Gadkari: Despite govt's push towards EVs, no ban on petrol and diesel vehicles

Despite the government's push toward faster and widespread adoption of electric vehicles and use of alternative fuels such as ethanol, bio-LNG, and green hydrogen in India, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has stated that the government has no plans to stop registration of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, including diesel and petrol-fueled vehicles.

Nitin Gadkari, speaking at a virtual event, reaffirmed the government's commitment to sustainable fuel and green energy, adding that he is working to increase the use of 50% ethanol in aviation fuel. "We are encouraging (adoption of) electric vehicles (EVs), and (use) of alternative fuels like ethanol, bio-LNG, green hydrogen...(But) we are not going to stop anything (ICE vehicles)," he said.

The minister of transportation and highways stated that the sale of electric vehicles has surged as a result of positive public response. "I feel that we don't need to make anything (electric vehicles) mandatory," Gadkari added. He also pointed out that 250 startups are working on e-vehicles and this will reduce the cost of EVs. Noting that green hydrogen is the future, he said, "I am going to buy a car next month, which will run on hydrogen."

To encourage more electric vehicles in the country, a proposal was made in 2019 to limit the usage of electric three-wheelers and two-wheelers by 2025. However, automakers have expressed their displeasure with the proposal, claiming that a blanket ban on the use of gasoline and diesel vehicles will not aid the cause of environmentally friendly automobiles.

The government has made no progress on this issue, even as several countries want to eliminate the use of ICE vehicles by 2030. The current Indian government, on the other hand, is encouraging the use of clean energy in automobiles by providing numerous incentives and programmes for EV adoption.

While the federal government is providing subsidies under the FAME II policy, state governments are also pushing residents to switch to electric vehicles by providing substantial incentives. On the other hand, the government is working hard to reduce polluting automobiles on the road by enacting scrappage policies and encouraging the use of flex fuel engines in vehicles.