Electric Commercial Vehicles Are The Future Of India
In the coming years, forecasters predicted a significant decrease in natural resources. And industries around the world are working hard to reduce their carbon footprint, make better energy choices and enhance their business practices. This movement is facilitating a change in how different industries are truly integrating sustainable development into their company's vision and mission.
The Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari has been consistently advocating the need for India to pull down the electricity route. He has made it clear that the process of advancing electric vehicle manufacturing in India is already underway, and at least 15% of Indian vehicles should be electrified in the coming five years.
Theoretically, the expectations set by the Transport Minister are not unfounded. Indian road transport accounts for a major share of about 60% in freight. And because of the fact that commercial vehicles have seen a steady increase in the frequency of their sales, the number of units has increased from 2 to 3.9 million by 2026 according to the Automotive Mission Plan. Therefore, electrification, especially when it comes to commercial vehicles, is not a far-reaching idea and indeed has significant potential.
But why does electricity go?
Transport is the lifeline of the Indian economy, and needs are met prominently by private vehicles. This has resulted in innumerable vehicular traffic on the road, causing choking on the roads and increasing emissions rates. To control freight, and to be environmentally conscious, the Indian government is working hard to convert transporters to use public vehicles for shipping and logistics
Electric commercial vehicles have the potential to make a lasting impact on the automotive ecosystem. Whether it is technology, manufacturing, business models, supply chains and after-sales operations, Electric CV will lead the change.
Technology disclosure
Electrification may not be a distant dream, however, as technology needs to catch up fast with this rapid growth factor. Innovation is on the horizon for various aspects related to commercial vehicles. Talking about the use of batteries, electric vehicles will inevitably be at risk of electrical faults and disruption. In the case of either that or a fully charged battery, the excess of energy becomes a problem.
To counter this, attention is being paid to a blocker that damages and discharges surplus energy. While this can be a fairly easy process for light vehicles, heavy vehicles may have a hard time jumping on this bandwagon due to the hassle of energy discharge due to sudden brakes.
The timeline
The world is leaning towards electric commercial vehicles, and one needs to be the change in the Indian commercial vehicle sector. Theoretically, the transition to electrification would be anticipated by two- and three-wheelers in the country. Step by the bat for the next step will be passenger buses and corporate vehicles. Vehicles and fleets used by the government will follow suit, with the government staying true to their word and vision.
However, it is possible that commercial vehicles may take a little longer to become fully electrified, especially due to their size. Another reason for the delay can be attributed to the charging mechanism. The technology charges either through plug-in charging stations or through the switching of batteries. Therefore adopting a charging mechanism based on different vehicle slabs will take time to be implemented efficiently.
Timelines also push traditional OEMs behind their global counterparts, as they bring high value in terms of innovation and implementation.
Manufacturing
As electric commercial vehicles are expected to sell like hot cakes in the future, manufacturers in India and abroad have started taking notice of this lucrative opportunity. Therefore, we are bound to see global OEMs in the country as well as some state-of-the-art vehicles emanating from domestic manufacturing units.
However, what the manufacturers are speculating is a larger size battery, which adds to the cost of the vehicles, which are larger in size, with which to start. The government has been with the idea of reducing the battery size to 50 kWh, which may enable a more sustainable supply model.
Infrastructure
The commercial vehicle segment is going to be widely affected by EU regulations for emission standards, BS-VI, which is expected to be adopted by the Government of India at any time by 2020. This may force the authorities to expedite the process of setting up permanent charging infrastructure across the country.
Experts claim that the price of "traditionally" built trucks with internal combustion engines increases by 22%, a figure that could shift the course of diesel-powered trucks. This figure is indicative of establishing an efficient charging infrastructure plan. However, a structured plan regarding the layout of charging stations based on domestic geography needs to be formulated to gain momentum on the deployment of entire electric commercial vehicles. Another hurdle that planning officers have to overcome is range-concern, as charging stations can only be made available at prescribed mandatory distances. Therefore, to overcome this particular problem, there is a need to look at different charging model schemes.
