Context
World EV Day is observed on September 9 every year to mark the celebration of e-mobility.
About the Day
- World EV Day was an initiative created by sustainability media company Green.TV.
- The first World EV day was observed in 2020.
- It was largely a social media campaign that encouraged drivers to recognise the benefits of electric vehicles and make a commitment that the next car they drive will be electric and not run on conventional fuels.
- World EV Day works alongside Green.TV’s EV Summit.
- It brings the world’s e-mobility leaders together to brainstorm on how to take electrification and sustainable transport forwards.
Electric vehicles
- EVs are vehicles that are either partially or fully powered on electric power.
- Electric vehicles have low running costs as they have less moving parts for maintaining and also very environmentally friendly as they use little or no fossil fuels (petrol or diesel).
- While some EVs used lead acid or nickel metal hydride batteries, the standard for modern battery electric vehicles is now considered to be lithium ion batteries as they have a greater longevity and are excellent at retaining energy, with a self discharge rate of just 5% per month.
Lithium
- India imports all its lithium needs.
- Though a reserve of 14,000 tonnes of lithium has been found in Mandya, Karnataka, it will not be enough to keep up with the future demand.
- Australia, Chile, and China are the leading producers of lithium in the world.
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Where does India stand in the EV market?
- While China is the largest EV market in the world, India is emerging as the next favourite destination for automotive companies.
- The government has promised to offer all possible help to take the electric vehicle industry forward. Notably, India's automotive industry is the fifth largest in the world.
- It is set to become the third largest by 2030.
- The country is already making efforts to shift towards electric vehicles.
- Recently, world's leading electric vehicle and clean energy company Tesla announced its entry into India.
- The American giant has incorporated its subsidiary -- Tesla India Motors and Energy Pvt Ltd, in Bengaluru.
Government policies
- Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric vehicles-II (FAME-II)
- Stringent regulation on fuel efficiency and emissions
