EVs are not the only answer for curbing CO2 emissions in India: Maruti Chairman RC Bhargava

Bhargava had earlier told reporters that hybrid vehicles can also be a better alternative to internal combustion engines vehicles as they not only improve fuel economy by 30-35 percent but also reduce carbon content via tailpipe emissions. Image Credit: Pixabay

At a time carmakers like Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M), Tata Motors, Hyundai Motor India, and MG Motor are leveraging India’s booming zero-emission electric vehicle (EV) market, the country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki believes an EV is not the only solution to lower carbon emissions.

The company’s chairman R.C. Bhargava is of the view there should be a technology-agnostic approach to reach the target of lower carbon emissions.  He also believes that in a country like India, where coal is the major source of electricity, hybrid, compressed natural gas (CNG), bio-CNG, ethanol, hydrogen and the like are the multiple technology options towards lower carbon emissions.

“The market in India is very different from the market in Europe, America or Japan… India has options which others do not have. For example, we think of bio-CNG.  We can think of using the ability to use various materials to produce gas and ideally suited for the smaller end of the market,” Bhargava said in a fireside chat with Ravi Krishnan, deputy editor of MoneyControl.com.

Bhargava, who was speaking at an event organised by Moneycontrol titled ‘Policy Next: Rs 10 trillion-dollar Push’, said the company will be rolling out its maiden EV in a year or two. However, he added, “EVs are not going to be the only answer for India. Policymakers need to understand that India is different from every other country in many ways and this is one of the ways.”

Bhargava had earlier told reporters that hybrid vehicles can also be a better alternative to ICEVs ( internal combustion engines vehicles) as they not only improve fuel economy by 30-35 percent but also reduce carbon content via tailpipe emissions.

Referring to a comment by minister of road transpoirt and highways Nitin Gadkari, he said, “The minister is saying use ethanol and we have the potential to use that. Why don’t we do what Brazil is doing on a big scale? Use of bio-CNG and ethanol will lead to lower CO2 emissions unlike electric vehicles, because they are using power generated from coal, and are a long way from being neutral in terms of carbon emissions.”

When asked about the way forward, Bhargava said, “India needs to have a mix of EVs, using ethanol, bio-CNG. We should be flexible and use all sources of energy. We should not take it (EV) up just because the US or Europe or some other country has done it. We should be flexible in our thinking considering that India is different.”