Uncertain Times
The world automobile industry is going through very uncertain times. The first challenge is to reduce the CO2 footprint and the second has now been posed by the US wanting to increase tariffs which will have an adverse effect on all the manufacturers worldwide.
The government is pushing for the adoption of electric cars to reduce the import of crude oil. There are multiple countries across the world that have oil reserves and are exporting oil. Thus, one is not dependent on any one country while sourcing oil. However, when it comes to electric vehicles, the world is dependent on China. We, in India, do not have the best relations with China and we want to reduce our trade deficit with that country.
The anti-diesel policy is also part of the plan to promote electric cars. It has been proved that it is cheaper to buy and run a diesel car than an electric one. Moreover, the life of a diesel car will be more than three times that of an electric car. When it comes to emission, you can look forward to lower CO2 levels from a diesel car as compared to a petrol one. A diesel car is 30 to 35 per cent more efficient than its petrol counterpart.
The life-cycle of an internal combustion engine (ICE) car is 20 to 25 years, whereas the life of an EV is between eight and 10 years. Even if you recycle the components, you are using energy to recycle the battery and other components every 10 years compared to 25 years in the case of the former. How does this make EVs green?
There has always been an emotional bond between owners and their cars. As for their designs in the past, you had timeless ones like the E-Type Jaguar, Mercedes SL, and Ford Mustang, to name but a few. People spend millions to re-condition them as pieces of art. Who will spend money to re-condition a car that feels like the electric mixer in the kitchen?
EDITOR – ASPI BHATHENA
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