Kochi: A detailed project report (DPR) to make Kerala a manufacturing hub for electric vehicles (e-vehicles) and components will be ready within a month.
The DPR is being prepared by Price Wate-rhouse Coopers (PwC) as part of the state government’s ambitious project to put one million electric vehicles on the road in the state by 2022, according to K.R. Jyothilal, principal secretary, transport and aviation. He was speaking to reporters at a function to launch two electric autorickshaws by Mahindra Electric Mobility Ltd here on Wednesday.
He also said the Kerala State Electricity Board Ltd (KSEBL) hadalready identified 180 locations for setting up charging stations.
The state has already initiated steps to ban 15-year-old diesel and petrol autos from April 2021. The vehicles which have paid the road tax for 15 years, however, will be allowed to run. The e-vehicle policy released by the state government in December 2018 had identified focus areas in connection with manufacturing, including complete vehicle, electric drive train and power electronics, energy systems and storage and charging technology and mode. The policy aims at putting 200,000 electric two-wheelers and 50,000 electric three-wheelers by 2020.
Mr Mahesh Babu, CEO, Mahindra Electric Mobility Ltd, said the two vehicles with three...
and four-seats were priced at `2.43 lakh and `1.62 lakh respectively after a state government subsidy of `30,000. The three-seater will provide more riding comfort while the four seater is mainly seen as shared vehicle.
The e-autos will help improve the earning potential of its owner by 15 to 20 per cent compared with other diesel and petrol vehicles. Apart from low operating cost, the two variants-- Treo and Treo Yari-- launched on Wednesday also promise hassle-free and clutch-less drive.
