Despite concerted efforts by the Centre and state governments, coupled with a healthy contribution from the private players, India still lacks an adequate charging infrastructure
High import duties and lack of subsidies have made it tough for the hybrid cars’ demand to grow. While hybrids attract 43 pc tax, inclusive of GST; electric vehicles attract a tax of about 5 pc
INTRO: It may come as a surprise to many that instead of joining the EV bandwagon, the country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki has decided to bet big on a bouquet of technologies, starting with CNG and moving towards hybrids. The decision brings spotlight on hybrid vehicles, which many feel are a better alternative towards a cleaner future than electric cars. Here’s a comparative look at the advantages and the challenges faced by these vehicles.
That’s the reason why the country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) has decided to invest in hybrid cars, which it believes are the future of mobility in India. Though the company has been losing its grip in the country’s car market while Tata Motors and others are going aggressive with their EV plans in kolkata, it seems to be no hurry to make its EV foray. MSIL will launch its first EV by 2025.
The decision makes lot of sense as besides being dependent on dirty fuel- generation, EVs have several other issues. It’s an established fact that despite concerted efforts by the Center and the state governments, coupled with a healthy contribution from private players, India still lacks an adequate charging infrastructure. Besides, some recent fire incidents have dented the sentiments of prospective EV buyers to an extent.
Because of all these factors, hybrid cars make more sense in India, at least at the present juncture. Of course, these vehicles, too, face plenty of challenges; high cost as compared to diesel- and petrol-powered vehicles is one of them. The price difference is due to parts such as battery and regenerative brake prices. However, there has been a significant decrease in the cost of batteries in the past few years.
Moreover, high import duties and lack of subsidies have made it tough for the hybrid cars’ demand to grow in the country. While hybrids attract 43 per cent tax, which is inclusive of GST; electric vehicles attract a tax of about 5 pc. Despite all this, the overall hybrid vehicle market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.94 per cent to reach at healthy numbers by 2025.
Though the adoption of EVs saw a steep rise in the last two years, with sales rising 155 per cent year-on-year to 4,29,217 units in FY22, it is still slow considering the size of the Indian market and support provided by the Government. On the other hand, the number of hybrid vehicles sold in FY21 was a dismal 564. But with rising awareness and a strong push from companies like Maruti Suzuki, these numbers are set to grow in the coming months.
Motor controllers, responsible for the performance and efficiency of the powertrain in an electric vehicle, are posing major challenges to the auto industry in the country. The domestic manufacturers of motor controllers lack the requisite expertise and experience and the global semiconductor shortage is also coming in the way. The Government must intervene to help the auto industry deal with this serious matter.
The motor controller is an essential component of an EV as it controls the speed and battery consumption. The controller receives signals from brakes and throttle and delivers the signal to the EV motor
The Indian automotive market has been experiencing a shortage of EV controllers. As the EV market in the country was in the early stages, the majority of EV controllers were imported
Electric vehicles (EVs) are rapidly replacing conventional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE)-based vehicles. The primary reason for their popularity is because EVs are more energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly. And what is responsible for the performance and efficiency of powertrain in an EV is motor controller.
A motor controller is a combination of power electronics and embedded micro-computing elements that efficiently convert energy stored in an electric vehicle’s batteries to motion. A motor controller is a component that controls the flow of energy from battery to motor and vice-versa.
The motor controller is a very essential component of an EV as it controls the speed and battery consumption of an EV. The controller receives signals from brakes and throttle and delivers the signal to the EV motor.
The modern electric powertrains use Brush-less Direct Current Motor (BLDCM) or Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM). These motors are much lighter and more efficient than the conventional motors and they require a controller to function efficiently.
A motor controller for an EV is equivalent to a carburetor for an internal combustion engine (ICE). Since a controller contains a microprocessor, an EV cannot function without one. A motor controller may also use ‘regenerative braking’ to charge a battery while driving. In this case, the energy flow is from the motor to the EV battery pack.
The ‘regenerative braking’ feature is now available in the majority of EVs in the market. When one applies brakes to an EV, a signal is sent to the motor controller, instructing it to reverse the energy flow from the motor to the battery. This gradually recharges the battery. The more one applies the brakes, the more charge is gained by the battery.
The Indian automotive market has been experiencing a shortage of EV controllers. As the EV market in the country was in the early stages, the majority of EV controllers were imported. But as the popularity of EVs has grown exponentially in recent years, the controllers are now being manufactured in the domestic market. However, this has significantly slowed the supply of controllers because the expertise and experience required to manufacture EV controllers are currently lacking.
The Indian automotive market is experiencing challenges in manufacturing EV controllers. The auto industry is already feeling the effects of a global shortage of semiconductor chips. The Government must step in and provide monetary and other benefits to the automobile industry in order to deal with this issue and streamline the process.
