BENGALURU, India—Groceries stashed in the back of an electric delivery scooter are an increasingly familiar sight in the Indian city of Bengaluru. In crowded markets, electric rickshaws drop off and pick up passengers. And the number of tech startups focused on electric transport has shot up as the city—and country—embraces electric vehicles.
Electric vehicles are one solution to bring down planet-warming emissions and improve air quality—with road transport contributing significantly to global emissions. For the electric vehicles market to successfully slash carbon, experts say moving electricity generation away from fossil fuels, managing critical mineral supply chains and boosting EV sales across different socioeconomic backgrounds in the country will be key.
Santhosh Kumar, 23, a rickshaw delivery driver for Bengaluru-based logistics company City Link, can also feel the benefits since he switched to electric. But he said long-term viability for electric vehicles depends on securing supplies of the critical minerals needed for batteries, as well as other parts. The source of electricity to charge the vehicles also must be clean, which isn’t currently the case.
Thirumalai is optimistic about cleaner electricity in the future. The “huge thrust for renewables in the country” means electric vehicle emissions should reduce in time.