Price parity for EVs, flex-fuel vehicles will be achieved on par with petrol cars: Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said efforts are being made to help EVs and flex-fuel vehicles (FFV) achieve price parity with petrol and diesel vehicles within a year’s time.

Speaking at what India thinks today global summit, Gadkari said that the aim of the government is to bring prices of EVs and FFVs to the same level as conventionally-powered vehicles.

He added that a number of vehicle manufacturers present in India – including the likes of Toyota, Honda, Suzuki, Bajaj and TVS – have already begun work on flex-fuel models that can run on 100 per cent ethanol (E100).

Stating that work on making ethanol – a biofuel obtained from crops such as sugarcane and corn – a viable fuel option for vehicles is already underway, Gadkari pointed out that it would be more economical to use an ethanol-powered vehicle instead of one that runs on petrol.

Highlighting the sharp rise in demand for EVs across the country, Gadkari said most electric passenger vehicles in the country now have a waiting period, and said that by promoting the use of EVs and FFVs, the government will ensure vehicular pollution – which constitutes 40 percent of air pollution in the national capital – will drop significantly, in addition to helping slash the country’s fuel bills.

So far in 2022, over 10,000 electric passenger vehicles have been sold across India, along with nearly 1.90 lakh electric two-wheelers, as per the latest registration data on the VAHAN portal.

India has already set a target of achieving a 20 percent ethanol blend with petrol (E20 fuel) by 2025, and this will necessitate upgrades to existing vehicle engines, as ethanol is corrosive in nature and could damage an engine that cannot handle a higher proportion of ethanol.