The conclusion
Commercial vehicles in India see more and more employment and operations, which is why there is a significant possibility of a transition to electric CV coming into existence. However, what needs to be taken care of to make this switch more seamless is the creation of a durable charging and battery model, as well as the need for a higher battery. Electrification is the path to running a more green industry.
The Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari has been consistently advocating the need for India to pull down the electricity route. He has made it clear that the process of advancing electric vehicle manufacturing in India is already underway, and at least 15% of Indian vehicles should be electrified in the coming five years.
Theoretically, the expectations set by the Transport Minister are not unfounded. Indian road transport accounts for a major share of about 60% in freight. And because of the fact that commercial vehicles have seen a steady increase in the frequency of their sales, the number of units has increased from 2 to 3.9 million by 2026 according to the Automotive Mission Plan. Therefore, electrification, especially when it comes to commercial vehicles, is not a far-reaching idea and indeed has significant potential.
But why does electricity go?
Transport is the lifeline of the Indian economy, and needs are met prominently by private vehicles. This has resulted in innumerable vehicular traffic on the road, causing choking on the roads and increasing emissions rates. To control freight, and to be environmentally conscious, the Indian government is working hard to convert transporters to use public vehicles for shipping and logistics
Electric commercial vehicles have the potential to make a lasting impact on the automotive ecosystem. Whether it is technology, manufacturing, business models, supply chains and after-sales operations, Electric CV will lead the change.
Technology disclosure
Electrification may not be a distant dream, however, as technology needs to catch up fast with this rapid growth factor. Innovation is on the horizon for various aspects related to commercial vehicles. Talking about the use of batteries, electric vehicles will inevitably be at risk of electrical faults and disruption. In the case of either that or a fully charged battery, the excess of energy becomes a problem.
To counter this, attention is being paid to a blocker that damages and discharges surplus energy. While this can be a fairly easy process for light vehicles, heavy vehicles may have a hard time jumping on this bandwagon due to the hassle of energy discharge due to sudden brakes.
The timeline
The world is leaning towards electric commercial vehicles, and one needs to be the change in the Indian commercial vehicle sector. Theoretically, the transition to electrification would be anticipated by two- and three-wheelers in the country. Step by the bat for the next step will be passenger buses and corporate vehicles. Vehicles and fleets used by the government will follow suit, with the government staying true to their word and vision.
However, it is possible that commercial vehicles may take a little longer to become fully electrified, especially due to their size. Another reason for the delay can be attributed to the charging mechanism. The technology charges either through plug-in charging stations or through the switching of batteries. Therefore adopting a charging mechanism based on different vehicle slabs will take time to be implemented efficiently.
Timelines also push traditional OEMs behind their global counterparts, as they bring high value in terms of innovation and implementation.
Manufacturing
As electric commercial vehicles are expected to sell like hot cakes in the future, manufacturers in India and abroad have started taking notice of this lucrative opportunity. Therefore, we are bound to see global OEMs in the country as well as some state-of-the-art vehicles emanating from domestic manufacturing units.
However, what the manufacturers are speculating is a larger size battery, which adds to the cost of the vehicles, which are larger in size, with which to start. The government has been with the idea of reducing the battery size to 50 kWh, which may enable a more sustainable supply model.
Infrastructure
The commercial vehicle segment is going to be widely affected by EU regulations for emission standards, BS-VI, which is expected to be adopted by the Government of India at any time by 2020. This may force the authorities to expedite the process of setting up permanent charging infrastructure across the country.
Experts claim that the price of "traditionally" built trucks with internal combustion engines increases by 22%, a figure that could shift the course of diesel-powered trucks. This figure is indicative of establishing an efficient charging infrastructure plan. However, a structured plan regarding the layout of charging stations based on domestic geography needs to be formulated to gain momentum on the deployment of entire electric commercial vehicles. Another hurdle that planning officers have to overcome is range-concern, as charging stations can only be made available at prescribed mandatory distances. Therefore, to overcome this particular problem, there is a need to look at different charging model schemes.
The conclusion
Commercial vehicles in India see more and more employment and operations, which is why there is a significant possibility of a transition to electric CV coming into existence. However, what needs to be taken care of to make this switch more seamless is the creation of a durable charging and battery model, as well as the need for a higher battery. Electrification is the path to running a more green industry.
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