Switching to batteries won't reduce an iota of pollution, says TVS MD

India’s big three two-wheeler makers on Monday hit out at NITI Aayog’s plan to push for 100 per cent electric vehicle, saying such a transition is completely uncalled for and could jeopardise the industry.

Last week, NITI Aayog had asked auto industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) along with conventional two-and three-wheeler makers to suggest within two weeks, concrete steps towards transition to electric mobility keeping in mind the 2025 deadline.

Hero MotoCorp said the move by NITI Aayog is being at a time “when two-wheelers manufactured in India will have the world’s cleanest emissions, along with the world’s highest fuel-efficiencies, effective April 1, 2020”.

“Instead of imposing the adoption of EVs (electric vehicles), it would be ideal to have a healthy mix of policy, market dynamics, and customer acceptability,” the country’s largest two-wheeler maker said. Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj also said: “We believe 100 per cent transition is completely uncalled for”.

Earlier, he had said the move was impractical and ill-timed, considering the scale involved when stakeholders do not have “any meaningful experience with any of the pieces of the EV puzzle” and that too a date so close to BSVI implementation.

TVS Motor Company