata in the past. That was before
Vahan e-Services were introduced in January . Assistant director
(technical) at the Public Vehicles Department, Gobinda De, said there
were multiple issues. "In the new Vahan registration platform, data has
to be entered on the vehicle's engine capacity in cc and horsepower in
bhp. M&M was giving the power in kilo Watt hour (kWh) and not bhp.
Since then, they have done some calculation and submitted the power in
bhp, they are yet to give us the engine's cubic capacity ," he said.
Physician Manasi Goswami, who has purchased an electric car but is
unable to take delivery , wondered how PVD officials could make such an
irrational demand in a day and age when even children know that electric
cars don't have conventional fossil-fuel based engines whose capacity
can be calculated.
==================================================================
http://www.autocarpro.in/news-national/government-mobility-policy-plans-massive-shift-evs-24601
[The article above kind of flies in the face of this one.]
Government working on new mobility policy, plans massive shift to EVs
by Autocar Pro News Desk May 08, 2017
India is planning a massive shift to electric vehicles (EVs) in the
country over the next decade and a half. It is understood that the
National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog), the premier
policy think-tank’ of the government of India which provides both
directional and policy inputs, has recommended lowering of taxes and
interest rates for loans on EVs.
This would also involve capping sales of conventional cars, thereby
signalling a dramatic shift in policy in India, one of the world's
fastest growing auto markets which in FY2016-17 crossed the 3-million
sales mark in the passenger vehicle market.
According to a Reuters report, the 90-page draft report, has suggested
that the government open a battery plant by the end of 2018 and use tax
revenues from the sale of petrol and diesel-engined vehicles to set up
charging stations for EVs. The Niti Aayog draft policy’s recommendations
are aimed at electrifying all vehicles in the country by 2032 and will
likely shape a new mobility.
The report, which is to be made public later this week, focuses solely
on EVs and marks a sharp shift from the current policy that incentivises
both hybrid vehicles – which combine fossil fuel and electric power –
and electric cars.
The ‘Transformative Mobility Solutions for India’ report, co-produced
with US consultancy Rocky Mountain Institute, comes a little over two
months after Niti Aayog held a high-level workshop on advancing
passenger mobility and transportation in New Delhi. The aim of the
workshop was to explore technologies and business models to help India
leapfrog the traditional approach to passenger mobility and
transportation.
The Niti Aayog report's recommendations are aimed at discouraging use of
fossil fuel, a strategy which similar to that of China which is
aggressively driving sales of plug-in EVs.
India, the third-largest consumer of fossil fuels in the world and 80
percent dependent on imports to its domestic demand, is looking to slash
its crude oil import bill by half by the year 2030.
Officials acknowledge the blueprint faces challenges. High battery costs
would push up car prices and a lack of charging stations and other
infrastructure means car makers, who have been consulted on the
proposals ahead of publication, would hesitate to make the necessary
investment in the technology.
"If we accelerate EV growth, it will be a disruption for the auto sector
and would require investment, but if we're not able to adapt quickly we
risk being net importers of batteries," a government source told
Reuters. "There has been resistance from car makers."
While Maruti Suzuki India, the largest-selling carmaker in the country,
has invested in mild-hybrid technology (SHVS), which makes less use of
electric power than full hybrids, while Toyota and Honda sell their
Camry Hybrid and Accord Hybrid sedans in the country. Mahindra &
Mahindra is the only manufacturer of electric vehicles in India with its
e2O, e-Verito and e-Maxximo.
Battery plant, battery swapping stations, higher incentives on BEVs
In 2015, as part of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP),
the government had launched the FAME India (Faster Adoption and
Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) scheme with an aim to
promote eco-friendly vehicles, offering incentives on electric and
hybrid vehicles of up to Rs 29,000 for bikes and Rs 138,000 for cars. It
envisaged Rs 795 crore support for the first two fiscals.
The FAME India scheme is aimed at accelerating sales of eco-friendly
vehicles to up to 7 million vehicles by the year 2020. However, sales of
EVs have been abysmally poor. Earlier this year, the government withdrew
the incentives offered to mild hybrids after 73,633 such four-wheelers
were sold.
The latest Niti Aayog report, details a three-phase, 15-year programme,
starting this year. To kick-start the shift, the report suggests bulk
procurement of EVs, building standardised, swappable batteries for two-
and three-wheelers to bring down their cost and having favourable tariff
structures for charging cars.
"Prioritise battery and charging infrastructure development," the report
states, while setting a 2018 goal for setting up a 250 megawatt per hour
battery plant with an aim to reach one gigawatt of production by 2020.
It also recommends setting up battery swapping stations by 2018, common
manufacturing facilities for components and increasing subsidies on all
battery electric vehicles (BEVs) to bring them to cost parity with
conventional models by 2025.
Other suggestions in the blueprint include incentivising the use of
electric cars as taxis by lowering taxes, interest rates on loans for
purchases and electricity tariffs for fleet operators, and lowering
duties on makers of such fleet cars.
