Choking India gets first fully-fledged electric car

Motorists in India, home to some of the world's most polluted cities, can now buy a fully-fledged electric car after Hyundai unveiled a model that can travel 452 kilometres (281 miles) on one charge.

The Kona Electric SUV will cost $36,000 -- more than three times the price of the cheapest combustion-engine SUV and more than eight times dearer than a regular saloon car.

But its improved range will address one of the major concerns among customers in India, where there is a shortage of charging stations, Hyundai Motors Managing Director SS Kim told the Press Trust of India.

India is forecast to become the world's most populous nation within a decade, and although last week the government unveiled new tax incentives, manufacturers say that there is no clear roadmap to get more EVs on the roads.

The market share of electric vehicles is now just 0.06 percent, compared with 39 percent in Norway, according to government figures cited by Bloomberg News.

"We think more can be done by the government to accelerate adoption of EVs in India," Kim said.

Local firms Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra previously launched electric vehicles, but only with limited ranges or not for commercial sale.

Currently there are fewer than 7,000 on India's roads, many of which are imported. In China by contrast, 455,571 electric vehicles were sold in the first half of 2019 alone.

India is home to 22 of the world's 30 most polluted cities, according to Greenpeace, with industrial emissions, car fumes and smoke from burning crops creating a toxic cocktail.

Poisonous air killed 1.24 million Indians in 2017, according to a study published last year by Lancet Planetary Health, which said tens of millions of people face serious health risks.

India currently generates about two-thirds of its electricity with coal and gas, making it the world's third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases.

Related Links
Car Technology at SpaceMart.com

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

Tel Aviv takes a ride to scooter 'paradise'
Tel Aviv (AFP) July 5, 2019
Matan Ben Ari was among the many taking to one of Tel Aviv's main streets on a recent day - not with a car or public transport, but with an electric scooter. He uses them all week, including on Saturdays, the weekly Sabbath or Jewish day of rest, when no public transport is allowed. "There is no public transport and taxis are expensive," said the 28-year-old. "That leaves this solution. Also it's fun to travel with it." Israelis in the country's economic capital Tel Aviv have embraced e ... read more