India, the world’s third-biggest carbon emitter, which is attempting to achieve carbon neutrality through renewable energy and modern technology.
Accordingly, this week, BMW Group India called on the government to temporarily reduce its import duty on electric vehicles in order to assist automakers in generating adequate volumes before beginning to manufacture locally. The luxury car maker is seeking to enter India’s electric mobility space by launching three new vehicles over the next six months, and has also expressed its interest in producing EVs in the South Asian nation.
“I think what we have been asking the government is to give us a three years window, reduce duties, create demand, then we can localize. Or maybe they can give us a quantity window, say for selling 10,000 vehicles or something like that. These are the things, I think, are required for faster adoption of EVs,” BMW India’s President Vikram Pawah told the Economic Times.
He went on to note that while carmaker intends to launch several new EVs in India over the next few years, this will be subject to certain conditions, including government incentives, and the setup of adequate charging infrastructure across the country. “I think the adoption of any new technology in the premium space is much faster. Customers want the latest on offer, be it in terms of safety or environment-friendliness. I believe electric mobility will pick up strongly in the luxury segment. But for that to happen, you still need a couple of pre-conditions – a good charging network and a stable policy framework”, he said.
