More recently, in the month of July, my younger brother started living outside for higher education. To experience adulthood and the freedom to step out of the house, he demanded a new two wheeler. Like his friends, he also wanted to roam freely with his wings spread. When parents talked about this, they started looking for a good bike for him. Now he had his eye on every vehicle, which is better and which is not. In view of the increasing pollution in Delhi, I advised him to buy an e-vehicle. In the beginning, they were a bit fussy but when I explained their advantages to them, they agreed to buy it.
If you are also thinking of buying a new two wheeler, then an e-bike can be a better option. Know about the five biggest advantages of buying it-
1. Walk more for less
Whenever an Indian goes to buy a car, the first thing that comes to his mind is the cost of fuel and the cost of its maintenance. They are in search of a car that runs more in less cost, that is, gives better mileage. RP Guhan of Gugu Energy says, “Electric scooters charge one to three units of electricity (about Rs 10 per unit) per charge. Even the most expensive two wheeler will not consume more than 3.5 units per charge. For two wheelers with a range of 50 km to 150 km, you do not have to spend more than Rs 30 to 35 per charge. This is the biggest difference between an IC engine and an electric scooter.”
2. Zero Emissions and Environment
If you go for electric vehicles instead of petrol or diesel, then you can definitely save the environment from pollution to a great extent. Vehicles with IC engines emit toxic gases such as harmful carbon and nitrous oxide. According to the Supreme Court-monitored EPCA, “Fossil fueled vehicles account for 40 per cent of the total emissions load in Delhi. Whereas their contribution in the whole country is around 30 percent. If you want to see the coming generation growing up in a clean environment, then there is no better option than this.
3. Anytime, Anywhere Charging Facility
Nischal, associated with Jaipur-based EV manufacturer BattRE, says, “With eVehicles you never need to go to the petrol station. You can charge it anytime, anywhere, whether at home or your office.
4. Low Maintenance
Buying a vehicle is one thing and maintaining it is another headache. Says Nischal, “The total cost of an e-vehicle is almost half of what we would spend on a petrol-powered scooter in five or six years. Its cost per kilometer is 10 to 15 paise. Petrol-powered vehicles have more than 200 moving parts, while EVs have only 21 to 25. Because of this, its maintenance cost is greatly reduced. EVs are also much lighter as compared to petrol/diesel vehicles.”
5. Tax Exemption
The announcements made in the Union Budget for 2019-20 have much to delight EV manufacturers and potential customers.
Sohinder Gill, Director General, SMEV, said in an interview, “A provision of additional income tax deduction of Rs 1.5 lakh has been made on the interest on loan to purchase EV. This will increase the inclination of people towards EVs. In addition, zero customs duty on lithium-ion cells will bring down the cost of the battery and help local battery makers increase their business.”
Tarun Mehta, co-founder and CEO, Ather Energy, said during an interview, “The government has already brought a proposal to the GST Council to reduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate from 12 per cent to 5 per cent. Apart from this, the exemption given in income tax will bring people towards EV. These announcements have been made keeping in view the promotion of electric vehicles.
There are also a lot of concerns regarding the electric vehicle segment. Especially the lack of charging infrastructure. However, Ravi Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Auto, said earlier this month that it is the responsibility of manufacturers to meet and increase the demand for electric vehicles.
EV should come first or charging station
Ravi says, “The EV should come first or the charging station! We don’t want to get bogged down in such questions. Unless the demand for vehicles on the road increases, no infrastructure is going to be built. It is our job to bring EVs in the market so that people move away from the issue of infrastructure and other problems to buy them.”
The government is doing its part. Earlier in the year, the Urban Development Ministry had issued guidelines saying that 20 percent space in residential and commercial complexes will have to be reserved for charging facilities for electric vehicles. Even in restaurants or other eating places, extra space will have to be kept for charging these vehicles.
As a customer, you have to keep all these aspects in mind. What kind of environment do you want to give to the next generation? Want to save them from toxic air pollution or want to let what is going on. It is your responsibility now. If you want, you can try your best to make their life clean.
Original article: Rinchen Norbu Wangchuck
Editing: Archana Dubey
Also read: I cannot see with my eyes, but there is such a magic in my hand that people are crazy about their products all over the country.
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